The local paper in Montecito has given a glimpse of Prince Archie’s life at school in the local area. The five-year-old began his first year of compulsory education last autumn.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have never revealed which school Archie is attending, although reports have suggested they were considering two of the “premiere private schools” in Santa Barbara County.

Writing in the Montecito Journal, society columnist Richard Mineards said: “Harry and Meghan have rarely exposed their children, Archie and Lilibet, to the limelight, although a friend whose son is in the same school class as Archie tells me he is a delightful little boy.”

Mineards was discussing the Instagram photo of Archie enjoying a day out at a surf school with his father, 40. It was posted on Instagram by Tahitian pro surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer, before being taken down. The surf coach added: “Don’t hate, but be happy!”

Archie attended pre-school in Montecito and, according to a report in the Australian magazine Woman’s Day, he “proved popular with his classmates”.

 

The report also suggests a plausible explanation for the apparent rift that developed between Harry and Meghan after their trip to Colombia last August, with the couple not appearing together in public for months afterwards.

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visit Delia Zapata Art Center in Bogota, Colombia on August 15, 2024The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Bogota, Colombia on August 15 (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
A royal insider told the magazine: “Harry didn’t realise how close to his first day of school it would be, but Meghan assured him they’d be back in time and it wouldn’t impact on Archie’s big day.”

Describing Harry’s glum demeanour at times on the trip, the source added that “it was pretty clear he didn’t want to be there and had Archie on his mind the whole time”.

Back in September 1995, Harry himself braved a throng of press photographers for his first day at Eton College so it’s not surprising he wants Archie’s school kept out of the limelight. But he was also accompanied by his mother Diana, Princess of Wales and his older brother, Prince William.
Prince Harry arrives with Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince William for his first day at Eton College on September 6, 1995
The insider added: “Nothing they were doing in Colombia seemed as important as how Archie was feeling and Harry was suffering from a severe case of the dad guilts. He remembers his first day at school with his mum and William at his side, encouraging him every step of the way. Archie doesn’t even have a big brother to guide him so he’s deeply worried that he and Meghan haven’t done their best, like his own mum did.”

In the United States, the first year of school is kindergarten, which is usually attended by children who are five or six years old. Kindergarten is the first year of compulsory education in the USA.