Archie and Lilibet Start Their New School, as Parents Receive an Important Privacy Warning
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children have only just begun their new life at school in Britain, but their arrival has already prompted a reminder to parents about how much privacy should be given to the young Sussexes.
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, started at an undisclosed school in England this week after Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK from Montecito, California, in late August.
And while the school has reportedly welcomed the new families joining its community, parents have also been reminded of a particularly important rule: photographs of children other than their own should not be shared on social media.
Parents Asked to Give the New Families a Warm Welcome
According to a letter seen by HELLO!, the school told parents that “a number of new families” would be joining the community this year.
Existing families were then asked to extend “the same warmth and kindness” that has helped make the school a special place.
The message comes as Archie and Lilibet begin adjusting to a completely new school environment after spending their early years in the United States.
Archie is understood to have entered Year 3, while Lilibet has started Year 1. The siblings previously attended different schools in America.
The Sussex family’s exact location has been kept private, although they are understood to be living at a private, non-royal residence in the Cotswolds.
Then Comes the Strict Rule About Photos
While the request for parents to welcome new families may sound routine, the school has also reiterated its existing privacy policies.
Parents have reportedly been reminded not to post photographs of children other than their own on social media.
The school’s no-phone policy on its grounds has also been reiterated, with additional guidance expected for school performances and other events where photography may be permitted or restricted.
For Archie and Lilibet, those rules carry particular significance.
The children have attracted enormous public interest since birth, and Harry and Meghan have consistently sought to keep much of their family life away from the cameras.
That makes the school’s emphasis on discretion especially relevant as the two children begin their first British school year.
Meghan Previously Had Concerns About UK Schooling
There is also an interesting connection between the children’s new school life and something Meghan said several years ago.
During her 2022 interview with The Cut, the Duchess of Sussex discussed the possibility of Archie and Lilibet attending school in the UK.
At the time, she expressed concerns about the level of media attention that could surround them.
Meghan described a scenario in which taking her children to school could become “a royal photo call with a press pen of 40 people snapping pictures.”
Three years later, the circumstances appear considerably quieter.
Instead of publicly introducing Archie and Lilibet to their new school, the family has kept the school’s identity private. The children have also begun their education under rules designed to limit the circulation of photographs and protect pupils’ privacy.
A Different Kind of Royal School Story
The approach is not entirely unfamiliar within the wider royal family.
Prince George has also started at a new school this week, with the Prince and Princess of Wales accompanying their eldest son to Eton College in Berkshire.
“No photography” signs were reportedly spotted at the school ahead of George’s arrival.
George is following in his father Prince William’s footsteps by attending the prestigious Berkshire school, making his first day an event of considerable public interest.
Archie and Lilibet’s arrival, by contrast, has been handled much more privately.
A New Chapter for Archie and Lilibet
For Harry and Meghan, sending their children to school in Britain marks another significant development in their lives since returning to the UK.
For Archie and Lilibet themselves, it means adjusting to a new country, a new school and a new group of classmates after spending their earlier school years in California.
The school’s message to parents ultimately comes down to two things: making new families feel welcome and respecting the privacy of every child.
And with the intense attention that has followed the Sussex family for years, those boundaries are likely to matter more for Archie and Lilibet than they would for many other pupils.
For now, the children’s British school experience is being kept deliberately low-key, with their school, daily routine and exact arrangements remaining out of the public spotlight.