Prince Harry says Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are “happy in school” one month after his family returned to Britain and an early security concern prompted an unexpected change of schools.
The Duke of Sussex gave the update while speaking to Canadian broadcaster CTV after completing a charity skydive outside Toronto. Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, began the British school year at one school before Harry and Meghan Markle moved them after only two days.
“The kids are happy in school and it gives me a chance to really focus on Invictus in Birmingham,” Harry said, according to ITV News.
Harry also said it had been “great to be back on British soil.” He and Meghan returned to the U.K. with Archie and Lilibet in late August after living primarily in California for six years.
Security Concerns Prompted the Children to Change Schools
Archie and Lilibet’s original school arrangement lasted only two days. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed that the decision to move them followed discussions with the family’s security team about the “practicalities of their current arrangements.”
Reuters reported that concerns centered on transportation-related security risks involving the distance and heavy traffic between the family’s new home and the school.
ITV subsequently reported that the daily journey presented several problems for the security team. Heavy traffic could separate the Sussexes’ vehicle from the car carrying their protection personnel, while spending time stationary on the same route each day could create a predictable pattern.
The couple’s spokesperson stressed that the move was not a criticism of the original school or its staff, saying Harry and Meghan remained grateful for the care their children had received there.
Archie and Lilibet attended a taster session at their replacement school before beginning their first full day there on September 15.
Harry Discussed the Move After Keeping a Promise to a Veteran
Harry’s comments came after he completed a skydive near Toronto to honor a promise he made to Second World War veteran Edwin Marshall.
Marshall had completed a skydive for his 100th birthday to support veterans’ causes and met Harry during the duke’s previous visit to Canada. Harry promised that he would return and make a jump with him.
Now 102, Marshall was unable to participate because of his health. Harry instead jumped with Marshall’s grandson while the veteran remained aboard the aircraft. Asked why he followed through, Harry replied, “A deal’s a deal.”
When CTV asked why he and Meghan had returned their family to Britain, Harry answered “lots of reasons” but declined to elaborate because he did not want the subject to distract from the fundraising effort. The skydive supported Canadian veterans’ charities as Harry continues preparing for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Harry Recently Used a School Morning to Explain His Charity Work
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Harry offered another glimpse of Archie and Lilibet’s new routine while attending the WellChild Awards in London earlier this month.
He told PEOPLE that the children had the “Monday morning blues” as he prepared to leave for the event. Harry used the morning to tell them why he was going and explain the work WellChild does with seriously ill children and their families.
The conversation prompted questions from Archie and Lilibet about the children Harry meets through the charity. Harry has been a patron of WellChild since 2007 and has regularly spoken about how becoming a parent affected his relationship with the families involved in its work.
The school morning came less than a week after Archie and Lilibet began at their replacement school. Harry’s subsequent CTV interview provided his first direct assessment of how the new arrangement was going.