It looks like this is the story of the week: the Sussexes removed Archie and Lili from their British school after two days, and the kids have already been enrolled in a different school. The reason for the removal? Security issues, specifically around the school run. Apparently, Prince Harry and Meghan’s private security raised the alarm that the school run was a huge risk because of the traffic, the bottleneck near the school and the fact that the Sussexes and their private security are in multiple vehicles. Well, the royal reporters and commentators are having a field day, mocking Harry and Meghan for having security concerns and asking why they didn’t know that the school run is a misery for all local parents. Not only that, but local parents have turned into conspiracists about why H&M are making a big deal over all of this.
Parents at both schools attended by Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, suspect Meghan and Harry deliberately exploited Oxford’s well-known traffic problems to bolster their case for protective armed security.
One source said: “If you go to [School 1] literally all people talk about is the traffic in Oxford. Parents spend their time dreaming up strategies to beat it. One favorite is to get up at 5:45, drive in, and go and sit in Gail’s (a coffee shop chain) for an hour and have breakfast and do homework there.”
Another parent said: “This was obviously going to happen if they’re driving to [School 1] every day. They didn’t know there was traffic in Oxford?! This is all just a ploy to get security.”
A parent at the new school said: “[School 2] is not nearly as academic as [School 1]. It’s not a dedicated Eton pipeline like [School 1]. Really, the only reason to go to [School 1] is if you want to go to Eton or Wycombe Abbey. The whole thing about [School 2] is that, sure, it’s a great school and everything, but the real selling point is that it is not in an insanely busy town, so it is easy to get to.”
Harry has previously said he doesn’t want Archie to go to Eton.
Another parent said the children were settling in and everything was “very normal.” They added that the new school, unlike the first, has sent out no advisories ordering parents to respect the renegade royals’ privacy, which was “very welcome – they just have to get on with it and we are not being asked to change anything or do anything or being lectured to.”
Archie and Lili moved schools after just two days, HELLO! magazine reported on Monday night, following security concerns over getting them to and from the original school. The children spent two days as new starters, meeting their classmates, before their parents “reluctantly” withdrew them on the advice of their security team. Sources close to the couple were at pains to stress the issue was traffic-related security issues.
Oxford’s traffic is so famously terrible that last October it became the first British city outside London to impose a congestion charge (£5 a day, at six charging points). The Sussex security operation only carried out checks on the school over the summer holidays, saying they “were not able to properly recce the school run until the first day of term.”
The children have now both been seen at the new school, my sources say.
As I’ve said this whole time, Harry & Meghan’s “surprise” is the most surprising part of this UK move. Supporters have argued that Harry and Meghan have their reasons and the Sussexes have been preparing for this move for months, but it really doesn’t feel like that’s the case. Harry and Meghan keep being caught flat-footed, they keep getting surprised by what their situation is like on the ground. Their security had no idea about the traffic clogs because (IMO) the decision to move was only made this summer. They’re also blowing up the “British education is so important to Harry” narrative – clearly, one school is as good as the next, especially when it comes to convenience for H&M.
Photos courtesy of Meghan’s Instagram, Avalon Red.
Diana could be impulsive. Maybe Harry has a similar temperament.
Diana was also treated badly by the royals. And she was too good for them
What’s your persnal knowledge about the situation and why they’ve moved there temporarily? When has harry been impulsive? Are irrational and impulsive people Apache helicopter pilots in war zones? Sounds like you must have inside info.
I believe I wrote “maybe,” so why would you think I had inside information? The article speculates that this was an impulsive move, I was just adding to that speculation. People can do all sorts of things in their personal lives that they would never do in their professional lives, so I don’t see why Harry being a helicopter pilot is relevant here. Diana was also a very professional person despite the hell she experienced and her own personal foibles.
Feels so agressive. Let people have their own thoughts jeez
Diana was certainly painted as impulsive by the BM and that character trait has often been referenced when discussing her death. If only she hadn’t made so many impulsive decisions…such a shame. Just saying, there are patterns in the narratives here whether we realize it or not. Anyways, I’m looking forward to Charles Spencer’s book.
The sympathizers of Charles had the spin that Diana was “impulsive” . To try to “justify” how Charles behaved towards Diana. I don’t recall that Charles owned up to his actions (not so great) during his marriage to Diana. Harry went through the proper channels to possibly work part time and got rebuffed. He apparently thought through possibly leaving for years, and before his marriage. The impulsive actions to me were Charles’–including evicting Harry and Meghan and the children (even though the Sussexes had the renovations done.
She was also called impulsive so that when something tragic happened people were real quick to blame her as opposed to the real people who were to blame. Not to say the RF and BM weren’t blamed for her death initially, but they played the long game and kept sowing the Diana is impulsive and her own impulsive actions were part of what led to her accident. As opposed to a woman wanting to choose how to live her life, free of judgment, while also being protected by the system that made her so high profile in the first place. And that’s what I mean by patterns. Notice and observe.
Yes, I’ve always felt that Harry is very well intentioned, but quite impulsive.
For my part, I can easily see where the snafus cropped up. Having done my fair share of school runs — egads and yikes — those roads are no joke. London is different but I’m guessing some of the problems are the same. Europe is not a place like the US that was built with heavy machinery for cars, and with traffic for most of its history having been much less heavy than it is now — by orders of magnitude — those picturesque streets and quaint angles can turn into parking lots when school starts. Seriously, I have done my share of slogging and it’s not predictable or consistent at all. Also if they had been doing reconnaissance over the summer it would have let the cat out of the bag, in a big way, so I’m sure they would have struggled to achieve a balance between preparation and due diligence, and discretion. No way would I be doing one hour each way to a school, ever. Just ….no. I’m sure wherever they landed if it’s closer life is easier.
