Harry and Meghan Move Children to New School Over Security Concerns

Prince Harry and Meghan have moved their two children to a different school, citing security concerns, a spokesperson said Tuesday. The change comes only weeks after the family relocated to the United Kingdom from California in late August.

According to the spokesperson, the decision was made after the family's security team raised questions about the practicalities of the existing school arrangements. "The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family's security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements," the statement said.

Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, had just begun the new academic year in England. British media reported that the length of the school commute and congestion along the route were among the issues flagged by the couple and their security detail. The family is staying at a private residence outside London that is not a royal property.

The spokesperson stressed that the move should not reflect on the previous school. "This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there," the statement added.

The development follows reports that Harry and Meghan are awaiting a fresh risk assessment from the government committee that reviews protection for VIPs. That review will include a decision on whether the family should receive publicly funded security now that they are living in the U.K.

Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago, saying they wanted to earn their own living. They later signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify. Relations with the wider royal family have since become strained, though Harry has recently spoken of an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III.

Harry has waged a long-running legal and public battle with the British government over the restoration of publicly funded police protection, which was withdrawn when the couple gave up their royal roles. He has previously said he could not "see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K." without a security guarantee.

Earlier this month, the king reiterated that Harry and Meghan remain non-working members of the royal family and would continue not to use formal royal titles such as his royal highness and her royal highness, as has been the case since 2020. The couple said they were surprised by how the monarch issued that statement, noting they had little time to review it.