With Prince George fast approaching a landmark age, his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, have a major decision to make – where they could chose not to stick with the status quo
Prince William and Princess Kate have a huge parenting decision hanging over them – and some royal experts think that the choice they make for their son Prince George could have major impacts on the monarchy.
But it remains to be seen whether the couple will stick with tried and tested methods and the status quo, or opt to “shake things up”.
Since moving to Windsor two years ago, 11-year-old Prince George – second in line to the throne – has been enrolled at Lambrook School – alongside his younger sister Princess Charlotte and brother Prince Louis. Lambrook caters to pupils up to the age of 13, which means that in not too long, the Prince and Princess of Wales will have to decide where George will go to continue his education.
Both Kate and William attended boarding schools, with William attending the prestigious Eton College alongside his younger brother Prince Harry, while Kate went to Marlborough College. Both schools are elite institutions and cost a pretty penny to attend, but there isn’t a consensus amongst royal experts about which school is the most likely choice for the future King.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, experts discussed where George may end up being enrolled, with royal author Katie Nicholls arguing the most likely option was between Eton College and Marlborough College – where his parents went. Nicholls argued that both Kate and William value tradition, and had great experiences at boarding school themselves, so in her opinion, George following in their footsteps was the most likely option.
The main question in her view is whether the parents opt for a single-sex environment like Eton or a co-educational institution, but there was “no doubt” in her mind that the young royal would attend a boarding school. However, royal expert Richard Palmer pointed out that Kate and William had the opportunity to really “shake things up” by sending George to a state school, just like most children the same age across the country do.
“Personally, I think it’s a great shame that our future head of State doesn’t actually go to a state school. And I think it would be fantastic if that were to happen,” he argued. “I think Katie’s right, it’s second nature for people of their social background to send their kids away.
“Clearly if George is at Eton they’re just around the corner, but I think what tends to happen is that the kids themselves don’t want to be going from home every day because they’re not then really at the heart of the school community.” “You want to be a boarder, so I’m guessing all of the kids will end up boarding, even if they go to schools very close,” he added.
Palmer noted that even if the couple doesn’t decide to stick with the status quo and send George to boarding school, another option to ensure he gets a more well-rounded understanding of the UK might be to send him to a state school for just one term. “Maybe he’ll have a term at a state school, maybe Eton or wherever he goes has got a scheme swapping with a state school.
“It’s up to them. Every parent should have a choice of what school they send their kids to. Clearly they’re not going to be too worried about the extra 20% VAT on school fees.”
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