Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced renewed questions over how they protect Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet from the public spotlight after photographers were reportedly spotted near their children’s school in the UK.
The incident has prompted former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond to suggest that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could consider a strategy used by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales: releasing clear photographs of their children themselves.
Bond argued that doing so could ultimately reduce the intense curiosity surrounding Archie and Lilibet and make unauthorized photographs less valuable.
The suggestion comes after two men were reportedly seen walking around the perimeter of Archie and Lilibet’s school, stopping to look into the grounds and monitoring the children. Police later established that the men were international photographers working for a European press agency. Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson described the behavior as “extraordinarily reckless” and an “unacceptable intrusion” into their children’s privacy.
Photographers spotted near the children’s school
Prince Harry pictured with Archie and Lilibet (Image: Instagram/meghan)
The incident has added another layer of concern for the Sussexes, who only recently moved Archie and Lilibet to a different school after security worries surrounding their previous school run.
Two men carrying backpacks were reportedly spotted separately before being seen together near the school grounds. They later returned to a white van, which police established was a rental vehicle.
According to reports, school staff and the family’s private security team noticed the men. The photographers were subsequently identified as working for a European press agency.
Archie and Lilibet’s faces are not shown on Meghan’s Instagram account (Image: Instagram/meghan)
Harry and Meghan have been particularly protective of their children’s privacy, and the couple has never publicly disclosed the location of their children’s school.
Their spokesperson said the decision by photographers to behave in this way around a school was “extraordinarily reckless,” describing it as an unacceptable intrusion into the privacy of children.
The latest incident came only weeks after Archie and Lilibet began attending school in Britain following the family’s move back from California.
Why Archie and Lilibet’s faces remain largely private
Meghan typically puts emojis over their faces on social media (Image: Instagram/meghan)
Meghan has shared photographs and videos featuring her children on social media, but she has generally avoided regularly showing their faces clearly.
In many of the images she has posted, the children are facing away from the camera or their faces are otherwise obscured. The approach reflects the couple’s long-standing desire to keep their children away from the intense attention that has followed their parents.
Archie and Lilibet have nevertheless appeared publicly in photographs and videos over the years. Both children also featured in the Sussexes’ 2022 Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, when Lilibet was one and Archie was three.
Meghan has continued sharing selected family moments more recently. In September, for example, she posted photographs of Harry with their children as Archie and Lilibet settled into their new life in Britain.
Jennie Bond questions whether secrecy has increased curiosity
Speaking about the latest school incident, Jennie Bond suggested that Harry and Meghan’s decision to keep their children’s faces largely out of the public eye may have unintentionally increased the value of an unauthorized photograph.
She argued that deliberately obscuring the children’s faces in photographs can create additional curiosity, while a clear image released by the parents could reduce the novelty surrounding a first unobstructed paparazzi picture.
Bond pointed to William and Catherine as an alternative example. The Prince and Princess of Wales have regularly released official photographs of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on birthdays and other significant occasions.
That approach has allowed the public to see the children grow up without relying on unauthorized photographs.
Bond suggested that Harry and Meghan could potentially adopt a similar strategy, arguing that satisfying public curiosity through controlled family photographs could reduce the value of photographs taken without permission.
The idea is particularly notable because the Sussexes have taken a markedly different approach to protecting their children’s identities from the one adopted by William and Catherine.
The children recently changed schools
The latest paparazzi incident follows an earlier security-related decision that saw Archie and Lilibet move schools shortly after beginning the new academic year.
The children initially enrolled at a prep school after the family returned to Britain in August. However, Harry and Meghan removed them after only a short period following discussions with their security team.
The decision was reportedly connected to practical security concerns surrounding the daily journey, including traffic, the distance involved and the difficulty of keeping the family’s vehicles together during the school run. The Sussexes stressed that the move was not a criticism of the school or its staff.
Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, subsequently began attending another school in the UK.
Details of the new school and its location have remained private.
Harry and Meghan remain focused on their children’s security
The school concerns come as Harry and Meghan adjust to their return to Britain with their two children.
The couple had spent years living in California after stepping down as senior working members of the Royal Family in 2020. Their return has brought renewed attention to questions surrounding Harry’s security arrangements and the balance between his public profile and his family’s private life.
Harry has previously spoken about his concerns over security, particularly given the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi.
The recent school incident has therefore touched on an issue that has long been particularly sensitive for the Duke.
For now, Archie and Lilibet’s school remains undisclosed, while their parents continue to control how much of their family life is shared publicly.
Whether Harry and Meghan will eventually adopt a more open approach to showing their children’s faces remains their decision. But after photographers were reportedly found monitoring the school grounds, the debate over whether privacy is better protected through greater secrecy—or through carefully controlled public exposure—is likely to continue.