A new school year is almost upon us, and for the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, change is in the air for the family – and in more ways than one
With August almost over, the summer is winding to a close, and a new school year is upon us. And for the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, it is set to mark an extremely busy period of getting back to reality for the family.
After spending precious time together over the long school holidays, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will be heading back to school within the coming days.
The trio all attend Lambrook School close to their current Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor – but not for long. This year will mark the last year that 12-year-old George will be at Lambrook before he heads off to secondary education next year.
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It is not yet known where he will go next, with both Eton and Marlborough College being mooted as potential options. But as William and Kate grapple with their major decision for their eldest child’s education, the new school year might bring up mixed feelings for them all, Jennie Bond tells the Mirror.
The former BBC royal correspondent exclusively explained: “William and Catherine’s baby boy George is rapidly turning into a young man – and this last year at Lambrook School with his siblings will be another milestone in his life.
“I’m sure that he’ll feel nervous about the big change ahead, but hopefully some of his school friends will be making the move with him, wherever he is headed.
“George has become used to his parents being deeply involved in his school life, as often as possible, it’s mum or dad who does the school run, and I’m sure they’re fully invested in every aspect of his education. So that’s going to be another big change ahead.
“There’s no doubt they will all cherish this final year of the three children being together – if, indeed, it does turn out that they end up at different schools.”
Another major change on the horizon for William, Kate, and their children is a move away from Adelaide Cottage to a brand new home on the Windsor estate.
Later this year, they will move into Forest Lodge, a secluded £16million eight-bedroom home in Windsor Great Park, where work has already started on minor renovations.
The property is being seen as the family’s forever home and where they will stay when William and Kate eventually become King and Queen, rather than move into Buckingham Palace.
The move is also being described as a “fresh start,” given the difficult times they have faced at Adelaide Cottage, such as Kate’s cancer diagnosis.
And Jennie says the move is all part of William and Kate balancing their desire for privacy and public duty. She explained: “After a childhood spent shuffling between the homes of his quarrelling parents, William is determined to give his family the stability he missed.
“He is almost obsessive about guarding his family’s privacy. And the fact is that they can have a great deal more privacy in a secluded house in Windsor Great Park than they could ever enjoy if they live in the middle of a major tourist attraction like the Palace or Castle.
“Also, while his children are young, I can quite understand that he wants to keep them as grounded (literally) as possible, so that they know exactly what a comfy and settled home life feels like: something crucially important to William because he never had it before he married.
“But, like his father, William is ‘not stupid’ – as Charles retorted when challenged about whether he would change his ways when he became King.
“I’m sure he knows he will have to ‘put on his public face’ a lot more when he takes over. But, for the time being, he is much more a protective husband and dad than a King in waiting. And that’s quite OK with me.”
It comes as the school run is one aspect of school life, and William and Kate are known to be very hands-on with – and the pair are often said to be seen at their children’s sports matches and after-school clubs.
Sport is seemingly a huge part of Lambrook school life as facilities there feature a cricket ground, football and rugby pitches and a golf course.
The school also offers an impressive range of other extracurricular activities, including beekeeping, horse riding, and caring for the school’s resident hens and pigs.
The focus on the outdoors will have no doubt appealed to mum Kate, who has long championed the benefits of being out in nature, hailing it as her sanctuary during her cancer treatment.
The couple are also long said to want their children, despite their royal status, to grow up as normal as possible. This means no special treatment at school, where they are just like any other pupils.
But this could pose a challenge, especially when it comes to being an ordinary pupil. Jennie added: “Having friends over for play dates or sleepovers can’t be so easy with all the security and privacy issues that come with royal life.
“And the family are usually away at weekends or school holidays — often in Norfolk— so it may be harder to maintain close ties. But I’m sure William and Catherine have found a way to let their children develop friendships as normally as possible.”
With the drawbacks of royalty, Jennie explained: “Let’s face it, nothing can be completely ‘normal’ when you are born royal. How many kids know what it’s like to hang around Palaces and castles, go to a Coronation or ride in a carriage at Trooping the Colour? How many children have cameras pointed at them every time they are seen in public?
“But I think these three are lucky in that their parents have done all they can to let them enjoy a carefree childhood. School holidays are, for most parents, an exhausting period of happy chaos, punctuated by sibling squabbles. So there will probably be a part of William and Catherine that will be relieved to return to the structure of the school term.”
However, it’s not just the children who will have a busy September settling back in at school. Both William and Kate will also return to public duties, with several big dates already in the diary.
Of course, Kate is still gradually returning to work as she recovers from cancer treatment. She previously described her cancer diagnosis as “life changing” and the treatment and recovery as a “rollercoaster”, opening up on the importance of a holistic “mind, body, and spirit” approach.
She is still seemingly finding her feet when it comes to getting back to work. However, one key date in the diary she may attend with the rest of the Royal Family is the state visit to the UK of US President Donald Trump.
Trump will make an unprecedented second state visit to the country from September 17, and Jennie believes Kate taking part would be the “icing on the cake” for the US leader.
She said: “It will depend on her health. But I’m sure both William and Catherine recognise the importance of massaging the President’s ego, and they will play as prominent a part as possible.
“It’s what the monarch and his senior working royals must do; it’s their job and their duty, and they will do it well.” And state duty aside, Jennie also says the pair will want to focus on their own passion projects, too.
“William has his Earthshot Prize in Brazil – as well as a pretty full diary of engagement at home – and Catherine, as she slowly returns to her work life, will be planning her annual carol services that have become such a big part of the Christmas festivities,” she explained.
But as has been proven time and time again, when it comes to the Prince and Princess of Wales, where possible, family comes before anything else.
Several years ago, Kate did not hesitate to not join William for his Earthshot Prize award in Singapore so she could support George, who was undertaking school exams at the same time.
The family also did not join the traditional royal Easter Sunday service this year at Windsor Castle, in order for them to spend precious time together.
And while public appearances for the children have seemingly come thick and fast over the summer, with the trio all at Trooping the Colour, George and Charlotte enjoying a trip to Wimbledon and Charlotte being lucky enough to be taken to the women’s Euros final, autumn could see this change somewhat.
Public appearances by the children over the coming months could be limited to only the most special events as they head back to class.
And Jennie added: “One thing is for sure, William and Catherine have forged a tight, happy family unit – despite all that life has thrown at them in the past couple of years.
“You can see the love in their eyes and their hugs: the children for their parents and vice versa. Every parent wants to bring their children up in a bubble of love and, from what we can see, that’s exactly what the Prince and Princess have achieved.”