For the better part of two years, Prince William and Kate’s fight over their children’s education has spilled out in the British media. The Princess of Wales has, in my opinion, been briefing the press and publicly lobbying her husband and father-in-law for the chance to send Prince George to a coeducational school and a non-boarding school. Kate really, really does not want to send George to Eton, but she really doesn’t want her oldest to go to any all-boy boarding school whatsoever. It was a battle which Kate was destined to lose. Of course, I’ve always thought that Kate would probably get her way on Charlotte and Louis’s education – she might have to send George to Eton, but her two youngest might end up at Marlborough or some other coed school. In any case, we’ve heard about this fight for so long. Even back in April, the papers were still saying that William and Kate were arguing over schools. Well, now it’s been settled?
Rumours have been swirling for months about which senior school the Prince and Princess of Wales will choose for young Prince George. Now I hear the Royal couple have at long last agreed on their choice, with a well-placed source telling me ‘all roads lead to Eton’.
Although William and Kate were spotted looking around a number of top schools, Eton and rival Marlborough College were clear front-runners. Eton – the alma mater of Prince William, where fees are more than £63,000 a year – is conveniently near the family home in Windsor.
Meanwhile, Kate is known to have flourished at Marlborough, and the co-ed school would allow Princess Charlotte to join her elder brother, right at Trooping the Colour last week. But now insiders tell me there is a ‘smugness’ emanating from Eton about a forthcoming announcement. ‘It was like, ‘I know something and the people at Eton know something, but I’m not going to tell you’. That was after William and Kate visited Eton,’ says my source.
George, 11, is currently at Lambrook School in Berkshire, as are both his siblings, and is not due to start anywhere new until September 2026. Last week, this newspaper revealed two pupils there allegedly sexually assaulted another on a school trip. The Royal children were not involved, and their parents were not thought to be aware of it.
[From The Daily Mail’s Talk of the Town]
So, William won the fight. George will go to Eton. I’ve always believed that would be the case at the end of the day, but Kate really did put in a surprising amount of effort to stop it. It’s strange that, with all of these years of stories about the education fight, no one ever stopped and examined whether Kate has a point and whether she has every reason to be concerned about the environment of Eton, and how George might thrive in a less rigid coed environment.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Princess Charlotte and Prince George seen near the Queen Victoria Memorial to view the VE80 Celebration Parade on Monday 5 May 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. . Picture,Image: 995388031, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis seen near the Queen Victoria Memorial to view the VE80 Celebration Parade on Monday 5 May 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. . Picture,Image: 995388352, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Camera Press Rota 04734688. The 80th Anniversary of VE Day. Members of the royal family watch the VE 80 Parade flypast at Buckingham Palace. 05/05/2025,Image: 995421982, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joanne Davidson/Avalon
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- (L-R) – Prince William – The Prince Of Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis, Catherine – The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte stand at the balcony to watch the VE Day 80th Anniversary Flypast at Buckingham Palace in London, England, UK on Monday 5 May, 2025.,Image: 995453591, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- London, UK, 14 June 2025. Princess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis leave Buckingham Palace for the King’s Birthday Parade, Trooping The Colour Buckingham Palace, London, UK.,Image: 1010934046, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Lee Floyd/Avalon
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- (L-R) – King Charles III, Prince Louis, Prince William – The Prince of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Catherine – The Princess of Wales watch the flypast on the balcony as part of The King’s Birthday Parade Celebration also known as ‘Trooping The Colour’ at Buckingham Palace, London, England, UK on Saturday 14 June, 2025.,Image: 1010940254, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte with Prince Louis and Prince George return to the palace during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1010947802, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Catherine Princess of Wales seen on the Palace balcony for a RAF fly-by during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1010948127, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour, The Kings’s Birthday Parade, London, UK. 14th June 2025. Prince Louis and Prince George ride in a horse drawn carriage in the procession along the Mall at Trooping the Colour, The King’s Birthday Parade, London, UK.,Image: 1011191267, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour, The Kings’s Birthday Parade, London, UK. 14th June 2025. Prince Louis and Prince George ride in a horse drawn carriage in the procession along the Mall at Trooping the Colour, The King’s Birthday Parade, London, UK.,Image: 1011191320, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- Prince George and Prince Louis of Wales seen during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1011197214, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
Of course he’s going to Eton. Kate never stood a chance
Yep. Kate can control the other kids, but George the heir belongs to William. He’s the only one William spends time with, and the only one William cares about. Kate had no chance with him.
