Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, are being raised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the US, and their future education will likely differ from that of their royal cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
After the Sussexes decided to step down as senior royals, Prince Harry, Meghan, and Archie moved into their first family home in Montecito, California, in July 2020.
Lilibet was born in June 2021 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, but like Archie, she has US and UK citizenship.
Preschool and daycare are included in early education in America, and Archie is currently enrolled in both. Daycare is typically paid for by the parents, similar to nurseries in the UK.
HELLO! examines the variations and parallels between the educational systems in the US and the UK.
Photo: Netflix
When do children start school in the US?
Preschool can begin as early as two years old and aids in preparing young children for kindergarten.
After turning four, children in the UK typically begin compulsory education (reception class) in September.
In the US, it’s a little different because kids start kindergarten at around five or six years old.
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Where will Archie and Lilibet go to school?
Even though Harry attended private institutions like Ludgrove and Eton College for his education, he and Meghan may decide to enroll Archie and Lilibet in a state-run school.
Richard Mineards, a resident of Montecito, previously provided some perspective to HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast regarding the type of education the young royals might receive in California.
“Our state-run schools are very good; they’re not public like those in England. Additionally, Cold Spring School, which has excellent ratings and is in their catchment area, is a very good one here, Richard said.
So, if Archie decides to pursue a state education, the junior school he attends after this pre-school will be his next stop, the speaker continued. Our local junior high school, Montecito Union School, is extremely good and is attended by many Tony names, famous and wealthy people’s children. Then, as I mentioned, he could attend Cold Springs, or they might declare that they want to pursue a private education.
Photo: Netflix
And if Harry and Meghan opted for private education for their children?
Richard stated: “Obviously, Harry attended Ludgrove before attending Eton College, and they might choose to enroll their children in a private school, such as Laguna Blanca or Cate School, both of which are excellent choices. Ultimately, it is up to them to decide how to best educate their children. They actually have the funds to do it. However, Meghan might prefer to stick to her roots and follow the state school procedure.
What is the American curriculum like?
The curriculum is not too dissimilar to the UK education system as Archie and Lilibet progress through the US educational system (which typically follows elementary school, middle school, and high school).
However, in the US, math and science are taught in order rather than all at once, so physics is taught in one grade and chemistry in the next.
In the UK, students begin studying for their GCSES at the age of 14, and their education becomes more specialized when they enroll in three or four A-Level courses at the age of 16.
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The university course a student will be accepted into is typically determined by their A-Level results.
The GCSE and A-Level exams are still taken by students who attend fee-paying schools, where they are free to design their own curricula.
In the US, students apply to colleges after high school based on their GPA (Grade Point Average), which represents their performance on all four years of high school, as well as their extracurricular involvement and personal accomplishments.
Most institutions accept SAT scores if Archie and Lilibet wanted to apply to a British university.
