Prince George will follow in his father Prince William’s footsteps and attend Eton College this September, with his mother, Kate Middleton, reportedly emotional about the move.
Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince George will attend the prestigious $60,000-a-year boarding school in Berkshire after finishing at Lambrook School earlier this month, where he has been studying alongside his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
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Prince George Will Follow In Prince William's Footsteps And Attend Eton College
There had previously been speculation that the second in line to the throne could attend Marlborough College, Kate's alma mater, before it was confirmed that the Prince and Princess of Wales' eldest child would be going to Eton.
Eton College has also been attended by Prince Harry, several of the late Queen Elizabeth II's cousins, as well as Princess Diana's father, John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, and her brother, Charles Spencer. Interestingly, King Charles and the late Prince Philip did not attend Eton themselves, instead going to Gordonstoun in Scotland. Eton has also educated celebrities such as Eddie Redmayne, Dominic West, Damian Lewis, and Tom Hiddleston.
It was previously reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales did not see eye to eye on where their firstborn should go. Although both attended boarding school, Kate was reportedly not keen on sending him away so young and feared how much she would miss him.
Prince George's Absence Will Be Felt By The Whole Family
According to royal author Robert Jobson, Prince George's departure will be deeply felt by his parents. He told Hello! that it will be an "emotional" time for the Princess of Wales and the wider family, though they are happy for his new chapter.
"It's a chance for him to spread his wings and take part in things in the afternoons and evenings instead of going home to Mum and Dad," Jobson told the magazine, adding: "Both of them know what it was like; they both boarded, so they know how it works."
"William used to visit the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor while he was at Eton College, but that has to be organised. You can't just pop home when you want to," Jobson continued. "They are such a tight family unit. George will be missed. It will be like having an empty seat at the table."
Kate Middleton Reportedly Had Reservations
As previously mentioned, Eton was not the Princess of Wales' first choice. "Kate's preference is for George to be at a co-education school, so he can be with his siblings, which is what Kate experienced at Marlborough with her sister, Pippa, and brother, James," royal author Katie Nicholl previously said, as per OK!.
"Kate spent her high school years at Marlborough College in Wiltshire from 1996 to 2000," Nicholl continued, adding: "It was a very happy school life for her, but William has very fond memories of Eton, which has a long history with aristocrats and members of the royal family."
"Kate long disagreed with her husband about sending him away, even though it's tradition," another insider previously told InTouch, adding that they believe part of the disagreement stemmed from her view that the boarding school is "stuffy" and not aligned with efforts to modernize the monarchy.
"Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernize the monarchy," the source continued, adding: "Plus, she'll miss George desperately. She and William argued about it for years, but he has finally won."
Perhaps knowing that it was what Prince George wanted himself helped sway the decision. "He wants to be just like his father," a royal insider previously claimed, adding: "There's also the worry that William will insist the other two kids be shipped off next."