William is no role model, nor is Kate for that matter. William though apparently ignored the Queen’s “lessons” about being a future King.
He’s the future King, that’s why Kate had no chance. It’s not because William doesn’t care about the others. His education will be a talking point for the rest of his life.
Yep. Kate can control the other kids, but George the heir belongs to William. He’s the only one William spends time with, and the only one William cares about. Kate had no chance with him.
Edit to add: I’ve always thought Kate was so possessive with the kids be cause she saw how William treated his own mother, and didn’t want to be treated the same by children who out-rank her. But it was a losing battle, as it was for Diana, because the royal family (not the mother) controls the heir and turns him into one of them.
Its a weird (and toxic) dynamic – the family revolves around hierarchy, and i’m sure the kids figured out very quickly that Kate isn’t actually part of that hierarchy, the same way William did. She doesn’t have the personality that Phillip did to maintain control over the family despite the lack of royal standing.
Astute comment, Becks. I recall at George’s christening, she was trying to make herself the centre of attention when the photo was being taken of QEII and her heirs. Kate was ensuring that she was cooing at George because she was left out since, well, she’s not an heir! Talk about narcissistic.
In fairness, the kids could gravitate to William, knowing who they are and who holds all the power. Their father.
Yep, agree. Kate had little to no influence in this decision.
Considering George isn’t due to go to Eton for more than a year, I can’t help but think this coming out now is less about a schooling choice and more about it being a jab at Kate.
Whatever transpired to make her miss Ascot has left an unfavourable taste in somebody’s mouth.
Some of it may relate to the security measures they will need in place for him to attend.
But yes the timing of the announcement is interesting.
Is the timing to suggest that Kate was upset about this and that’s why she bailed on Ascot at the last minute? Bc I’m not sure I even think that’s what happened. But it does suggest she never had any real pull on this decision.
I’m with Kate on this one.
Yeah, me too. I want my kids home until they are ready for college..
Uncle Charles Spencer wrote an entire book on this subject, I am on Kate’s side of this. Also, what is this tidbit shoehorned in about two students assaulting a third on a recent outing?
Charles Spencer had a good experience at Eton though.
I’m not sure where this idea that Kate is anti boarding school comes from. Maybe she’s against it bc it means she can’t use the kids as an excuse to not work, but Kate went to boarding school herself and by the Middletons’ own accounts she loved her time at Marlborough.
Exactly Becks. She doesn’t raise those kids anyway. Pull the other one to anyone who suggests she does. She can’t even take care of herself.
Wasn’t it reported in the last flurry of articles about George’s school choice that the Waleses pay no school fees for Eton for George? Given how William is a notorious miser I’m sure that had something to do with it….
I guess the no fees is in lieu of Eton using George, the future King, as a recruitment tool. Poor kid.
I was thinking about that. I’m sure the royals don’t pay fees of any kind to any school, though. Also, William and Harry are “old boys” and there would be a discount anyway.
The battle story is to pretend Kate has any influence. She doesn’t. He’s going to eton. Who thinks Kate, the bargain basement wife can tell a king where his son, future King, will go to school. That sounds nasty but that’s how those people think
I suppose they managed to her a lot of articles out of this supposed battle to overlook their lack of work outings.
“We’re too busy to meet the public fighting over George’s schooling!!!”
@blogger! You’re so right, this has been ‘work for them. Can you imagine how many emails or conversations were fake ass about George’s high school. Hilarious! That’s likely 50’ engagements ‘. Which mean pillow throwing somewhere. That’s the rest of Kate’s’ work ‘
I’ve said it before and will say it again, if this story is true: did Cathy from Bucklebury really think that she could get her own way with an ancient monarchy?
I honestly think she did and now the penny has dropped with her. The Middleton’s think they can take on Goliath himself because the media have propped them up for decades.
I can believe that when she was allowed to get away with the lie that Meghan made her cry, she became emboldened and spent a good few years riding that high. But it’s been going downhill since the Oprah interview.
Harry and William were the first royals at Eton so it was hardly an unbreakable tradition.
Agree with The Duchess, but I knew the Middletons would have a very big fall one day. Way too cocky.
