KEY POINT
- Two men carrying backpacks were seen walking around the school perimeter and looking into the grounds before returning to a white rental van.
- Police later identified the men as international photographers working for a European press agency.
- The incident has been passed to RAVEC as the UK reviews Harry and Meghan’s request for official security protection.
The incident involved two men who were observed at Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s new school. According to ITV News, the pair were seen stopping at different points around the perimeter and looking into the school grounds.
A white van connected to the activity was later established by police to be a rental vehicle. The men were subsequently identified as international photographers, according to reporting from ITV News and The Independent.
Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson strongly criticized the photographers’ conduct, arguing that legitimate media activity should be distinguished from behavior involving monitoring children around a school.
The spokesperson described the incident as an unacceptable intrusion into the children’s privacy and said the circumstances were particularly concerning because they followed a separate incident at RAF Fairford.
The latest alert comes only weeks after Archie and Lilibet changed schools in the UK. The children had attended their original school for just two days before the family’s security team raised concerns about the practicalities of the daily journey.
Hello! previously reported that heavy traffic in the area had placed pressure on the family’s small private security operation. The Sussexes’ representatives said the decision was based on security arrangements and was not a criticism of the original school or its staff.
The children have since been attending their new school, whose identity and location have been kept private.
Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements remain a significant part of the family’s return to Britain. ABC News reported that the couple continue to rely on privately funded security while their position is reviewed by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as RAVEC.
The committee is considering the couple’s request for official protection. ITV News reported that details of the latest school incident have also been passed to RAVEC.
The Sussexes have previously argued for greater security arrangements in Britain, while their current status differs from that of working members of the Royal Family.
Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson said the photographers’ actions were irresponsible and emphasized the importance of protecting children’s privacy at school.
The British press has also been operating under a request from the Independent Press Standards Organisation not to identify the children’s school or the family’s current home. However, the Sussexes’ spokesperson noted that overseas media organizations are not necessarily subject to the same UK press arrangements.
RAVEC’s review of Harry and Meghan’s security position remains ongoing. The school’s identity has not been publicly disclosed, and authorities have not indicated that the children themselves were physically approached by the photographers.
