Harry and Meghan switch children’s school just days into term

Hollie Adams/Reuters

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, have decided to move schools for their children just days into the start of the new academic year, citing security practicalities.

“The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements,” a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said in a statement to CNN on Monday, after the news was first reported by HELLO! Magazine.

“The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family. This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there,” the statement added.

The move comes after British media reported earlier on Monday that Meghan has been granted a government-backed security review for the first time since quitting royal duties.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will both imminently receive an official risk assessment given their return to the United Kingdom, according to The Telegraph newspaper.

The couple has been asked to provide authorities with as much detail as possible about their new daily routines, including trips such as the school run, addresses routinely visited, routes taken and more. That information, along with any other evidence considered relevant, will be used by a branch of the UK’s Home Office to evaluate any changes to the level of threat they face, The Telegraph reported.

Early glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan back in the UK

Harry has had a longstanding battle against the Home Office after the government ministry decided in February 2020 he would no longer be given the “same degree” of protection when in the country. He challenged that decision in court but lost in a February 2024 ruling .

In May 2023, Harry lost a separate legal challenge seeking the right to pay for his police protection while in the UK. That ruling was made after the UK’s Home Office argued it was not appropriate for wealthy individuals to buy protective security from specialist police officers.

However, the duke has continued pressing for police protection, arguing that he and his family remain at risk even though they stepped down from official royal duties.

Harry has previously been vocal about the security of his family, often drawing comparisons between his wife’s treatment to that faced by his mother, Diana. The late Princess of Wales died in 1997 after suffering internal injuries resulting from a high-speed car crash in Paris.

Earlier this year, Harry returned to London for a different court case against a tabloid publisher and to attend several public engagements, but Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet did not accompany him, citing security concerns.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed to this report.

霍莉·亚当斯/路透社

苏塞克斯公爵和公爵夫人哈里王子和梅根在新学年开始仅几天后，就决定为他们的孩子转学，理由是出于安全方面的考虑。

“在与家庭安保团队讨论了他们目前安排的实际情况后，决定让孩子们转学，”公爵和公爵夫人的一位发言人周一在接受 CNN 采访时表示。此前，《HELLO!》杂志率先报道了这一消息。

声明还补充道：“家长们对所有老师和员工给予他们家庭的关爱、照顾和付出表示由衷的感谢。这一决定绝不应被解读为对学校或孩子们在那里所受到的卓越照顾的任何否定。”

此前，英国媒体周一早些时候报道称，梅根自退出王室职务以来首次获得政府支持的安全审查。

据《每日电讯报》报道，苏塞克斯公爵和公爵夫人返回英国后，将很快接受官方风险评估。

据《每日电讯报》报道，当局已要求这对夫妇尽可能详细地提供有关他们新的日常生活的信息，包括接送孩子上下学等出行安排、经常光顾的地址、行走的路线等等。这些信息以及任何其他被认为相关的证据，将由英国内政部的一个部门用来评估他们面临的威胁等级是否发生了变化。

哈里王子和梅根返回英国的早期照片

自2020年2月内政部决定不再给予哈里在英国境内“同等程度”的保护后，哈里就与内政部展开了长期斗争。他向法院提起诉讼，挑战这一决定，但在2024年2月的裁决中败诉。

2023年5月，哈里王子在另一项法律诉讼中败诉，该诉讼旨在争取在英国期间付费获得警方保护的权利。此前，英国内政部认为，富裕人士不应向专业警务人员购买安保服务。

然而，这位公爵一直坚持要求警方提供保护，他认为即使他和他的家人已经卸任王室职务，他们仍然面临风险。

哈里王子此前曾多次公开谈论家人的安全问题，并经常将妻子所受到的待遇与他母亲戴安娜王妃当年的遭遇相提并论。已故的威尔士王妃戴安娜于1997年在巴黎遭遇高速车祸，因内伤去世。

今年早些时候，哈里王子回到伦敦处理一起针对小报出版商的诉讼案，并出席了多项公开活动，但梅根和他们的孩子阿奇王子和莉莉贝特公主没有陪同他，理由是出于安全考虑。

这是一则正在更新的新闻。

CNN的劳伦·赛义德-穆尔豪斯对本报道亦有贡献。