Meghan Markle is said to be “calling the shots” as she and Harry have reportedly been wondering whether to send their children to school in the UK or in the USA.
There could be fresh tension brewing for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, if rumours of him scouting British schools for their kids are true.
Speculation that the Duke of Sussex is contemplating sending Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to school in the UK erupted after singer Joss Stone spilled the beans on a recent chat she’d had with the royal.
The singer, who returned to the UK this year after living Stateside for over a decade, revealed Harry seemed “genuinely interested in our move home,” and spoke about “how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children.”
Reports then claimed Harry was looking into Eton College for six-year-old Archie, in part because of the “high profile and politically exposed kids there,” and Britain’s much stricter gun ownership laws.
Team Sussex issued a blunt response to the rumours, stating: “ Prince Harry has not put his son’s name down for Eton, nor does he have any plans to do so.” Despite the denial, there’s still much chatter about whether he might have his eye on one of the many other elite British schools known for their royal and aristocratic alumni.
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But with Meghan reportedly finding the idea of boarding schools “barbaric” and showing no signs of wanting to return to the UK on even a short-term basis, royal expert Lydia Alto suspects the subject of schooling could not only become a source of friction for the pair but also a “fault line” dividing public opinion on the couple.
“It could very possibly become a major source of tension in the future,” she says. “Meghan has consistently presented herself as the decision-maker in their family, and if she labels boarding schools unacceptable, Harry will almost certainly back down.
“It’s hard to imagine him fighting for a British education if Meghan thinks it’s cruel, however much he’d like the children to follow in his own footsteps. For some, especially military families or royals with demanding duties, boarding schools offer a sense of stability, independence, and opportunity that day schools can’t match.”
The issue would likely be resolved, she adds, by Meghan “calling the final shots.” “Harry’s past willingness to trade his military roles, his family ties, and even his reputation in the UK for Meghan’s comfort suggests that when it comes to their children, he won’t fight.
“If Meghan were to block an attempt to educate them over here, it would be another bridge quietly burned, and another factor contributing to Archie and Lilibet growing up more isolated from their British family.”
Harry first attended London’s private Wetherby School, before heading off to board at Ludgrove School aged eight, just as William had done a couple of years earlier.
At 13, he moved again to Eton College, but according to his later tales of his time there, he had anything but a good time.
In his bombshell autobiography Spare, Harry described his time at the Berkshire school as a “profound shock”, and said while it was “heaven for brilliant boys, it could thus only be purgatory for one very unbrilliant boy.”
In 2023 he also revealed that big brother William didn’t help him when it came to settling in. In fact, according to Harry, he told the new starter to pretend they didn’t know each other.
“At the time it hurt,” the Duke told TV host Anderson Cooper. “I couldn’t make sense of it.” Royal watcher Lydia thinks that aside from any possible educational benefit, sending Archie and Lilibet to a British school would help Harry immensely when it comes to keeping his family’s foot in the door of the UK.
He’s also made no secret of his desire for his kids to “feel at home” in the UK, and said after his recent visit here – which included a much talked-about cup of tea with his dad, King Charles – that he has always and will always “love” his homeland.
Lydia told us, “You can see why Harry might want his children educated in the UK. Schooling here, particularly at the elite level, is not just about academics but about heritage, tradition, and maintaining lifelong links.
“For a prince who insists he hasn’t turned his back on his country, sending his children to a British school could be a way of ensuring they aren’t entirely cut off from his side of the family. It would also reinforce the idea that, whatever his gripes, he still values his British roots.”
Harry’s recent visit to the UK, which was officially for the annual WellChild Awards but included his first face-to-face encounter with his dad for 19 months, has raised more questions about where his future lies.
Speaking after the trip, Harry said: “It’s been good to reconnect with the causes I am passionate about… It is hard to do it from far away,” possibly hinting he could become a more frequent visitor. But whether Archie and Lilibet will factor into the decision remains to be seen.
