For the sake of Prince George, Prince William and Princess Kate are faced with a very significant choice-making process.
Prince William and Princess Kate have reportedly been at odds over where their oldest son and heir apparent to the throne, Prince George, who is 11 years old, would go to school the following year. Lambrook School, located in Berkshire, is now being attended by all three of the Prince and Princess of Wales's children, including Princess Charlotte, nine years old, and Prince Louis, six years old.
Although Lambrook has provided the children with a sense of stability throughout the time that Princess Kate has been battling illness this year, the couple will have to decide on the educational institution that Prince George will attend after his time at prep school has ended. Prince George would also go to boarding school, which has been speculated about for a long time. King Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry attended a boarding school.
According to Express, the couple may decide to forego the notion of sending their eldest kid to Eton College in favor of sending him to a state school.
Princess Kate is not on board with Prince George attending Eton. She would rather have him attend a co-educational institution such as Marlborough in Wiltshire, where she and her brother attended school. On the other hand, Prince William wants Prince George to go to Eton, just as he did.
According to Yahoo!, royal reporter Katie Nicholl made an appearance on The Sun's Royal Exclusive. It revealed the following information: "Over here in the UK, there is a natural progression that you go at 13 to your next school and in the case of William and Harry, that was Eton."
Katie revealed that although it is quite probable that Prince George would attend Eton, the institution where Prince William "thrived," Princess Kate has always cherished the concept of the children attending a school that is welcoming to both boys and girls, such as Marlborough.
"Kate's own experience was going to school with her brother James and her sister Pippa," Katie said. "There's always the option that they could go to Marlborough.
"I think it's less the boarding element, because Kate boarded and loved it, William boarded and loved it, and I think they think that's part of the making of their children becoming young adults," she added.
Katie said that Prince William and Princess Kate have a great desire to shake things up inside the monarchy, saying, "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 loggerheads 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," she added.
Katie continued, saying, "I think there's no doubt that it will be a boarding school."
Fellow royal reporter Richard Palmer added, "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."
However, Katie added, "I think the greatest breaking of mould would not be a state school, as much as I would also love that to happen, Richard, I don't think it will, but I think if it was Marlborough, that would be a breaking of the mould and would of course enable them to be together, the three children."
Eton is only ten minutes away from Adelaide Cottage, which means that Prince George will be able to see his family on the weekends if he chooses to attend Eton.
The discourse around Prince George's education has sparked online conversations.
"Kate is right. It's time for a modern royal education!" one follower said.
"Eton is tradition. George must follow the footsteps of William and Charles," another wrote.
"A co-ed school like Marlborough makes more sense in today's world," a third fan said.
"Breaking tradition is risky, but it could humanize the monarchy," a fourth follower chimed in.
"A state school for George? That would be revolutionary!" a netizen wrote.
"The decision shouldn't be about the past but about George's future," another fan said.
Business Times has reached out to Princess Kate and Prince William for comments.
