From the article:

“[Prince Archie](https://people.com/prince-archie-5670074) and [Princess Lilibet](https://people.com/princess-lilibet-5669553) have switched schools just two days into the new year.

The children of [Prince Harry](https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/) and [Meghan Markle](https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/)— 7-year-old Archie and 5-year-old Lilibet — began classes in the U.K. last week shortly after their [family’s move back to Harry’s home country](https://people.com/prince-archie-princess-lilibet-will-attend-school-uk-as-meghan-markle-prince-harry-plan-move-back-12063710). However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved their kids to a different school amid security concerns.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tells PEOPLE, “The decision for the children to move schools was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.”

“The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family,” the spokesperson adds. “This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there.”

[*Hello!*](https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/923342/prince-harry-meghan-markle-switch-archie-lilibet-school-days-after-starting/) [magazine](https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/923342/prince-harry-meghan-markle-switch-archie-lilibet-school-days-after-starting/) reported that the security concerns stem from heavy traffic in the area and the distance between the school and their home, rather than the school itself. The outlet said that concerns were elevated after an incident “made it difficult for their vehicles to stay in convoy.”

Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bodyguards checked the school over the summer, the school run was not able to be assessed until classes were back in session, *Hello!* adds.

A friend told the outlet, “It’s a real shame, because they absolutely adored the school, the kids and their parents. It was perfect for them in every way, and the children really enjoyed their time there. They really wanted to make it work, but they had to make a difficult decision based on the fact that the team couldn’t make the school run operationally secure.”

It was also revealed on Monday, Sept. 14, that Prince Harry and Meghan will have a [security assessment imminently](https://people.com/meghan-markle-granted-first-government-backed-security-review-since-royal-exit-12121022) by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), an independent U.K. Home Office committee that determines who receives taxpayer-funded police protection. The couple lost their automatic police security in the U.K. after they stepped back from their royal roles in 2020, but their move back to the U.K. has sparked a new assessment, the first for Meghan in six years.

Getting Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet settled in “has been, and remains, their focus. Everything else will fall into place when the time is right,” a source close to Harry and Meghan [recently told PEOPLE](https://people.com/prince-archie-princess-lilibet-school-uk-move-prince-harry-meghan-markle-12067447).

“There is a lot to do. They have just moved halfway across the world, and it’s been really busy getting the kids settled,” the source added. “Their focus has been on that, and will remain on that, for the time being. They are happy to be back.”

Archie and Lili’s education also played a role in the family’s decision to relocate back to the U.K. for an extended period after living in California since 2020. A [source close to Prince Harry previously told PEOPLE](https://people.com/prince-harry-never-stopped-missing-home-inside-his-meghan-markle-uk-return-exclusive-12067093) that returning to Britain was something he had been “thinking about for a while,” while another source says the Duke of Sussex wants his children “to understand the world he grew up in and where their family comes from.”

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Change Schools in the U.K. After Just 2 Days Over Security Concerns (People)