I’m with Kate. And poor George, can’t help but feel sorry for him. He always looks miserable.
He has a lot of unhappiness facing him.
Willy’s reign will be unpopular so if the monarchy survives , George will have to fix it.
George has to also contend with his social climbing grandmother, relatives and hangers-on from his Middleton side.
And he’ll be controlling his younger siblings to make sure they’re as miserable as him.
Let’s not even get to a choice of bride for him. Who’d want to marry him and into that family especially with Lazy as the mother in law? Perhaps he can get the daughter of a social climbing billionaire who can overlook his family’s deep dysfunction but if they’re not British, she’ll bail out. (Crazy Rich Asians may not be so crazy to marry into the Windsors)
Poor George.
He might end up with Harper Beckham
@Liz-L you have taken the words out of my mouth!
Just imagine Queen Harper? Horrible
The kid needs to toughen up. He’s going to be King, the coddling needs to cease. Boarding school will do him the world of good.
He might start to look a lot less miserable once he leaves for boarding school. His family situation is, to put it charitably, not the best. Boarding school, university, and a gap year might be his best chances for a bit of relative freedom.
This. Sometimes, kids LONG to be away from the constant marital strife in their families, and boarding schools do give them a break and refuge from it. They can make friends without being constantly policed, and in the right settings, can literally relax and breathe.
Same.
Unfortunately she didn’t stand a chance.
Like I have always said, if William wanted him to go to Eton, he would go to Eton. (also, there’s a possibility that George himself may have wanted to attend Eton.)
I also am not sure Kate was as opposed to it as some made it sound. her son going to eton is the ultimate in social climbing. She may have preferred Marlborough bc of nostalgia etc, but I’m sure Charlotte will go there.
that said, if the talk about modernizing the monarchy and a fresh new generation etc had any truth to it at all, then you would think they would send the heir to a school where he would NOT be surrounded by the uber wealthy and aristos etc, which he is going to be at Eton and to a lesser extent at a school like Marlborough as well.
They should have sent him to UWC Atlantic
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20230209163923/european-royals-why-they-attend-uwc-atlantic-college-wales/
Yes! Even sending him to Wales for a year would be SUCH good PR. They know how to cater to the royalty of Europe, and it would be such a boon for Wales and George’s ties with Wales.
Marlborough still has boarding and while co ed there are many snooty people attending there too. It is not like there was a school that was outside of the usual elite circles.
It is not like it matters where George goes to school. He will be protected by the establishment just like William has been.
School choice will matter more for Louis.
Well, he could always attend a school in Australia for a short spell, like his grandfather …
Jesus- two students at Lambrook sexually assaulted another?!?!
Poor George, I really hope he’s going to the school that HE wants to be going to.
The three royals have security. They are not exposed to that. George doesn’t have a choice and I’m sure he knows that. He doesn’t have ransoms problems. They’ve got 24/7
Don’t they still haze at Eton? I’m sure George will face all sorts of bastardisation at Eton.
The story was William was always looked after and he had bodyguards. Charles was bullied and that wasn’t eton. William was looked after. George won’t be bullied.
George looks a bit like Diana’s brother.
HE DOES! I have never noticed the resemblance before!
Thanks for bringing it up!
I was just going to post that! Yes he does have a close resemblance.
I don’t see it. I think He has the Middleton eyes. And looks like his granddad Middleton. He looks more serious in that he has to dress in a suit, even going to sports events.
I see Grandad Middleton in Louis rather than George. But resemblances often change as the kids age, or even from picture to picture.
Both Diana & Kate have improved the Windsors’ looks, imo.
I think George is changing to be more like William and Diana’s brother. Louis looks a lot like a young Andrew. I know that will be unpopular, but PA was very good looking in his youth.
Kate was never going to win this fight. George is a future monarch. I feel bad for George because those Eton boys will not be defferential to him. He will have the recent Windsor scandals thrown in his face. God help George if his future schoolmates read Spare. George is old enough to see what’s on the internet about his parents and his maternal family the Middletons. And the Firm is going to expect him to suck it up.
You think George would be better off in a school where everybody was deferential to him.
A little independence from Kate would do him good.
A 12 year old boy does not need independence from his mother.
It depends on the mother Alison.
A future King needs to toughen up. He is not the boy next door.
