There's a tough decision on the horizon for Kate Middleton and Prince William—and it's one they've reportedly been clashing over.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have always prioritized doing what's best for their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, and that's included choosing the best possible schools for them to attend.
When the family was based in London, their children attended Thomas's school in Battersea, London, and, since, the family moved to Adelaide Cottage near Windsor Castle in 2022, George, Charlotte, and Louis have attended Berkshire independent preparatory school Lambrook. Soon, however, Prince George will finish prep school and have to change schools again—and the decision about where to send him when that happens has reportedly been weighing on Kate, in particular.
Suggestions of tension between Will and Kate about George's education are nothing new—it's long been reported that William wants George to follow in his footsteps and attend his alma mater, the prestigious boarding school Eton College and that Kate is very against the idea.
“Kate long disagreed with her husband about sending him away, even though it’s tradition,” a royal source told In Touch Weekly in October 2023.
Sources claimed that Will and Kate argued about the decision for years and that George, who "wants to be just like his father,” ultimately tipped the scales in Eton's favor. Even at the time, the insiders added that even though Kate “finally gave in, she's still heartbroken."
“Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernize the monarchy,” a royal source told OK in 2023. “Plus, she’ll miss George desperately.”
Speaking to The Mirror, royal expert Katie Nicholl explained that Kate would prefer for George to attend a co-ed school (Eton is all boys' school) so that all of the Wales children can attend school together, just like Kate did with her sister, Pippa, and brother, James, when all three Middleton siblings attended Marlborough College.
Although George has reportedly already taken his first set of entrance exams for Eton College, Nicholl says there's still a chance that Kate's preferences could win out in the end.
"There's always the possibility of traditions being changed," she says. "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."
