For years now, there’s been so much gossip about where Prince George will go to school after he “graduates” from Lambrook this summer. The gossip has developed into a bizarre proxy war between Prince William and the Princess of Wales as well – it’s always seemed like William wants George to have the traditional royal education of an all-boys boarding school, and William wants George to go to Eton specifically, which is William’s alma mater. On the other side, Kate apparently loathes same-sex education and she really does not want George to go to Eton. Kate has been pushing any posh coed school she can find, especially her alma mater, Marlborough. Late last year, the Telegraph’s sources swore up and down that Marlborough was the pick. Then Ingrid Seward was tasked with swearing that neither Eton nor Marlborough would make the cut. Well, what does Katie Nicholl have to say at Vanity Fair?

Prince George will start secondary school this year and as rumors swirl about where he’ll attend, sources close to Prince William and Kate Middleton say they are leaning in favor of breaking tradition. It has been widely reported that the 12-year-old heir would follow in his father’s footsteps and enroll at Eton College in Windsor. But while there is no official word from Kensington Palace, it appears that Marlborough, the coed boarding school Princess Kate attended from ages 14 to 18, is now the Prince and Princess of Wales’s preferred choice for George.

“While Eton would be the obvious choice because it is on their doorstep and where William went, they are leaning towards other schools. I’m hearing Marlborough is the front-runner,” a source told Vanity Fair.

While palace insiders insist that the couple have not yet decided where Prince George will attend, Princess Kate has spent hours researching and exploring their options. Last year, she was seen visiting several schools, including coed and single-sex day schools, in north London. However, both the prince and princess are keen for George to board, believing it will give him a sense of independence. There is also the matter of George’s security, which is of the utmost importance to their decision. Both Eton and Marlborough are boarding schools with plenty of land and the infrastructure for royal protection officers, who will be by George’s side 24/7.

“I genuinely don’t think they’ve one hundred percent decided, but there is talk among the Marlborough set that they’ve allocated a house for George and that security has been a big issue,” says a source.

According to Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine, security will be paramount when it comes to making the final decision about where George goes to school.

“I expect we will be told later on in the summer at the very last minute, when the security detail has been organized, but clearly it’s an important consideration. It will require two protection officers taking it in turns to look after George while he’s at school,” she said.

Seward added that she has heard that Eton was not necessarily William and Kate’s first choice. “William loved Eton and did well academically, but I don’t think we should assume George will follow suit. For a start, we are seeing William doing things differently. He is mindful of costs and appearances when it comes to his family and the future,” she explained. “I’m told William has voiced concerns about how it will look for George to be at such an elitist and expensive school. Eton is very different today to when William was there. It’s still very good academically, but it’s very monied and doesn’t have the same cachet it once had. The people who used to be able to afford the fees, i.e. the British aristocracy, now can’t afford it anymore.”

[From Vanity Fair]

Of all the things to care about, William is worried about what kind of message it will send if George goes to an expensive, elite boarding school? That ship has sailed – the Wales kids already go to an expensive private school, and they recently moved into their fifth forever home, a huge manor house which apparently needed 150 acres of public parkland for “security.” If William is worried about optics, he’s really picking and choosing what to “care” about. Sending George to some posh boarding school will be one of the most “normal” things William and Kate do. But that’s another thing – Kate doesn’t want George to board. While Marlborough is a boarding school, they have “day students” – meaning, kids who go home every day to their families. I believe Marlborough is closer to Middleton Manor as well. I’m just saying.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Kensington Palace, Cover Images.