The royal children are growing up fast. Prince George turned ten earlier this year, and now, he is preparing for the most crucial test so far. The future king will change schools in a few years, and there has been some speculation about whether he will walk in his father’s footsteps and attend Eton. However, now, there might be a new plan for the young prince.
While George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are easily the most famous children at school, the fact that their lives are already very public is making Prince William and Kate concerned. The two have previously stated they want their children to have a normal childhood – but it might be more challenging than one can imagine.
Prince George, just like any other child, likes to play sports and enjoy other hobbies. But now might not be the time for it. Instead, he has been studying for his ISEB multiple-choice exam covering verbal and non-verbal reasoning, mathematics, and English.
Prince George future education – which school will he attend?
It is a critical test, as it is used as a “sub-selection process” for entrance into the top schools, such as Eton, which George has already visited with his parents.
“The grading or the testing is very competitive to get into Eton, it’s one of the most sought-after schools in the world, and it begins two years early, it’s like a sub-selection process,” historian Tessa Dunlop told OK! Magazine. “It’s also quite difficult if you weren’t royal, it’s very competitive, but I’m sure George will get in.”
She added, “I expect George is quite a bright young fella, but he’ll be being assessed and he’ll sit exams. George won’t need private tuition because that will be part of the package that they’ve paid for within Lambrook, within the private preparatory school.”
Some months ago, George was spotted alongside his parents looking around Eton College. Both Prince William and Prince Harry attended the prestigious boarding school in the past.
Eton’s tuition is around £46,000 ($59,000) a year. Though Prince George won’t join the school – or any other – until he turns 13, children have to be registered for the school when they turn 10, according to the school’s website.
So what would it mean if George would attend Eton? According to The Express’ royal correspondent, Richard Palmer, it surprisingly says a lot about Kate.
“I find it fascinating because the Princess of Wales is spending so much of her life talking about giving children a better start in life, and part of that, she and her advisors have talked about reducing inequality,” he said.
“And there you have her children at a fee-paying independent school, almost certain to go to an expensive fee-paying boarding school later on.”
Historically, where royal children go to school has been a hot topic. King Charles, for example, attended the prestigious Gordonstoun boarding school in Moray, Scotland.
King Charles thought boarding school was “hell”
His father, Prince Philip, also studied there, but the young prince didn’t like it as much.
Reports stated that King Charles’ experience was horrifying compared to his father’s, as his classmates bullied him. At one point, Charles was said to have even compared it to serving a prison sentence.
Moreover, in letters dated 1964, King Charles revealed he was very homesick. That part was also detailed in the television series The Crown.
“It’s such hell here, especially at night. I don’t get any sleep practically at all nowadays. The people in my dormitory are foul. Goodness, they are horrid, I don’t know how anyone could be so foul,” a letter from Charles read.
Because of his own experiences, it was evident that King Charles would not send his children to Gordonstoun. Therefore, William could stay in London, where he attended Eton College.
The Mirror reported that then-Prince Charles could’ve attended Eton as well. However, Prince Philip argued that it was too close to Windsor and that he wouldn’t have had any privacy.
In 1995, Prince William walked through the doors at Eton for the first time, becoming the first senior royal to attend the school in history. Meanwhile, some other family members, including Princess Diana’s brother and her father, had previously attended the Berkshire schools and the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousins, Prince Edward, Prince Richard, and Prince Michael.
Three years after William enrolled at Eton, Prince Harry followed in his brother’s footsteps. However, at that point, it appeared that a feud was developing between the two royal brothers.
Kate’s mixed emotions about sending George to a boarding school
In three years, Prince George could become the first in the next generations of royals to attend Eton. As of today, nothing has been decided – and it appears that there are other things at stake for William and Kate when it comes to picking a school for their children.
But while Eton might be an outstanding school, Princess Kate has mixed emotions about sending her son to a boarding school.
According to In Touch Weekly, Kate has reluctantly agreed to Prince George’s wish to be “just like his father” and attend Eton. But it’s not something she would’ve wanted in the first place because of her own boarding school experiences.
