…it came down to the far more practical problem of getting them there and back safely each day. According to Hello!, the decision followed direct advice from the family’s security team, who determined the daily commute could not be managed securely under the current setup.
Two Days In, Everything Changed
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, spent just two days at the school last week, meeting classmates shortly after the Sussex family arrived back in Britain for an extended stay. Sources close to the couple stressed there was no problem inside the school itself.
Instead, the trouble surfaced on the road. The demands of the school run proved too much for the family’s small private security detail to manage reliably.
Why the School Run Became the Real Problem
Heavy traffic and the distance between the school and the family’s current home were reportedly contributing factors. At one point, the security vehicles struggled to stay together in convoy, an incident that raised further concern for the team.
The couple’s bodyguards had checked out the school over the summer holidays, before the family formally returned. But the actual rhythm of the school run couldn’t be fully tested until the first day of term arrived.
A friend of the couple told Hello!, “It’s a real shame, because they absolutely adored the school, the kids and their parents. It was perfect for them in every way, and the children really enjoyed their time there.” The friend added that the family “really wanted to make it work,” but ultimately had to accept that the team “couldn’t make the school run operationally secure.”
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex later confirmed the decision followed “a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.” The spokesperson was careful to note the move was not a reflection on the school, adding that the parents “remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family.”
A New School Already Underway
The transition happened quickly. Archie and Lilibet have already attended a taster session at another nearby school, with Harry reportedly seen helping Lilibet settle into her reception classroom.
Harry and Meghan have since been added to the new school’s parents’ WhatsApp group.
Security Review and the Bigger Picture
The timing places the episode alongside a separate but related development: Meghan has been granted her first government-backed security review since she and Harry stepped back from royal duties in 2020. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as Ravec, has asked the couple for details of their daily routines, including the school run, as part of its assessment of any change in the threats they face.
Harry has spent years pushing for reinstated police protection in the UK, a legal effort that began in September 2021 and ended in defeat at the Court of Appeal in May 2025. Afterward, he told the BBC that he did not see a scenario, at that point, in which he would bring his wife and children back to live in the UK.
Yet by August 2026, circumstances had shifted. The family flew privately from California to Birmingham on August 26, according to People, while keeping their Montecito home and their property in Portugal. They remain private, nonworking members of the royal family, with Harry expected to spend more time on UK charity work ahead of the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
A Return Already in Motion
The children’s schooling was only one part of a broader reconnection with Britain. In July, Archie and Lilibet spent time with King Charles III at Highgrove and visited Althorp, the childhood home and resting place of their grandmother, Princess Diana.
Separately, reports emerged this month that parents in the Cotswolds had received letters asking them not to photograph or post information about pupils online, citing the need for a “safe, happy and private environment.” That letter, however, did not come from the school Archie and Lilibet attended.
Just days before news of the switch broke, Meghan shared a glimpse of the family’s UK routine on Instagram, posting a short video on September 13 showing Harry, Archie, and Lilibet with the family’s dogs, Pula and Mia, cycling, fishing, and walking through the countryside.
The clip drew mixed reaction online. Some commenters expressed concern for the children, while others questioned the family’s choices or the timing of their return to Britain given the ongoing security discussions.
Archie was born in London in 2019 before the family relocated to California in 2020; Lilibet was born in California in 2021. Both children have spent most of their lives in the United States. For now, Archie and Lilibet are preparing to begin again at their new school, even as Meghan’s security review continues to shape the family’s arrangements in Britain.