The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have moved their children to a new school just two days into the new school term.
The children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet – started at their new school just last week after the family relocated back to the UK.
The location of their new home and details of the children’s school have been kept private. But the distance between their home and the original school, with heavy traffic in the area, had caused concern for their security team.
A spokesperson for the duke and duchess said: “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 parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family.
“This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there.”
The school move comes after a reported meeting last week of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is responsible for making decisions about royal security.
The couple controversially returned to the UK in August after they stepped down as working royals in 2020 amid the Megxit crisis and moved to the United States for six years.
Buckingham Palace released a letter on behalf of King Charles last month reiterating the King’s stance after Harry and Meghan announced their return, confirming there would be no alteration to their role and status as private individuals and non-working royals.
Prince Harry is waiting to hear the conclusion of the risk management board’s threat assessment, as Ravec is expected to decide at the meeting as to whether the Sussex family should be entitled to taxpayer-funded security now they live in the UK.
The Telegraph reported the committee chair wrote to the duke last week confirming that in light of their changed circumstances, it had commissioned a new risk assessment for him and a separate one for Meghan.
The Wales children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, attend Lambrook School in Berkshire, and Prince George has started boarding at Eton College.
Pictures were released of the prince’s first day at Eton, where his father and uncle Harry both attended as children, as the duke and duchess of Wales both walked him onto the premises.
Meghan meanwhile shared a first glimpse of family life in the UK on social media this week.
Meghan and Harry were seen walking hand in hand in the first shot, with the duchess turning around to whoever is holding the camera and saying: “Come on, you, come on.”
The footage posted on Instagram features Meghan with the Duke of Sussex, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on outdoor adventures to the tune of Wham!’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’.
The video also shows one of the children sitting by a roaring fireplace, Lili wearing wellies while riding a bicycle with training wheels and a doll on the back, and Archie running past his sister in his wellies.
