Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have another security headache to deal with. This time, two men were reportedly spotted hanging around Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s new school in the U.K. The men were carrying backpacks.
They were also seen walking around the school’s perimeter. At different points, they reportedly stopped and looked into the school grounds. They then headed back to a white van. The two reportedly caught the attention of both school staff and the Sussexes’ private security team.
Police then checked the van and reportedly found that it was a rental. Officers have reportedly traced the licence used to rent it back to an international photographer. One of the men was later identified as a photographer working for a European press agency.
Sources speaking to ITV News claimed the men had been “scouting out” the school. One source even alleged that they had been doing “reconnaissance” from the white van for several hours. In a statement to ABC News on Wednesday, the spokesperson called the photographers’ behavior “extraordinarily reckless.”
They added, “There is a world of difference between legitimate media activity and photographers walking the perimeter of a school, stopping to look into the grounds and monitoring children as they go about their day.”
The spokesperson continued, “Whatever photographs they may have been seeking, this was not only an unacceptable intrusion into the privacy of children; it was an irresponsible and ill-considered way to conduct themselves in the vicinity of a school.”
However, according to Radar Online, one X user said that the Sussexes are “milking an incident that hasn’t even been fully investigated yet.” Another user added, “Now the Sussexes are literally inventing stories to create non-existent security risks. Of course they had to make it ‘international paparazzi’ because they can’t be traced like British photographers can. They’re deranged beyond words.”
THE TAXPAYER-FUNDED SECURITY CAMPAIGN IS BECOMING PAINFULLY PREDICTABLE
Let me make one thing clear: photographers circling a school and attempting to photograph children is completely unacceptable. Archie and Lilibet are innocent children even if their useless parents are only… pic.twitter.com/MdedVav6zx
— Summer moon (@Summermoon49382) September 30, 2026
The third noted, “I’d love to see evidence. You’d think they’d have pics.” Notably, just a day earlier, five men had been arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Police had reports about three suspicious vans near the airbase. The men were arrested over suspected explosives offenses and preparing a terrorist act.
Around 85 homes were evacuated while police dealt with the situation. According to police, they found no explosive devices in the vans. However, they did find petrol. The five men were released on police bail.
But they’re still being investigated. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the RAF Fairford incident “clearly involves the hand of a foreign actor.” Since then, U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are “strong indications” that Iran may have played a part in the incident.
The two incidents are separate, though. The children first started at a British school in September. They were there for just two days. Their spokesperson said the family decided to move them after talking with their security team. Heavy traffic had made things difficult for the family’s security convoy.
The vehicles could end up separated during the school run, which raised concerns about doing the same journey every day. The representative later clarified, “The decision for the children to move school was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.”
Meanwhile, RAVEC, the committee responsible for royal and VIP security, is also reviewing Harry and Markle’s security arrangements following their U.K. return. The committee has also received details of the school incident. However, the school’s location has been kept under wraps.
