It has been a rocky start back in the UK for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who moved back to England with their two children at the end of August. First, they were blindsided by a letter from Buckingham Palace, on behalf of King Charles III, sent to government officials and released publicly, stating that the couple is not to be recognized as working royals but as private citizens. Now, the couple has had to remove their kids from school after only two days into the term.
Per the Daily Mail, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, didn’t have a chance to settle into their new academic life before they were made to leave the school they started this September due to concerns raised by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security team.
Friends of the royal couple told the British magazine Hello! that security checks for the school had been done before the family moved back to England. While there was nothing wrong with the location itself, the journey from their home to their chosen school placed a heavy burden on their security team — so much so that the team was unable to properly escort the family to their destination.
“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,” a source told Hello! “They really wanted to make it work, but they had to make a difficult decision based on the fact that the team couldn’t make the school run operationally secure.”
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Last year, Prince Harry fought to regain the publicly funded protection his family lost when they moved to the United States in 2020, before losing his appeal in May and stating that he couldn’t see “a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” per the BBC.
While those concerns were previously dismissed, this latest security obstacle could give the couple more grounds to regain that security. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) is currently evaluating the level of protection the family needs.
As the family’s security situation continues to be assessed, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have already enrolled their children in a new school and, according to Hello!, have already been added to the school’s parent group chat.
A spokesperson for the couple also told the publication that their decision to pull their children from their original school is not a reflection on the institution.
“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.”
