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Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly in the midst of a “huge decision” regarding their eldest child, Prince George, as the future king nears the latest stage of his education.
Prince George, who is second in line for the British throne after his father, is set to turn 12 years old later this year. As the young royal nears his teenage years, he will have to graduate from his current prep school of Lambrook in Berkshire — which attends alongside his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — and move on to a school for older children. That’s where the decision for George’s parents comes in, as William and Kate must choose whether he will follow the tradition of their own schooling or opt for something altogether new.
For context, William attended Eton College and Kate was a student at Marlborough College, both of which are boarding schools. Currently, George is a daily pupil at Lambrook, meaning his parents are now facing a choice as to whether their eldest son will be sent to boarding school for the remainder of his education. While boarding school was the choice for both of his parents as well as his grandfather, King Charles — who boarded at Cheam School in Berkshire — one royal expert believes William and Kate might break that royal tradition with George’s schooling.
“From the reports we’ve had, it certainly seems that William and Catherine have undertaken a great deal of research into the best school for George,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror. According to the insider, that research has led the parents to ponder whether regular, non-board schooling is the best route for George, particularly given the tough year the family has had in the face of Kate’s cancer journey. These struggles, according to Bond, will see the family “feel happier and more secure if they could remain as a tight family unit” by opting not to send George off to boarding school.
This decision would work to minimize how “how unsettling it must have been for George” to deal with his mother’s cancer treatment, “no matter how hard their parents tried to lessen the trauma,” Bond said. As such, in a move that would “signal that this royal couple intend to do things differently,” the royal expert said she thinks it would be “brilliant” if William and Kate broke tradition and sent George to a regular day school, though the decision is ultimately in the 11-year-old’s hands. “It may be that George wants to board either full-time or as a weekly pupil, and I think it is his wish that will prevail,” Bond claimed.
One factor working against George becoming a day pupil is the increasing royal duties of his parents. As William and Kate make preparations to ascend to the throne — particularly amid Charles’ health struggles — the soon-to-be monarchs will have greater responsibilities, meaning they might not “be on hand enough” for parenting duties should George not go to boarding school. What all of it amounts to is a “huge decision” for the royal couple, who Bond says now “have a lot to consider” as their eldest nears his second schooling.
It’s not the first time George’s schooling has become a source of speculation. Earlier this month, it was rumored that Kate and William visited each of their respective former schools to make a decision regarding George’s education, following earlier reports that Kate was “heartbroken” by her son’s wish to attend Eton instead of Marlborough. Elsewhere, we learned the cheeky school nickname George had been given by his fellow pupils at Lambrook.