Have the Duke and Duchess of Sussex become the ultimate example of abandoning one decision for the next?
They left Britain after only 18 months as working royals, stepped away from one project after another in the United States and have now returned to Britain for reasons that remain unclear. Yet only weeks into this latest chapter, their plans already appear to be coming apart.
Do Harry and Meghan act before considering the consequences? Their choices often give the impression of being driven by impulse rather than by a carefully considered plan, with problems seemingly prompting another dramatic change of direction.
Again and again, their decisions appear to prioritise the immediate moment over the longer-term impact on themselves and the people around them.
Now they have gone a step further by removing their children, Archie and Lilibet, from their new preparatory school after just two days. That is barely enough time for pupils to learn where their belongings are kept, let alone settle into a new routine.
The explanation reportedly centres on security concerns linked to the school run. Critics, however, may see the decision as another consequence of poor planning and the couple’s tendency to act quickly. Some have also suggested that the move could ultimately strengthen their case as the Sussexes’ security arrangements are reviewed.
Ravec, the body responsible for overseeing VIP and royal security, is reportedly re-evaluating the Sussexes’ status. The safety and schooling arrangements of their children would presumably be relevant to that assessment.
Whatever the reason, the decision has been made. Archie and Lilibet will now need to change schools, while the time, money and effort invested by their first school, the family and the staff preparing for their arrival will have to be repeated elsewhere.
Harry and Meghan have withdrawn Archie and Lilibet from their new preparatory school after only two days
Meghan recently shared images of the family spending time in the British countryside on Instagram
For Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, the upheaval must be difficult to process.
The children have been taken from the life they knew in California and brought to the Cotswolds during the English winter. They then faced the challenge of starting at a new school in another country, only to be moved again almost immediately.
It is one thing for Harry and Meghan to surprise members of their staff or the wider Royal Family, as has happened repeatedly.
Only this summer, they reportedly announced their return to Britain with little warning, leaving everyone from the King down shocked. The King was said to have learned of the move on the Sunday before it was made public.
But making such an abrupt change affects their children most directly. For Archie and Lilibet, repeatedly adjusting to new homes, countries and schools could be unsettling. Their distance from their cousins and British relatives has already limited those relationships, and this latest disruption adds another layer of uncertainty.
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?
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?