First school traffic and road closure nightmare continues this week and will indefinitely. Many more issues in place from September causing severe bottlenecks, which are dangerous from a protective security perspective (not merely frustrating). Nothing to do with the Sussexes and not only term time traffic increases. Security team unable to keep kids safe. ‘Convoy’ just two cars, btw.
I feel Kaiser’s being more than a little unfair saying one school’s like another if it’s convenient for H&M. It’s 100% understandable why school 1 was first choice if you check it out. It didn’t work out for security and logistical reasons re: the kids, not inconvenience for their parents. And my understanding is that other schools had also been looked at, which explains why the kids were able to move to school 2 so quickly.
As someone with adhd compounded with trauma, I am impulsive by nature. It’s not necessary a bad thing and as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned how to take a beat and consider who is around me and what the situation calls for it. I think that genetics play a part and that society needs impulsive people to thrive just as it needs methodical people to thrive. I do think that Diana was impulsive and that her impulses showed us her humanity. She didn’t think about how touching a man dying of AIDS during the height of the epidemic when there was so much misinformation, stigma, homophobia and fear surrounding the community, she just saw a human going through a horrific ordeal and she reached out to him.
Easy for those parents to criticize when no hate has been fomented against their children and no one screams about how their youngsters are “fake” or “hired”. Bet they don’t have ro worry about who might approach their idling vehicles. But sure, criticize the Sussexes. The Sussex Tax must be paid.
thank you! people on here are being so critical as if they could have foreseen this. my goodness. not only do they have to be perfect and white but also they need to be omniscient about traffic. we lived in a city where the wealthy kids regularly spent 1 hr each way in the buses/cars to get to the best schools. but these kids are going to be stalked and hounded. I completely see why they needed an easier in and out location where they go DAILY.
the leaked phone number goes to show it wasn’t the right place regardless of prestige. they would have pulled them after that stunt I would think. how could M be in a WhatsApp group not knowing who is the rat?? that would suck.
Just one thing: leaked. It was not leaked it was SOLD by another parent to the Sun. Her number and screenshots. That is a sleazy situation. It was only 2 days. I’d pull my kids too…
💯 @gah so agree I don’t understand the commentary about “they should have figured everything out perfectly first and now every tiny issue that is blown up by the unhinged BRF/media is proof it’s a total babyshambles.”
They’re a private family who wanted to move for whatever reasons. And families make moves around the globe all the time for their own reasons. It can be challenging for families to figure out basic logistics let alone for the Sussexes and the realities in the UK. Nobody expects perfection when you do a transcontinental family move so why is this expected for the Sussexes?
From everything we’ve seen over the last 10 years (is it 10 years?) the BRF and powers-that-be would absolutely try to thwart them and make things difficult. So, on top of having to navigate with their family in the UK without Royal protection, which is what Harry had for his whole life, they’re probably facing all kinds of other adversity that is active sabotage not just regular kinks to work out.
I wish them the very best and I hope they can experience / accomplish whatever it is that they were hoping for this year (and I don’t think they owe us any explanations about whatever that is).
It sounds like H&M want the kids to have a culturally English education, so a different English school isn’t a problem necessarily. As for the commute, I’ve found new commutes even in a familiar area to be shockingly bad and I didn’t hear about it beforehand because regular computers were just used to it.
Considering parents at the school leaked and sold Meghan’s phone number, it turned out for the best, I’d say.
Do we think Kate is in WhatsApp groups with other parents or is that not allowed?
Maybe Meghan should have a burner phone for this.
The whatsApp thing is interesting. I would guess Kate is not in them and only gives her # out to select parents or they give the nanny’s #. I think Meghan and harry struggle (assuming they are, because no one here knows) with how they want to be perceived by others. Kate and Will always expect their children to have special treatment because it comes with the territory. It seems like Harry and Meghan want to be treated as regular parents and interact as themselves. But, then who asked the school to send out the letter about respecting their privacy? ETA: I think they 100% should have government backed security. Compared to the millions the royal family wastes its a drop in the bucket. People are being stubborn because they definitely need security. And security to cover them and clear the way on the school run.
I’m guessing Kate gives out her nanny’s (or nannies’, plural) numbers … because she’s too lazy to keep track of the kind of details that are discussed on a school’s WhatsApp …
As I said on another post, I just hope that Harry realizes that his idyllic life in the UK countryside is unattainable for him and Meghan. Even if they get security, the press is continue to intrude into their lives and their neighbours are not going to protect them.
This, 100%.
It’s incredible how many English parents seem willing to speculate and comment on H&M’s school-related decisions. I don’t see this ending anytime soon.
I never comment but this time I must. At some point Harry needs to hold himself accountable for the things that his wife is enduring and now adding the children. We never heard anything about the kids in America or leaking phone number group chat etc.. I’m so sad seeing all this sh*t today it gave me PTSD like 2019 all over again. The Brits are toxic when it comes to Meghan and Harry why would you take your wife back to a place that dehumanized her and you now your children. I feel so bad for Meghan as she seems she loves that man too much and now the kid. It’s disappointing Harry will never get that his black wife will never get grace and now his children. This is all so sad. He’s a selfish man and she’s naive for enabling him.
This is all making me tired and it’s not my family. This is a lot to have to deal with every day . How are they going to manage this long term without needing serious therapy. California was such a beautiful life for them .
They said extended stay. They’ll be back home one day.