Harry and Meghan’s school security fiasco raises questions over timing of route checks

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to move Archie and Lilibet to a different school after just two days has raised questions about how thoroughly the family’s security arrangements were assessed before the children began classes.

The Sussexes’ private protection team became concerned about the daily journey after their convoy was reportedly separated in heavy term-time traffic, leaving the security vehicles unable to maintain formation.

The children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, had spent only 48 hours at the prep school before Harry and Meghan “reluctantly” withdrew them following advice from their security team.

The issue has prompted scrutiny over why the route had apparently only been tested during the summer holidays, when traffic conditions were very different from those during the school term.

Experts question the school-run arrangements

Former Met Police Chief Superintendent Dal Babu described the episode as evidence that Harry and Meghan may have “rushed” their return to Britain.

“It does beggar belief why they haven’t thought this through,” he said. “I don’t think he [Harry] has helped himself or the situation by not arranging things in good time.”

Former head of royal protection Dai Davies also questioned whether travelling in a convoy was necessary for the school run.

“If you keep a low profile, most people outside the school wouldn’t know where you are, what they’re doing, and all the rest of it,” he told LBC radio.

“Do they really need to go in convoy with two little children on the school run? If they only just kept a little quieter, kept a lower profile, they’d be a lot safer in my view.”

The criticism comes as Harry and Meghan continue to face uncertainty over their publicly funded police protection following their return to Britain.

Labour MP Mike Tapp, who represents Dover and Deal in Kent, said there should be a formal review of how the family’s security arrangements had been handled.

“Whatever the eventual outcome, there are serious questions about how this process has been handled,” he said, adding that decisions of such importance should be made “swiftly, independently and on the basis of risk.”

Parents were reportedly surprised by the decision

The school’s location has not been publicly identified, but parents reportedly questioned why the traffic problems had come as such a surprise.

One mother with two children at the school said the Sussexes’ decision to enrol Archie and Lilibet had initially generated considerable excitement among parents.

However, she said parents were “completely baffled” by the decision to leave, arguing that the area was notoriously congested.

Another mother reportedly described the slow school run as something that was “obviously going to happen.”

The children had apparently settled into the school quickly. Harry was reportedly seen taking one of them through the gates, while Meghan was seen settling Lilibet into reception. The couple were also added to school WhatsApp groups.

However, the family’s security team became increasingly concerned about the practicalities of the daily journey.

Sources close to Harry and Meghan have stressed that the decision was not a criticism of the school or its staff.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes said the move followed discussions with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their existing arrangements.

The spokesperson added that Harry and Meghan remained “extremely grateful” to the teachers and staff for the care shown to their children, and that the decision should not be interpreted as a reflection on the school.

A friend of the couple similarly said the children had adored the school and that the family had wanted to make the arrangement work, but the security team ultimately concluded that the journey could not be operated securely.

Archie and Lilibet have since moved to another school closer to home after attending a taster session, with the shorter commute reportedly making the arrangement more manageable for their security team. ITV News reported that the children began their first full day at the new school on September 15.

Why the traffic became a security concern

The issue was not simply the length of the journey.

According to reporting on the security assessment, the team’s concerns included how long the children could be stationary in traffic, whether the family vehicle and protection vehicle could remain together, the repeated nature of the same route and the overall commute time.

Reports said the journey could take up to an hour each way during term time.

The convoy’s separation during congestion was particularly concerning because Harry and Meghan’s protection team believed the family could be more vulnerable whenever the vehicles were forced to remain stationary.

The route had reportedly been tested during the summer holidays, when normal school traffic was absent. Once the autumn term began, however, the conditions proved substantially different.

The Sussexes’ decision to switch schools was first reported by HELLO! magazine.

Security review adds to the pressure

The school controversy emerged at the same time as Harry and Meghan were informed that their security arrangements would undergo a fresh assessment following their return to Britain.

The Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as RAVEC, has decided that both Harry and Meghan should undergo new Risk Management Board assessments now that they are living in the UK with their children.

For Meghan, it will be the first such assessment since the couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020. Harry, meanwhile, had a new assessment completed in July, but that was carried out before officials knew the family intended to relocate permanently to Britain.

The new reviews do not automatically mean that either Harry or Meghan will receive increased police protection. Rather, their security risks are being reassessed in light of their changed circumstances.

At present, the couple also pays for private security.

However, their privately hired protection officers do not have the same powers or access to intelligence as British police and cannot carry firearms in the UK, making the question of state protection particularly important to Harry.

The Home Office has defended the existing system as “rigorous and proportionate”, while maintaining that it does not provide detailed information about individual protective arrangements.

The wider dispute over Harry’s security

Security has been a longstanding source of tension between Harry and the British government.

The Duke has challenged the decision to remove his automatic entitlement to taxpayer-funded police protection after he and Meghan stepped back from frontline royal duties in 2020 and moved to California.

Harry has argued that his public profile and previous military service mean that he continues to face security risks when in Britain. He has also maintained that his family requires adequate protection when visiting or living in the UK.

He lost a series of legal challenges over the arrangements, including an appeal against the decision governing his protection.

His return to Britain with Meghan and their children has now prompted officials to reassess the situation.

According to ITV News, the latest reviews will consider the risks facing both Harry and Meghan in their new circumstances, while interim security measures have also been put in place around their home.

The location of the family’s home and the children’s current school remains private.

Harry marks his 42nd birthday amid the controversy

The school dispute coincided with Harry’s 42nd birthday on September 15.

Meghan marked the occasion on social media by sharing a series of family photographs featuring Harry, Archie, Lilibet and their Labrador, Pula.

The images showed the family spending time outdoors, including Harry kissing Lilibet, carrying her bicycle and driving a quad bike with both children sitting behind him.

Meghan captioned the post: “He’s simply the best. Happy birthday, my love,” accompanied by a heart emoji.

The photographs offered a glimpse of the family’s new life in Britain as they continue adjusting to their return after six years in California.

But behind the family images, the school switch has highlighted one of the practical challenges facing the Sussexes as they establish their new routine in the UK.

Their children are now attending a school closer to home, while RAVEC carries out fresh assessments of Harry and Meghan’s security needs. The episode has also prompted renewed questions about how the family’s relocation, school arrangements and protection plans were coordinated before their return.