Prince Harry has no plans to send his son Prince Archie to Eton, a spokesman has confirmed, despite the family's extended return to the UK.
The Duke of Sussex is back in the UK with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The Sussexes are seemingly planning to stay for what has been called an “extended” period. They have reportedly found a home and have enrolled their children at a British school. Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, will be starting school this month.
Prince Harry's Eton decision
Prince Harry himself attended school in the UK, and he has said he wants to show his country to his children. However, there’s one thing the prince says he won’t be doing - and that’s enrolling Prince Archie at Eton when he is old enough.
A spokesman for Prince Harry has now set the record straight, revealing that this is not the case. The spokesman previously told the Express: “I can confirm that Prince Harry has not registered Archie for Eton and the Duke has no plans to send his son to Eton.”
Harry's difficult time at school
Prince Harry did not enjoy his time at the prestigious school. Despite this, his older brother, Prince William, reportedly, thrived during his time there. Harry has also admitted he never felt entirely comfortable at Eton.
In a 2023 interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, Harry recalled a heartbreaking moment when he started school. When he first arrived at Eton, he was told by William to act as if they didn’t know each other. Harry said: “At the time, it hurt.” He added: “I couldn’t make sense of it. I was like, ‘What do you mean? We’re now at the same school.’”
Harry explained he made the decision personally. He also acknowledged that such behaviour is often typical of older siblings trying to find their own way.
Memories in Spare
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry explained that he found it hard to settle into a single sports group at school. The royal penned: “Sport, I decided, would be my thing at Eton.” He wrote about the social structure among sporty students, with ‘dry bobs’ playing land-based sports like rugby and football, while ‘wet bobs’ focused on rowing or swimming. Harry wrote: “I was a dry who occasionally got wet. I played every dry sport, though rugby captured my heart.”
Prince William and Princess Catherine’s son, Prince George, will begin at Eton this September.
