Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving their children from California to the UK, with Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, set to attend a British school from September. The family has secured a private, non-royal home outside of London after six years in Montecito.
Expert advice on helping children adjust
Caroline Popoola, founder and CEO of Alpha Child Care, said it is crucial for parents to recognise that while the move may bring advantages, children are also likely to experience a sense of loss. "It's important that parents communicate and acknowledge the changes," she told The Mirror. "They need to communicate that clearly to the children."
Popoola added that parents should give children permission to discuss what they are missing. "They have a right to miss their old life." She said maintaining familiar routines at home, such as bedtime stories, regular mealtimes and familiar evening routines, can help children adjust and provide an anchor when almost everything else feels new.
Reassurance and safety net
Children can struggle with uncertainty over even the smallest details, Popoola warned. "It's important that they get to see the advantages of moving countries, [but] for the children to navigate these changes it's important that they feel safe," she said.
"Simple things help like explaining in very simple and concrete language such as, 'Mummy and Daddy will pick you up at 3pm from school', or who is doing the picking up. Mummy and Daddy will be at home waiting for you. This is our new school. This is our new home. This is why we're here."
Popoola cautioned that parents should not assume children will simply tell them when they are struggling. Emotional distress can emerge through changes in behaviour, including sleepless nights, irritability, emotional outbursts or clinginess. "All the parents need to do is just reassurance and the fact that they would be there, that safety net for the children."
Family context and future plans
The King was only told of Harry and Meghan's decision three days before the news became public on Wednesday. The duke and duchess decamped to California more than six years ago amid the Megxit crisis, which was followed by ongoing family fallouts and accusations the couple fired at the Prince and Princess of Wales and the King and Queen.
Archie and Lilibet have only visited the UK on a handful of occasions. They are expected to start at their new schools in early September, and it is understood there will be no published photographs of the children when they start or on their birthdays, as for working royals. The Prince and Princess of Wales have not reacted publicly to the news. William, the future king, is estranged from his brother after Harry's controversial claims about the royal family in the wake of Megxit.
The Sussexes are keeping their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal, a move which one royal commentator said could be viewed as them "testing the waters".
