Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have been enrolled in a UK school (Image: Getty/Instagram)
After six years in the US, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. While the details of the family’s new home will not be revealed for security reasons, it is known that they have secured a base outside London, thought to be set somewhere in the beautiful Cotswolds – a familiar area for Harry, whose father, King Charles, lives nearby at Highgrove House in Tetbury.
While the plan is for the family to spend “extended periods” in the UK, they have enrolled their children in a UK school.
Though the couple hasn’t publicly named their choice as their protracted security battle with the Home Office continues, there are several incredibly exclusive private schools in and around the Cotswolds that would surely be the perfect setting for Archie to enter Year 3 and Lilibet to enter Year 1. So, where are they?
Beaudesert Park School, Gloucestershire
Beaudesert Park School has links to the Royal Family (Image: Beaudesert Park School)
Beaudesert Park School offers co-educational learning for students aged 3 to 13, set within a striking Tudor Revival manor house that rises above the lush, rolling hills of the Cotswolds. At £9,520 per term in school fees, parents can also expect to pay between £450 and £700 for a complete, brand-new uniform and sportswear kit. The prices are worth it, though, as the institution boasts impressive royal connections and notable alumni – countless royals have passed through its doors, including Peter Phillips’ daughters Savannah and Isla (who left in 2024 and 2025, respectively) and Zara Tindall in the 1980s, with her eldest daughter Mia Tindall believed to attend currently. Previous students have included former England rugby player Nick Abendanon, author Dick King-Smith, and British adventurer Jake Meyer.
Pupils enjoy an extensive selection of extracurricular activities, ranging from golf and archery to fencing and Greek lessons, as well as access to a recording studio and the school’s natural woodland Forest School for younger students like Princess Lilibet. Meanwhile, Archie could enjoy learning polo like his father, Prince Harry, or join the calligraphy club to follow in his mother, Meghan Markle’s, footsteps and send beautifully written letters back to his friends and grandmother, Doria, in the US.
Kitebrook Preparatory School, Gloucestershire
Kitebrook Preparatory School would be an impressive choice (Image: Kitebrook Preparatory School)
Established in 1959, this co-educational day and boarding school serves children aged 3 to 13 and is housed in a grand Georgian country manor built of classic, honey-coloured Cotswold stone, set within more than 20 acres of manicured grounds. While it lacks notable alumni, the school is less than a 90-minute drive from King Charles’s favourite residence, Highgrove House. Day fees range from £5,340 to £6,117 per term, depending on the year group, while weekly and flexible boarding options run between £4,319 and £8,917 per term, with uniform costs estimated at £650 to £950 per student. Beyond standard academics, pupils can access an exciting list of extracurricular activities, including coding, den building, choir, woodwind orchestra, and karate, as well as off-site clubs for shooting, golf, and equestrian sports.
Hatherop Castle School, Cirencester
Hatherop Castle School has incredible facilities (Image: Hatherop Castle School)
Nestled within the rolling Cotswold countryside of Gloucestershire, this 16th-century Tudor castle was extensively restored in the mid-19th century in a striking Gothic Revival style. Complementing its storied setting, the school offers an expansive extracurricular program that features traditional clubs alongside musical theatre, Lego robotics, mindfulness, enamelling, and mountain biking. Though lacking direct ties to the modern Royal Family, the estate boasts a rich royal history, having once been leased to the exiled Maharaja Duleep Singh – a close friend of Queen Victoria, who later granted grace-and-favour royal properties to his daughters. Famous for educating author Nancy Mitford, one of the scandalous Mitford sisters, the institution charges termly fees between £6,180 and £7,555, with uniform costs ranging from £550 to £750.
St Hugh’s School, Oxfordshire
St Hugh’s School would be a breath-taking choice (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Housed in a Grade II-listed Jacobean country manor featuring a commanding stone facade, manicured formal lawns, and lush woodland, St Hugh’s School in Faringdon, Oxfordshire charges termly fees ranging from £5,805 to £9,760, along with an estimated uniform cost between £400 and £700, depending on the child’s age. Notable for educating distinguished alumni such as General Kumaramangalam, former head of the Indian Army, the institution complements its academic heritage with a diverse array of extracurricular activities, including chess, coding, gardening, radio club, orchestra, ancient Greek, judo, badminton, and lacrosse.
Pinewood School, Oxfordshire
Pinewood School has lots on offer (Image: Pinewood School)
Set within an expansive 84-acre countryside estate, students at Pinewood School in Shrivenham will be more than at home in this grand, Cotswold stone manor house overlooking meticulously landscaped formal gardens. The school charges termly fees ranging from £4,060 to £9,380, depending on the child’s age, with full uniform costing an estimated £250 and £450 per child. Located within an hour of King Charles’s Highgrove estate in neighbouring Gloucestershire, Pinewood offers a diverse array of extracurricular activities – from ballet to a Little Chefs club for youngsters like Lilibet, to everything from Cosmic Kids Yoga, fencing, photography, bushcraft, and even synchronised dance swimming for slightly older children like Archie.
