Has any modern royal couple developed such a reputation for walking away as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex?
They left Britain after only 18 months as working royals, then appeared to step back from much of what they began in the US. Now they are back in Britain for reasons that remain unclear — and, only weeks into this latest chapter, signs of disruption have already emerged.
Do Harry and Meghan ever pause before making a major move? Are decisions too often driven by impulse? And do they give enough thought to the next steps, rather than simply leaving difficulties behind and moving on?
Their choices can seem hastily made, with scant regard for the lasting consequences — not only for themselves, but also for everyone caught up in them.
This latest decision may be the most startling yet. Archie and Lilibet have reportedly been withdrawn from their new prep school after just two days. Two days — scarcely enough time for the children to learn where to hang their coats or find their way around before being moved again.
The explanation, apparently, is concern about security during the school run. Critics, however, may see it as another example of poor preparation combined with Harry and Meghan’s familiar tendency to act quickly. Some have also suggested that the development could ultimately bolster their position.
Ravec, the body responsible for VIP and royal security, is currently said to be re-evaluating the Sussexes’ security status. The safety of Archie and Lilibet would inevitably be a significant factor in that assessment.
Whatever the reasoning, the children are now changing schools. The time, cost and effort presumably spent preparing pupils, parents and staff at the first school for their arrival will have been for nothing, and the process must now begin again elsewhere.
Harry and Meghan have withdrawn Archie and Lilibet from their new prep school after only two days
Meghan shared photographs on Instagram at the weekend showing the family enjoying a day in the British countryside
As for Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, their poor little heads must be spinning.
Not only have they just been pulled out of the only life they’ve ever known in sunny California and dumped in the middle of the Cotswolds just in time for the English winter, they’ve now also had to endure all the stresses of starting a new school in a new country, only to have the rug pulled out from beneath them.
It’s one thing for Harry and Meghan to blindside their staff and other members of the Royal Family, as they have time and time again.
Only this summer, they suddenly announced their return, shocking everyone from the King down – he reportedly found out about their move the Sunday before they announced it.
But it’s quite another to do that to their own children. How anxiety-inducing must it be for poor Archie and Lilibet? Their parents’ behaviour has already excluded them from getting to know their cousins or having a meaningful relationship with their British relatives, and now this. What a mess.
Children look to their parents for stability and wisdom. Harry and Meghan are supposed to be the grown-ups – and yet they are behaving like children themselves, chopping and changing at the first sign of the slightest obstacle. Besides, kids understand so much more than we give them credit for.
They will likely be feeling very scared and confused by this sudden decision, especially if they’ve picked up that it’s a security issue.
Talking of which, if the duke and duchess were really so worried about their own safety and that of the children, why would they post pictures of family life in their new countryside idyll? Isn’t that kind of thing completely counterproductive – and a gift to anyone with bad intentions towards them?
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There is no need for it, and it serves no purpose other than to expose them to unnecessary scrutiny and potentially attract unwanted attention.
She held Harry’s hand as they walked down a countryside path in footage posted on Instagram
No one in the Press has identified either the Sussexes’ new home or the children’s school, out of respect for their right to privacy and safety – and yet they themselves have strongly hinted at their location to anyone with even basic local knowledge.
That is no one’s fault but their own. And no doubt if, God forbid, something were ever to happen, the couple would blame everyone except themselves. It’s such classic Sussex denial.
One can only conclude that they are either very stupid or they like causing a melodrama.
Let’s not forget that time in New York in 2023 when they issued a dramatic statement claiming to have been involved in a ‘near-catastrophic car chase’ (a highly loaded term given Harry’s family history) which, on closer inspection, turned out to be them getting stuck in a traffic jam. Granted, they were snapped by a few paparazzi – but never in a manner that put anyone in any danger.
As for their school-run complaint, I won’t reveal the name of the establishment, but I have several friends whose children have attended that school over the years, and I would say two things. Firstly, it is a brilliant, very well-established institution, and more than capable of dealing with the security concerns of high-
profile parents. Second, even the most cursory enquiries would have revealed its one and only disadvantage: The local traffic, which is famously murderous.
It’s so bad I have one friend who used to leave the house at 6.30am just to get her kids there on time. Houses within walking distance are fought over by millionaires and exchange hands for eye-watering prices.
Parents endure it because the school is so good. But it is notoriously a nightmare traffic-wise.
So why, if they were going to uproot the entire family and send their children there, didn’t the Sussexes check the practicalities of their decision with some of the few remaining friends and supporters they have in Britain?
After all, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, own a six-bedroom converted farmhouse in the Cotswolds complete with ‘party barn’, tennis court and swimming pool, which they purchased in 2021 for around £3.5million.
Edo (as he’s known) attended schools in the area. By all accounts the Sussexes remain on very good terms with the Mapelli Mozzis. They would have been more than able to tell them the lie of the land and flag up any potential pitfalls concerning school runs.
Perhaps they didn’t bother to ask. Or perhaps the fact the decision to return to Britain was taken so on the hoof just meant there was no time.
It seems they did the dry run in August, when everyone is on holiday and the roads are relatively clear – which makes you wonder about the quality of some of the security advisers they’re using.
Or perhaps Prince Harry is just so used to the VIP treatment he simply forgot that as mere mortals there are no motorcycle outriders to clear the way through civilian traffic.
Well, all I can say is welcome to the real world, Sir. Not always as fun or as easy as it looks, is it?