Prince Harry has revealed that his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are settling into life in the UK with a sweet surprise: they have been invited on a huge number of playdates. The Duke of Sussex shared the update during an interview with GQ, explaining how the family's return to Britain has been going.
Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK at the end of August after six years living in the USA. Their two children have been enrolled at a British school, and the Sussexes plan to stay for what has been described as an “extended” period of time.
Children 'loving school' and enjoying playdates
Prince Harry told GQ that Archie and Lilibet are “loving school”. He said the pair have been invited on “endless play dates” as they adjust to their new lives in Britain.
Harry said: “It's been nice to be close to friends, family, friends and friends and their children as well – to be able to have endless play dates to really, like, help our kids settle in.”
He added: “To actually have my whole family there with me, the place that I grew up, wanting to be able to show my kids where I grew up and have them have the experiences to some extent that I had – the good rather than necessarily the bad – provided real, proper, serious thinking as to, 'This is an opportunity, let's do it now.'”
A new cultural experience for the Sussex children
The prince said that having his children in the British school system “has meant a lot” and gave them “a whole different experience,” according to Hello! Magazine.
He continued: “I think for kids at seven and five to be able to have that comparison and to have two completely different cultural experiences is so important today.”
He added: “For us, when certain stars align, and it's clear that this should or probably will end up being the case, then we lean into that.”
Security concerns disrupt the school term
However, the move has not been without difficulties. Just two days into the term, Archie and Lilibet were forced to move schools due to a security concern.
At the end of September, the children faced another security threat. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex accused an international photographer of “extraordinary recklessness” for looking into the grounds of the school attended by their children.
Two men, both wearing backpacks, were spotted circling the perimeter of the school, with police later identifying one of them as an international press photographer. A spokesman for Prince Harry and Meghan called it “an unacceptable intrusion into the privacy of children”.
