Inside Harry and Meghan's chaotic UK return as school run descends into farce

Inside Harry and Meghan's chaotic UK return as school run descends into farce From a leaked "Hi moms!" text in the parents' group chat to sitting gridlocked in blacked-out 4x4s, Harry and Meghan's attempt at a normal British school run was derailed in just 48 hours. Adjusting back to life in the UK has been anything but smooth sailing for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. From a chaotic commute forcing an emergency school transfer, to a leaked personal phone number, the couple have had trouble keeping their new life out of the spotlight. The Duchess of Sussex faced a fresh privacy breach after her personal number was leaked via a school parents' WhatsApp group. Meghan joined the chat the night before Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, began at their new UK school. Welcoming her to the group, one mum wrote: "Welcome to Meghan who has Archie joining tomo." Meghan allegedly replied: "Hi moms! Thanks for the warm welcome (heart emoji) So happy to be a part of this community xx." A screenshot of the exchange was subsequently leaked, allegedly exposing Meghan's contact details. Sources close to the Sussexes described the leak as disappointing. The Mirror has contacted Meghan’s spokesperson for comment. The privacy leak arrived along further chaos after just two days into the term, Archie and Lilibet were abruptly pulled from their co-educational day school - a respected feeder for Eton College, which George now attends - due to security concerns with the traffic. What was planned as a 35 minute journey ended up much longer, with narrow roads and heavy rush hour traffic creating "pinch points" that made it impossible for the family’s private security team to keep their two-car convoy together. Bodyguards had vetted the route over the summer, but obviously a full operational assessment couldn't be carried out until the school's returned. While senior royals historically travel separately for protocol reasons, splitting Archie and Lilibet into separate vehicles left their protection team concerned they were "sitting ducks." As a result, the couple were forced to pull their children out and enrol them at another school. Harry and Meghan were seen arriving at the new school yesterday in a convoy of two blacked out 4x4 cars, dropping the children off for their first day. The couple has already been added to the new parents WhatsApp groups. Parents at the new school were given just 24 hours' notice of the high-profile arrivals. One mum told the Mirror: "The parents' WhatsApp groups have been buzzing. It's all been very sudden and lots of people are talking about it. "The school is very academic with a lovely close knit village feel. All the parents talk to each other, so as long as they are friendly they'll fit right in." Another parent added: "It's all caused quite a commotion. This is a small community school and we are not used to anything like it and certainly not famous parents rocking up in blacked-out cars to drop their children off. "Once the excitement dampens down for some, I am sure they (Harry and Meghan) will be invited to school events like any other parent. It's a wonderful atmosphere here and I hope they will want to get involved in everything from school fundraisers to cheering on all our sports teams." Addressing the sudden move, a spokesman for the Sussexes told Hello!: "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. "The parents remain extremely grateful to all the teachers and staff for the love, care and effort they have shown their family. This decision should in no way be interpreted as a reflection on the school or the exceptional care the children have received there." The disruption comes as the government prepares a fresh risk assessment regarding Harry and Meghan's protection while in the UK, following repeated appeals from the Duke for official security support The Sussexes had their taxpayer funded security stripped from them when they stepped down as working royals in 2020, and Harry has since been campaigning for it back. As The Mirror revealed last month, the government department will now carry out a Risk Management Board hearing at his request after months of appeals from the Duke of Sussex.