Kate Middleton’s ‘Unhappy’ School Experience Has ‘Completely Influenced’ George, Charlotte, and Louis’ Education, Expert Says
Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte won’t be following in their parents’ footsteps when it comes to school. At least for now. They’re deviating from royal tradition as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton’s upbringing. Part of the reason is, per an expert, the Princess of Wales’ own “unhappy time” at school.
Kate Middleton’s school years have impacted Charlotte, Louis, and George’s education
She’s been out of school for decades but the Princess of Wales’ own school experience plays a part in her and the Prince of Wales’ kids’ schooling. Royal expert Jennie Bond says Kate’s “unhappy time” at school in her youth has led her to do things differently.
“Catherine had a very unhappy time at Downe House in her first two terms and was bullied quite badly before she left and moved to Marlborough College,” Bond told OK! Magazine.
Kate attended Downe House as a day student at 13 years old before transferring to Marlborough in 1996. From there, she went to the University of St. Andrew’s alongside William.
The experience, Bond continued, “has completely influenced the way she wants her children to be educated, coupled with her belief and research into early years development.”
George, Charlotte, and Louis are students at Lambrook School near Adelaide Cottage
Currently, William and Kate’s kids go to school nearby their home in Windsor, England. In 2022, the family relocated from Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A in London, England, to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park.
George, Charlotte, and Louis began classes at their new school, Lambrook, in September 2022. And, as Kate shared shortly after, they adjusted well to their new surroundings within weeks.
The choice to send George, Charlotte, and Louis to this particular school is meaningful, according to Bond.
“It is telling that Kate was heavily involved in searching for George, Charlotte, and Louis’ school as two of the key aspirations of Lambrook are kindness and inclusivity,” she said.
Kate reportedly gave the school a gift — two chickens — for their farm (the school’s set on 52 acres) when George, Charlotte, and Louis enrolled.
It’s also the first time George, Charlotte, and Louis have simultaneously attended the same school. Previously, George and Charlotte went to Thomas’s Battersea while Louis attended a separate nursery school.
Boarding school is an unlikely option for George, Charlotte, and Louis at ‘the moment’
For fans of The Crown, the Netflix series based on Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, don’t expect to see William and Kate’s kids at boarding school. At least, not yet, anyway.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales have made it clear that their young family will, as far as possible, come first,” Bond said. “And that includes sending all three to day school rather than having them as boarders away from home.”
“Prince William and Prince Harry were at boarding school once they hit primary school age,” she continued. “Diana missed them hugely. But in the same breath, had been brought up in much of the same way away from her family.”
“For the moment at least, it seems William and Catherine want to keep their children close, as day pupils at Lambrook, in a happy and nurturing environment,” Bond concluded.
