Prince Harry shuts down rumours about son Prince Archie's future in the UK

The Duke of Sussex has shut down rumours he and wife Meghan were planning on sending their son Prince Archie to boarding school in the UK.

It followed speculation in some media outlets that the six-year-old's name had been put down for the prestigious Eton College, where Prince Harry and his estranged brother Prince William attended as teenagers.

The school in Windsor, which admits boys aged 13 to 18, is one of the UK's most elite and is tipped as being the frontrunner for where Prince George could attend from mid-next year.

Parents hoping to secure a place for their son used to put their names down at birth but that practice had since been replaced by a fierce academic selection process.

But Prince Archie won't be among Eton's future students.

"I can confirm that the duke has not put his son's name down for Eton and has no plans to send his son there," a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex told People.

Prince Archie is the eldest child of Prince Harry and the Duchess Sussex, born in May, 2019.

His sister, Princess Lilibet, was born two years later in June, 2021. They live with their parents in Montecito, California, following the couple's move there in mid-2020 after their royal exit.

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The clarification followed reports about Prince Archie's future after his father made a short visit to the UK a fortnight ago.

According to friend, pop singer Joss Stone, Prince Harry spoke fondly about schools in the UK.

They reunited at the WellChild Awards, with Stone recently moving back to the UK after years of living in Nashville, in the US.

She told Hello! magazine: "Maybe Harry will move back, too. That would be nice. He was saying how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children.

"It was nice to share that with him because it's exactly why we felt drawn to come back – for the kids to grow up surrounded by family, friends, and a strong sense of belonging and most importantly in a safe environment."

What followed was a report in The Daily Beast which quoted an "old school friend" of Prince Harry and Prince William who said: "It's no longer strictly necessary to put your kids' names down at birth, but Harry has put Archie down.

"It's fair to say he had mixed feelings about the school when he left, but looking back on it, he can appreciate the good."

Another "friend" said Eton was supposedly chosen by the duke because of its strong security, an issue of concern to the Sussexes.

They said: "It's seven day boarding, lots of kids fly back and forth at the beginning and end of term, so why shouldn't Archie? The school certainly wouldn't be prejudiced against him. Statistically, you have to imagine Eton would be a hell of a lot safer than an American school thanks to their gun laws."

There were similar claims in the Daily Mail.

"I can tell you that Harry wants to educate the children here in the UK," a friend of the duke told the newspaper.

"Harry feels his children are missing out on the extensive family network that their niece and nephews are enjoying."

Prince Harry recently expressed his desire for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to return to the UK so they could get to know his homeland.

In an interview with The Guardian, days after he left London where he had a face to face meeting with his father King Charles, Harry was asked if he'd like to bring his children back to the UK.

He said: "Yes I would. This week has definitely brought that closer."

But, over the coming year, he said, "the focus really has to be on my dad".

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were last in the UK in June, 2022, during the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Princess Lilibet's first birthday party was held in the grounds of Frogmore Cottage, Prince Harry and Meghan's former UK home.

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