Prince Harry says his children are thriving in the UK after settling into family life with a series of “endless playdates” following their move from Montecito.
The 42-year-old returned to Britain with his wife, Meghan Markle, 45, and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, in August, bringing an end to six years of living in the United States.
Archie and Lilibet were initially enrolled at a local school, but the couple withdrew them just two days later over security concerns and moved them to a school closer to the family home.
The location of the family’s new property and the area around the children’s school have been kept private for security reasons. Meghan, however, has been seen at Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds.
Speaking to GQ in an interview released yesterday, Harry said both children were “loving school” since beginning their new lives in Britain.
“It’s been nice to be close to friends, family, friends of friends and their children as well – to be able to have endless playdates to really, like, help our kids settle in,” he said.
Harry also described the significance of raising his children in the place where he grew up, saying he wanted to show them his childhood home and give them some of the positive experiences he had there.
He said enrolling Archie and Lilibet in the British school system “has meant a lot”, offering them an experience that is markedly different from their education in the US.
In an interview with GQ released yesterday, Harry said Archie and Lilibet were “loving school” after relocating to the UK
The Duchess of Sussex posted a heartwarming image of Archie and Lili running towards deer during a countryside walk (Instagram/@meghan)
The family had previously been based in Montecito, California, before relocating after a summer holiday in Europe earlier this year.
“I think for kids at seven and five to be able to have that comparison and to have two completely different cultural experiences is so important today,” Harry said.
He added that when circumstances align and a particular decision feels right, “we lean into that”.
However, Harry’s comments also risk reigniting tensions with the Royal Family after he appeared to take a swipe at his brother, the Prince of Wales.
The Duke of Sussex said repairing his relationship with his family was “the most important thing” to him, but acknowledged that “some people don’t want it to work out”.
The remarks came at an awkward moment, with the interview released soon after Prince William, Princess Kate, King Charles and Queen Camilla held a private lunch with the Sultan of Oman in Windsor.
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have both declined to comment, although sources claim senior members of the Royal Family have become increasingly tired of Harry’s repeated calls for “peace”.
Harry told GQ that “sibling disagreements” and damaged relationships between children and their parents were “massively relatable” issues that frequently arose in conversations with other people.
Harry, pictured with Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet, said their move into the British school system “has meant a lot” and given them a “whole different experience” from life in the US
“People look at us, and go, ‘How are you going to work it out?’” he said. “Some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out.”
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Harry and William have not spoken in four years. After quitting as frontline royals in 2020, the Sussexes widened the gulf by accusing the Royal Family of racism in their devastating interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Meghan has posted a selection of images and videos of her children, whose faces she keeps private, enjoying time in the countryside since they landed here.
‘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 Harry and Meghan said in a September statement.
‘The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family.’
Singer Joss Stone previously told Hello! magazine that Harry had discussed moving home with her at the 2025 WellChild Awards last September.
The 39-year-old mum of four lived in Nashville, Texas, before relocating back to the British Isles.
‘He was saying how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children,’ Joss revealed.
The Duke of Sussex (pictured in 2022 with wife Meghan, brother Prince William and his wife Catherine at their last public appearance together) said reconciliation with his family was ‘the most important thing’ to him, but added ‘some people don’t want it to work out’
‘It was nice to share that with him because it’s exactly why we felt drawn to come back – for the kids to grow up surrounded by family, friends, and a strong sense of belonging and, most importantly, in a safe environment.’
In Nottingham last week, Harry revealed the one hesitation Archie revealed about school.
‘My son turned round to me and said, “Can I go to a school that doesn’t do math?”,’ he revealed.
‘I said, “Doesn’t exist.” And he went to this new school, and on the first day, and the first class, guess what it was?’
Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, took relations with his family to a new low, after he accused his ‘archnemesis’ brother ‘Willy’ of throwing him to the floor in a row over Meghan being ‘difficult’.
Yesterday, Harry said ‘scars stick around forever’ but urged ‘letting go of the past’, adding: ‘That’s something that I would encourage everybody to do. For me, there’s enough drama in the world and enough drama in people’s lives than to continue with issues with family.’
The duke said he was grieving his ‘complicated relationships’ with the King and the Prince of Wales but wanted to reconcile.
Hours after the interview was released, a Sussex spokesman insisted Harry had not been referring to William when he said that ‘some people’ don’t want to reconcile, as speculation mounted over who the apparent dig was aimed at.
The spokesman said: ‘It was absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family.
‘The comment was made in a general context and was not directed at his family in any way.’
Harry’s reconciliation plea came as the Royal Family and Prime Minister gathered in Windsor for a lavish state banquet on Tuesday night.