Harry and Meghan switch children’s school just days into term | CNN

London — 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, have decided to move schools for their children just days into the start of the new academic year, citing security practicalities.

“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,” a spokesman for the couple said in a statement to CNN on Monday, after the news was first reported by HELLO! Magazine.

“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 statement added.

The move comes after British media reported earlier on Monday that Meghan has been granted a government-backed security review for the first time since quitting royal duties.

The couple, who had been living in Montecito, California, for six years, moved back to the United Kingdom in late August. Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, were already enrolled in British schools for the 2026-2027 academic year prior to their arrival, CNN previously reported.

Now, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will both imminently receive an official risk assessment given their return to Britain, according to The Telegraph newspaper.

The couple has been asked to provide authorities with as much detail as possible about their new daily routines, including trips such as the school run, addresses routinely visited, routes taken and more. That information, along with any other evidence considered relevant, will be used by a branch of the UK’s Home Office to evaluate any changes to the level of threat they face, The Telegraph reported.

Harry has had a longstanding battle against the Home Office after the government ministry decided in February 2020 he would no longer be given the “same degree” of protection when in the country. He challenged that decision in court but lost in a February 2024 ruling.

In May 2023, Harry lost a separate legal challenge seeking the right to pay for his police protection while in the UK. That ruling was made after the UK’s Home Office argued it was not appropriate for wealthy individuals to buy protective security from specialist police officers.

However, the duke has continued pressing for police protection, arguing that he and his family remain at risk even though they stepped down from official royal duties.

Harry has previously been vocal about the security of his family, often drawing comparisons between his wife’s treatment to that faced by his mother, Diana. The late Princess of Wales died in 1997 after suffering internal injuries resulting from a high-speed car crash in Paris.

Earlier this year, Harry returned to London for a different court case against a tabloid publisher and to attend several public engagements, but Meghan and their children did not accompany him, citing security concerns.

This is a developing story and will be updated.