The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children will start a new school in September as the family move from London to Windsor, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, will join the co-educational private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire next month.
It’s estimated that fees for Lambrook School, which sits on 52 acres of ground, will cost Prince William and Kate Middleton in excess of £50,000 per year.
In a statement, Kensington Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have today announced that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will attend Lambrook School in Berkshire from September 2022.
“Their Royal Highnesses are hugely grateful to Thomas’s Battersea where George and Charlotte have had a happy start to their education since 2017 and 2019 respectively and are pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values to Thomas’s.”
The Palace also confirmed that the family will be moving to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park before the school term begins.
Permission to live in the 19th century, four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage was granted to the Cambridges by the Queen, as it belongs to the Crown Estate.
A royal source has said the decision to move to Windsor is to be able to give George, Charlotte and Louis “the most normal start possible”.
They added: “Kensgington Palace can be a little bit of a fishbowl. They wanted to be able to give George, Charlotte and Louis a bit more freedom than they have living in central London.
“It’s very much a decision that’s been led by the kids.”
William and and Kate will retain Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A, which was refurbished with £4.5m of taxpayers’ money in 2013, as their official residence and their working base, which will continue to house their office staff.
It joins their two other properties, Anmer Hall in Norfolk and the Tam-Na-Ghar on the Balmoral estate.
The Queen made the permanent move to Windsor Castle at the start of this year.
The move means that the Cambridge’s neighbours will include the Duke of York, who resides in the Royal Lodge on the estate, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, who live with their one-year-old son August at Frogmore cottage.
It was previously revealed that William and Kate “wont’t have a live-in nanny” at their new home, as there is no space for long-time carer Maria Borrallo. Borrallo will instead live on another property on the grounds.
Asked whether the couple was mindful of the economic difficulties facing many who would not be able to afford such opportunities, the source said: “They absolutely are. It’s something they have thought long and hard about and this is a decision they have not taken lightly.
“It would have been extremely difficult for them to continue on as senior working royals if they were based in Norfolk.
“What they have basically done allows them to put the kids first, but also to continue on doing what they do all day, every day.”
