Archie and Lilibet swap Oxford schools after two days over security worries
Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex have changed schools in Oxford after only two days.
The account comes from HELLO!'s royal editor Emily Nash in a senior-editors Q&A published on 21 September. The piece answers reader questions on the school switch, a new memoir by the children's great-uncle and a safari trip by another royal. HELLO!
Nash said the children first attended a taster session, a short trial visit, then started at the initial school the week before. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex was seen taking Lilibet into reception class, the first year of primary school in England for four- and five-year-olds. Nash said Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex had also joined WhatsApp groups with other parents.
The reason was the school run. Nash said the family's security team had checked the route during the school holidays but could not test it properly until term started. After two days stuck in stationary term-time traffic, the car carrying the parents and children nearly became separated from the security car behind them.
Nash said Harry and Meghan reluctantly withdrew Archie and Lilibet after the team warned about the operational security of using that route every day. Operational security here means the practical ability to move people safely and without interruption. The children were then enrolled at a different school in the city of Oxford.
The same Q&A turned to Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, and his memoir about his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. The book is titled Swan Song: Diana, my sister. HELLO! had reported on 18 September that Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry were not given advance warning of its disclosures. HELLO!
In a separate report on 20 September, HELLO! said Earl Spencer had claimed that media treatment of Harry and Meghan echoes what happened to Princess Diana. HELLO! The Q&A also answered reader questions about Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh encountering wildlife while on safari in Zambia.
What makes this stand out is how ordinary much of it sounds. Trial days at a new school. Group chats for parents. A commute that does not work in rush hour. In this case, Nash said, the traffic problem became a protection problem, and that decided it.
