The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, decided to transfer their children to another school just a few days after the start of the new school year, for reasons related to practical security arrangements.
“The decision to transfer the children to another school was made following a discussion with the clients’ security team about the practicalities of the current security arrangements,” a spokesperson for the couple told CNN on Monday, after HELLO magazine first reported the news.
The statement added: "The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown towards the family. This decision should in no way be interpreted as a criticism of the school or of the exceptional care the two children received there."
The move comes after British media reported that Meghan had received approval to conduct a government-backed security review, for the first time since she stepped down from her royal duties.
The couple, who had resided in Montecito, California, for 6 years, returned to the UK in late August. CNN previously reported that their two children, Prince Archie (7 years old) and Princess Lilibet (5 years old), had already been registered in British schools for the 2026-2027 academic year before their arrival.
Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to receive a formal risk assessment soon due to their return to Britain, according to The Telegraph.
The couple was asked to provide the authorities with as many details as possible about their new daily routine, including transportation, such as driving the children to school, addresses they regularly visit, walking routes, and other information.
The Telegraph reported that this information, along with any other relevant evidence, will be used by a department of the British Home Office to assess any changes in the level of threat they face.
It is noteworthy that Harry has been in a long dispute with the Home Office since the ministry decided in 2020 that he would no longer receive “the same level” of protection while in the country. Harry appealed this decision in court, but lost the case according to a ruling issued in February 2024.
In May 2023, Harry lost a separate lawsuit in which he was seeking the right to pay for his police protection while in the UK. This decision was issued after the British Home Office decided that it was not appropriate for the wealthy to purchase security protection services provided by specialized police officers.
However, the Duke continued to demand security protection from the police, considering that he and his family were still at risk despite abandoning their official royal duties.
Harry has long publicly expressed concern about his family's security, often drawing comparisons between the treatment his wife received and that faced by his mother, Diana; The late Princess of Wales died in 1997 from internal injuries resulting from a horrific car accident that occurred at high speed in Paris.
Earlier this year, Harry returned to London to attend court hearings in a separate case against a tabloid publishing house, and to participate in several public events, but Meghan and their children did not accompany him on that trip, due to security concerns.
