Parents have been asked to show Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan, Archie and Lilibet “warmth and kindness” from the families at their new school, according to a letter seen by HELLO!.
Harry and Meghan’s two children have returned to the UK and have been enrolled in a British school after returning from Montecito, California.
HELLO! will not be naming the school in accordance with the couple’s expressed wishes for privacy.
But one thing we do know is that families have been asked to welcome all newcomers to their school with open arms, in a memo sent out in advance of the new term beginning.
Referring to “a number of new families”, the letter states: “I know that our existing families will extend to them the same warmth and kindness that makes our school such a special place.”
The message also reminded parents that mobile phones and cameras are not permitted on school grounds, and that photographs of children other than their own should not be shared on social media.
It added: “Further guidance will be provided where appropriate for school performances and other events.”
Similarly, ahead of Prince George‘s royal arrival at Eton College this week, “no photography” signs were erected on fences around the school site.
Archie and Lilibet’s arrival at school
The note to parents isn’t the first to be sent out following Archie and Lilibet’s arrival from the United States.
Archie will be entering Year 3, while Lilibet is starting Year 1, with rumours rife at school gates about potential sightings of the royal arrivals.
HELLO! previously revealed that another letter, from teachers at a different preparatory school, dismissed speculation that the Sussexes’ children could be attending.
© InstagramAmong its contents was information that “no application” had been made, “despite the gossip” that the Duke and Duchess had been considering the school for their children.
In America, Archie and Lilibet attended two different schools, with Meghan previously revealing that she enjoys doing the school drop-off and packing them a lunchbox with a “little note”.
In an interview with The Cut in 2022, she expressed worries about her children potentially being educated in the UK, particularly that it would turn into “a royal photo call with a press pen of 40 people snapping pictures”.
What can Archie and Lilibet expect from their new school?
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, previously attended school in California, so they’ll likely be facing a lot of changes in their education.
Grace Moody-Stuart, Consultancy Director at The Good Schools Guide, has told HELLO! that the UK schooling system is much more “rigorous” than in the US.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThis includes longer school days (lasting until 6pm instead of 3pm), daily assemblies including hymns, and a more structured and academic curriculum.
“I do know that academically [US schools] are a bit behind,” Grace told us.
“Our system is much more structured from a very early age. So, when people move from the US, they tend to have to catch up a bit with the English curriculum.”
© ABC / Meghan MarklePrivate preparatory schools in the UK may also have some classes or sports matches on a Saturday, meaning Archie and Lili could experience a six-day school week for the first time.
Grace said: “On a Saturday, Meghan and Harry will be going to watch Archie and Lilibet playing in a match against another school, and those sorts of things are very important.”
During Prince Harry’s years growing up in the UK, he attended Mrs Mynor’s Nursery School, Wetherby School, Ludgrove School, and Eton College.
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