Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are reportedly enrolled at a British school, marking a dramatic shift for the Sussex family four years after Meghan Markle fiercely defended her decision to raise her children in California.
Meghan's 2022 concerns about UK privacy
During a 2022 interview with The Cut, the Duchess of Sussex, now 45, raised concerns about the lack of privacy her children could face if they attended school in the UK. Journalist Allison P. Davis accompanied Meghan as she collected the then-three-year-old Archie from preschool near the family's Montecito home, where the Duchess was able to walk to the gates without a waiting pack of photographers.
Meghan contrasted that experience with what she believed life would have been like in Britain. Davis wrote that the Duchess felt “she'd never be able to do school pickup and drop-off without it being a royal photo call with a press pen of 40 people snapping pictures.”
The Duchess defended her concerns, saying: “Sorry, I have a problem with that. That doesn't make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child.”
Reported enrolment in 2026
Fast-forward to 2026 and the picture could hardly look more different. Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are now reportedly enrolled at a British school ahead of the Sussex family's shock return. Harry and Meghan are expected to return to Britain with their children later this month, marking their most significant move back towards the UK since dramatically stepping down as working royals more than six years ago.
The family are reportedly planning an extended stay rather than returning to royal duties, with Archie and Lilibet due to begin school here when the new academic year gets underway in September. Their school has not been publicly identified and details are expected to remain private, while the family's new British base will also be away from the royal spotlight.
New living arrangements and retained properties
Rather than moving into one of the monarchy's residences, Harry and Meghan are expected to live in a private property outside London, maintaining the independence they fought so publicly to establish when they left royal life. The Sussexes are also understood to be keeping their sprawling Montecito home in California, meaning their return does not represent a complete abandonment of the life they have built in America.
They will additionally retain their property in Portugal, giving the family bases on both sides of the Atlantic as they begin what could become a very different chapter. The King was reportedly informed of the couple's decision on Sunday, just days before news of the extraordinary move emerged, and is understood to welcome the prospect of spending more private time with his youngest son and grandchildren.
