Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will pay more than $35,000 per year for the British private school where their children, Archie and Lilibet, are enrolling following the family's relocation from California back to the United Kingdom.
Archie, aged seven, and Lilibet, aged five, are expected to pass through the doors of their new educational institution for the first time this week.
The enrollment comes just days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex settled back in Britain, ending roughly six years of residence in Montecito, California. Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, and his American wife Meghan Markle originally relocated to the United States in 2020 after stepping back from official duties as senior members of the royal family. Montecito is an affluent coastal enclave in Santa Barbara County, California.
While the identity of the establishment has not been disclosed, published details regarding its extensive campus facilities provide a clear picture of the high standard of the institution.
School sports and creative facilities
Information about the school comes from Page Six, an American celebrity news column, which reported that annual tuition fees for the institution exceed $35,000.
According to Page Six, the campus features an indoor swimming pool, a gymnasium, large athletic facilities, and synthetic turf pitches. The property also includes direct access to a river, allowing pupils to participate in outdoor water activities such as rowing and kayaking.
The educational infrastructure extends across both artistic and scientific fields. Facilities include specialized art studios, a cooking room, natural science laboratories, a large theatre, and a dedicated music and performing arts centre equipped with spaces for rehearsal, instruction, and live performance.
On-site dining forms a central part of student life at the school. Pupils have access to a dining hall that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a daily culinary selection ranging from falafel to slow-cooked lamb.
Page Six stated that it chose not to publish the name or exact location of the school due to privacy and security considerations for the children.
Privacy warnings and Cotswolds search
The secrecy surrounding the school reflects wider public interest in the Sussex family following their return to Britain, particularly as Archie and Lilibet transition into the British education system.
One day before the school details were published, reports emerged that parents at a school in the Cotswolds region, where Harry and Meghan have been looking for a home, received an official privacy advisory letter.
The guidance asked parents not to take photographs or videos of pupils and requested that they refrain from posting information about students or families on social media platforms. However, that specific institution is not the school that Archie and Lilibet will attend.
The Cotswolds is a rural region in south-central England known for its traditional stone villages, rolling hills, and expansive country estates.
Return from California to the UK
The move to a British school environment marks a major change for both royal children. Archie was born in Britain in 2019 but spent most of his early childhood in California, while Lilibet was born in the United States in 2021.
Neither child has spent extended periods in the United Kingdom over recent years. Their most prominent public visit occurred in June 2022, when they travelled to Britain with their parents to attend the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for 70 years before her death in September 2022.
Unlike previous short visits or holiday trips, the family has now returned to Britain on a permanent basis and is considering establishing a long-term home in the Cotswolds. The area lies close to Highgrove House, the private country residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla near Tetbury in Gloucestershire.
Securing the children's education was a primary issue to resolve following the move. In recent weeks, several independent British schools had been mentioned in media reports as potential destinations, including Ludgrove School in Berkshire, Bedales School in Hampshire, and Lambrook School in Berkshire. However, none of those previous reports had confirmed the final selection.
