Prince George and Princess Charlotte are not the only royals who have experienced homeschooling. The Cambridge children were prompted to take online classes recently because their school, Thomas's Battersea in London, had to close as cases of COVID-19 infections rise in the U.K.
Now, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are homeschooling under the guidance of their mom, Kate Middleton, and father, Prince William. However, they were not the first royal kids to go through this process.
According to reports, going to an actual formal school has been a recent change in the lives of the royals. Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret were actually the last members of the British royal family who did not attend formal schooling. They had a governess named Marion Crawford who was in charge of their classes with the help of many tutors.
Before them, the royal kids were also educated at home by governors and sub-governors who taught not just academics but also discipline and royal etiquette. This was the way future monarchs were prepared for their roles. Their lessons entailed political and ceremonial education but they were eventually enrolled at some of the U.K.'s most prestigious colleges by the time they were young adults.
Prince Charles started out as a homeschool student as well but by the time he was eight years old, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip enrolled him at the Cheam School. Later, he was sent to a public boarding school in Scotland. Princess Anne was also tutored at home until she attended boarding school at 13.
Prince William and Prince Harry were among the first generation of royal kids who actually started nursery school. Their mother, Princess Diana, reportedly, wanted her children to be educated the normal but traditional way. The Windsor boys also attended Eton College in their teens. Prince William then went on to attend the University of St. Andrews for college, where he met his future bride, Kate Middleton.
Incidentally, Kate has never been enthusiastic about homeschooling Prince George and Princess Charlotte even as this was part of royal traditions. According to Us Weekly, the Duchess of Cambridge is making adjustments these days because of the lockdowns.
She is making sure that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will still follow a routine despite having their classes at home. Kate is also trying to limit their screen time even as their lessons have to be done online.
