Kate Middleton faces a challenging choice regarding her son’s education. As Prince George, the eldest child of the Princess of Wales and Prince William, prepares to leave his current prep school, Lambrook, the family must decide on his next academic step. William wants their 11-year-old will follow his path by enrolling at Eton, the prestigious all-boys boarding school.
However, royal insiders suggest that Kate wants Prince George to attend a mixed-gender school, such as Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she studied from 1996 to 2000, the New York Post reported. George is also reportedly open to the idea of attending Eton, but Kate is said to feel “heartbroken” about it.
Kate Undecided about George’s Future
The mother of three reportedly finds the prestigious school too “stuffy” for her son. “Kate’s preference is for George to be at a co-educational school, so he can be with his siblings, which is what Kate experienced at Marlborough with her sister, Pippa, and brother, James,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told The Mirror.
“It was a very happy school life for her, but William has very fond memories of Eton, which has a long history with aristocrats and members of the royal family.”
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However, Nicholl acknowledged that the prince and princess might choose an entirely unexpected option that surprises everyone.
“There’s always the possibility of traditions being changed,” she argued. “William and Harry didn’t end up following in their father’s footsteps by going to Gordonstoun [in Scotland], and it may be that George breaks the Eton mould and ends up somewhere else. “
“Whatever happens, it’ll be a decision made by William and Kate with George’s best interests factored in,” the expert added.
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Traditionally, royal children have either been home-schooled or sent to boarding schools. King Charles III and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, all attended boarding school.
Charles, now 76, began attending Cheam School in Berkshire at the age of eight, becoming the first heir to the throne to enroll in a non-royal school. Similarly, the Prince of Wales, 42, and his younger brother, Prince Harry, 40, attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire from the same age before continuing their education at Eton.
George and his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, first went to Thomas’s School in Battersea, London. However, after the family’s relocation to Adelaide Cottage in 2022, they transferred to Lambrook, where all three are currently enrolled, according to OK! Magazine.
School Dilemma
Nicholl also shared with The Mirror that the three children are happy at their school, which has provided them with a sense of stability during challenging periods, such as when Kate underwent cancer treatment earlier this year.
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“When Kate was in hospital, George was on the football pitch playing with his friends,” Nicholl revealed.
She added: “That sense of normality, of keeping the family going at one of the hardest times they’ve ever gone through, was important. The school gives them a great infrastructure and a great support network, and allows the children to live a regular childhood – a low-key, happy, albeit privileged childhood.”
Currently, as she makes decisions about her children’s education, Kate is also preparing to fully resume her public duties after her cancer diagnosis.
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The princess has largely remained out of the public eye this year following her abdominal surgery in January, which was quickly followed by her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
However, her husband has now shared an encouraging update on her health, announcing that Kate will take on a more prominent role in the royal family starting in 2025.
In September, Kate revealed that she is now “cancer-free.”