Ummm…….this agreement was a part of the separation settlement.
Count me in with the commentators that don’t believe the propaganda that Kate was was against Eton. Pippa’s husband also went to Eton. Her boyfriend at the time of the Royal Wedding to Eton. At most, Kate insisted they also tour other schools rather than just put him right into Eton. It was also reported at one point during these endless reports that George actually wanted to go to Eton as he idolizes William and wants to follow in his footsteps, and that several of his Lambrook friends also plan on attending Eton. James Middleton’s memoir also faults Marlborough for not recognizing his alleged learning disability and for fostering a very competitive atmosphere.
I am sure he will be protected at Eton, as the future future King, but I still feel bad for them. There have been lots of horrid English Boarding School stories to come out and I hope he and all his classmates do okay. Taking kids away from their parents and siblings and isolating them is one way to control them and put them under the thumb of the British Royal Machine. I hope he does okay. I feel bad for him truly.
Her son belongs to the Crown now. This isn’t just about the school itself but the status of who attends it. They want George around billionaires, oligarchs, aristocrats and other royalty. The majority of the UKs prime minister’s went to Eton. It is what it is.
Dah. The “cottage” the Wails (well, Keener and the kids) moved into on the Windsor estate is minutes away from Eton. They moved to be close to him while he attended Eton. George attending Eton has been on the books since the kid was born male. Keener is a wannabe and snob to the core of her being. She would not have wanted him to go to a “lesser” school and Eton is one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the world. She “won” when the kids weren’t shipped off to boarding school as 8 year olds like Harry and Willy were. She gets to claim to do the school run for 5 more years with Louis to blow off work. At that point her parents health will probably be failing and she will use them as the excuse not to work. The real story is where/if Charlotte will board (surely Louis will end up at Eton like his father and brother)? The narrative is being created that Charlotte is the little mama/family caregiver. She should get similar opportunities to her brothers and not kept at home to manage her brothers and mama her parents and brothers because the Wails are so dysfunctional.
“George, 11, is currently at Lambrook School in Berkshire, as are both his siblings, and is not due to start anywhere new until September 2026. Last week, this newspaper revealed two pupils there allegedly sexually assaulted another on a school trip. The Royal children were not involved, and their parents were not thought to be aware of it.”
At Lambrook, huh? Can someone explain to me where the adults were when this happened.
Per the International Business Times the incident happened on school grounds (52 acres). The school was not more specific than that, citing student confidentiality.
George really reminds me of his Uncle Charles, Princess Diana’s brother. The moment I saw the pic, I immediately thought of Charles. Hope the king sees it too and it burns him. One day the king will resemble Princess Diana’s side of the family. Love that for them.
Not surprised by this, despite what Kate and even William might have wanted, the press wanted George to go to Eton.
And was Kate made aware of this decision shortly before she was scheduled to appear at Ascot?
I hope that they are not going to do that entire charade for Charlotte and Louis but they are incapable of reinventing themselves so we’re probably going to have to suffer through years of this.
I can’t see William sending Louis to any other school but Eton. It really is THE top school for the aristocracy. There’s a confidence about those young men when they graduate from there – I saw it when I was at uni and met some.
It seems to carry them throughout their lives, through work and careers, marriage and society in England, which seems to be very parochial. To be an Old Etonian means something, according to the tv shows. It just seems like a pointer of privilege. I think you form some lifetime friends there and the connections ease the way through life in Britain. It’s like you know what the person is like based on the school? I:m thinking of those BBC and ITV series we used to watch growing up because it’s about England. I swear thats what made me to go to uni there! Great propaganda 🤣
I haven’t heard about girls schools with the same cachet in Engand as Eton, but there must be some?
So now we know why Kate pulled out of the Royal Ascot. She knew she lost so she wasn’t going to play along for this event.
Gewels, Confidence or arrogance?
Ha! I was just thinking the same thing! You say confident, I say arrogant.
I also went to grad school in England due to the cachet engendered by all those TV shows & movies I consumed growing up. Eh, school is school is school, no matter where you are.
What would be hilarious is that if the smug “ I know something you don’t know “ emanating from Eaton has zero to do with George. Like maybe they’re going co-ed ( I’ll admit my first thought was “ is all of Eaton finally coming out of the closet at once?” )