“But she’s still heartbroken. She was horribly bullied at her first boarding school and can’t bear the thought of George suffering through that.”
Meanwhile, George will be able to visit his family every weekend, the insider told the news outlet. It’s only a five-minute drive from their Windsor home. However, Kate is still worried that she will miss him dearly.
“But it still seems as if her family is being torn apart,” an insider added.
The discussions about the royal children’s future education have been a hot topic. Reportedly, Prince William and Princess Kate – alongside King Charles – have decided on a different school. Instead of the possibility of Eton, as reported by the Mirror, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to attend boarding school together at Marlborough College instead.
Kate Middleton also attended Marlborough College.
“Heated debates between William, Kate, and King Charles”
However, the discussions between the senior royal family members regarding the children’s future education were said to have been heated.
“After years of discussion and heated debates between William, Kate, and King Charles III, the family have made a choice,” a royal source told Life & Style. “They’ve decided that he and sister Charlotte will attend boarding school together.
“While the royal family expected that George would follow in William’s footsteps, Kate got the final say. They’ll both be students at Marlborough. This way, George and Charlotte will have a few years where they’ll overlap at the same school.”
“Kate has fond memories of her time there and feels it’s a better fit for her children., the source added. “Kate’s always wanted them to have more of a normal upbringing than William did. She knows full well that in a few short years, George’s life is going to drastically change.”
There is no question that Prince George and his siblings are the most famous children at school. In fact, they might even be the most famous children in the world.
George, Charlotte, and Louis live very exposed lives compared to their classmates. They already have been on royal duty several times, and George, as the future king, even had a prominent role at his grandfather’s coronation in May.
Waving to thousands of royal fans from the Buckingham Palace balcony or traveling in a carriage through the streets of London might sound like the dream life for any child.
Princess Kate & Prince William “concerned” for George, Charlotte and Louis
However, Prince William and Kate are concerned that their childhood isn’t as good as it could be because of the exposure.
According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, the Prince and Princess of Wales have one major fear.
“[Kate and William] are wisely concerned at any overexposure of him [George] and of Charlotte and Louis,” he told Express.
“The younger they are, the more likely they are to steal the show with childish antics which get publicised worldwide and make the monarchy seem more relatable,” he said. Mr Fitzwilliams added that George is a particular focus of attention due to him being second-in-line to the throne.”
“Whether as Page of Honour at the Coronation or blowing bubbles on a visit to Canada, whatever he does as he is the future King is of interest. We are fed titbits, that George enjoys dancing, plays tennis or likes a pizza, and we get regular photographs of him on special occasions and see him at certain royal events,” Fitzwilliams concluded, adding that William and Kate “are well aware of the need for him and his siblings to have privacy as they grow up.”
This is not the first time the exposure has been discussed and whether they are in public too much. Earlier this year, royal expert Daniela Elser addressed the fact that Prince Louis has gone viral several times because of the cute and funny pictures that had been taken of him.
Royal expert issues warning
For example, a picture of him making a funny face as he held his hands over his ears from last year’s Trooping the Colour even made it onto a flag.
However, according to Elser, Prince Louis could be affected negatively in the future because of all the exposure.
“Put that kid in public, maybe in the vicinity of a military parade or out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and the five-year-old will guarantee Fleet Street’s photo editors a cheeky, charming shot,” Elser wrote. “Oh, it’s an adorable image, and you would have to be Cruella de Ville sans Dalmatians not to be thoroughly charmed and delighted by it.
“But I actually think, looking at that Glasto flag, that we have reached a tipping point – Louis has gone from royal kidlet to pop culture caricature, from child to entertaining character. Except he’s a boy, not a perpetual meme.”
Moreover, the royal expert added that if Louis is continuously portrayed as a funny character, we could end up with “another Prince Harry.”
“We owe it to Louis to not make a joke out of him, to not render him a punchline or a cartoonish figure,” Elser explained. “And if we fail, 30 years from now, it will be him sitting on a couch and pouring out his hurt feelings to Oprah’s hologram.”
