CHANGE is coming for Prince George who will be starting a new school next year.
Ahead of the big move from Lambrook School, Princess Kate looked round two prospective elite London schools in December.
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The Princess of Wales, 43, toured round the £10,000-a-term, “boldly academic” University College School (UCS) in Hampstead after term ended for the festive break.
The same week, Kate looked round Highgate School, located two miles away, which was closed for a “special VIP visitor”, according to the Mail.
A source told the publication that a day school in north London would be an “unexpected choice.”
However, as a result of Kate’s cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment, it appears that this year, more so than ever before, for the Waleses, there’s been a big emphasis on family time.
They added: “With the year Catherine has had, she may well have thought to herself that she wants to soak up every drop of George’s childhood and tuck him into bed herself each night.”
While the school choice may be still on the hunt, here is where Prince George, 11, could end up studying in 18 months…
Oundle School, Northamptonshire
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Oundle School in north Northamptonshire is one of the front runners, The Mail on Sunday reported.
The independent co-educational establishment, founded in 1556, costs between £22,350 and £45,435-a-year.
The website reads: “We encourage aspiration and abhor arrogance, nurturing open minds, authentic self-belief and a sense of service.”
The school, which offers day and boarding options, also claims that it produces pupils who are “Climate Champ-ions”.
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“We have a responsibility to ensure that every single member of the school community takes both individual and collective action towards environmental sustainability,” Oundle says.
Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, all currently attend Lambrook, a co-educational day prep school.
The Berkshire-based prep school educates children up to the age of 13 (Year 8), meaning George has until September 2025 before he moves on to his next school.
Sending George to Oundle would allow both his siblings to join their brother at the same school.
Eton School
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There has been much debate about whether Prince George could follow in his father’s footsteps and attend elite boarding school Eton – and he’s even been on a tour there.
Prestigious Eton College – whose alumni includes Eddie Redmayne, George Orwell and Boris Johnson – is located just a seven-minute drive from the family’s Window-based home, Adelaide Cottage.
William and his brother Prince Harry both attended single-sex boarding school Eton, which costs £16,666-a-term.
King Charles did not go to Eton and was sent to Gordonstoun in Moray, Scotland which he disliked and referred to as “Colditz in kilts”.
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Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl said on our Royal Exclusive show that Kate and William will likely choose the famous school for their son.
She shared: “I think they’re quite traditionalist in that respect. George plays polo, he’s learning to fly helicopters, he’s very like his father in that respect.
“I think because William had such a wonderful time at Eton, I think that’s probably where he will end up.
“If George does end up at Eton, he’s not going to be far from his mum and dad, he’s not going to be far from the King, and it is almost a right of passage in that world.”
Marlborough School
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Prince George could also copy Kate and go to the exclusive Marlborough College, which she attended between 1996 and 2000.
The College claims to be “academically ambitious, offering a progressive, challenging and enriching curriculum broadly based on the National Curriculum”, and counts the likes of Samantha Cameron and Jack Whitehall in its alumni.
The royals were spotted taking a tour of Kate’s old mixed-sex private £47,000-a-year school in December 2023.
The school is more than an hour’s drive but the co-educational school does have full boarding facilities.
According to Hello!, Prince George has already been offered a place, with a house “earmarked for him.”
However, the Waleses’ are said to be concerned that Marlborough has become “too flashy”.
“The 2024 version of Marlborough may be quite different from how Kate remembers it,” a source told MailOnline.
“It’s become a little more jet-set. Lots of parents have villas in Ibiza, chalets in Verbier or a private jet, which isn’t Kate’s style. She prefers understated wealth.”
They added: “Kate wants a school that suits all of her children and keeps them grounded.”
St Edward’s School
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The royal couple are said to have looked around the elite St Edward’s School, also known as “Teddies” – which boasts Oppenheimer actress Florence Pugh as an alumna.
According to the Daily Mail, the boarding and day school – which gives pupils aged 13 to 18 the chance to try their hand at screenwriting and beekeeping – has caught the eye of Prince William and Kate Middleton .
Richard Eden wrote: “’They’ve been to have a look,’ a Teddies grandee tells me.”
Teddies is situated around a one-hour drive from their home, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
The school is also co-educational, which means Princess Charlotte would be able to attend with Prince George – and younger brother Prince Louis if he goes too.
University College School (UCS), Hampstead
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If her December school tour was successful, Princess Kate could opt to send Prince George to UCS, which is located close to Hampstead Heath.
The £31,371-a-year senior school is a single-sex school for boys aged 11 to 16.
A number of famous faces have attended the school, including Outnumbered stars, Hugh Dennis and Daniel Roche.
If Prince George goes to UCS, he will be able to enjoy 27 acres of playing fields, and facilities that include a 25-metre swimming pool and tennis courts.
Highgate School, North London
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Also in Princess Kate’s December school tours was the co-educational independent Highgate School.
The school is a day school for pupils aged four to 18, which means that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis could also all attend.
The school was founded 460 years ago and is said to accept students “from a range of backgrounds”, with alumni including former cricketer Phil Tufnell and Johnny Borrell, lead singer of Razorlight.
It’ll cost the Prince and Princess of Wales £26,490 per year, but pupils can take advantage of a sports centre that includes a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, AstroTurf pitch, and a fully equipped drama studio and stage which hosts three productions a year.
Will Prince George go to a state school?
ROYAL pros have discussed the possibility of Prince George ditching an education at Eton College for time at a state school.
Speaking to royal reporter Bronte Coy on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive, royal experts Richard Palmer and Katie Nicholl spoke about the significant decision looming for Princess Kate and Prince William in regards to Prince George’s schooling.
Katie acknowledged the Waleses’ desire to shake things up, as she claimed: “I think the big question is, is it going to be Eton and following in tradition and obviously George going to an all boys’ school, or will they break the tradition and go to a co-ed?
“I don’t think they’re at logger heads and I’m not dressing this up as a row, but it’s a big decision they’ve got to make.
“They’ve been around to see the schools and I guess at some point we will know what they’ve chosen to do.”
Meanwhile, Richard Palmer chimed in: “Personally, I think it’s a great shame that our future head of State doesn’t actually go to a state school.
“And I think it would be fantastic if that were to happen.
“I think Katie’s right, it’s second nature for people of their social background to send their kids away, clearly if George is at Eton they’re just around the corner, but I think what tends to happen is that the kids themselves don’t want to be going from home every day because they’re not then really at the heart of the school community.
“You want to be a boarder, so I’m guessing all of the kids will end up boarding, even if they go to schools very close.”