As Prince George prepares to make the leap to secondary school in 2026, a Royal expert believes that Princess Catherine’s recent decision may offer clues about the young royal’s future educational path.
The Wales family faces a major milestone next year as Prince George is due to begin secondary school in September.
Whilst his chosen school remains under wraps, speculation continues to swirl about whether he might follow his mother’s footsteps and attend a boarding institution.
Some observers believe that George, who stands second in line to the throne, will maintain Royal tradition by joining Eton College, the prestigious establishment where his father, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry, were educated.
Former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond reckons that with fewer than 12 months until George embarks on his secondary education, his academic destiny has probably already been sealed.
Jennie remarked: “Yes, this is a big year ahead, as George becomes a teenager and, as William hinted when talking about phones, he’s clearly exploring a few boundaries. I suppose his new school has already been decided.
“Personally, I think it’s a great shame if he’s going to be sent away to board, and I would have thought that would go against some of Catherine’s central beliefs. On the other hand, she went to boarding school and seemed to enjoy it, so I suppose she feels ready to cross that bridge with George.”
After enduring some challenging years at Downe House, where she reportedly faced bullying, Catherine transferred to Marlborough College, located over an hour west of the Wales family’s residence in Forest Lodge on the Windsor estate.
Since announcing her remission from cancer, Catherine has become increasingly active in her Royal engagements. Jennie Bond, a former BBC Royal correspondent, believes that Catherine will continue to strive for the right balance between her duties as a working Royal and her responsibilities as a mother.
Just this week, the Princess of Wales attended a summit hosted by her Royal Foundation, where she delivered her first speech in two years. She also joined Prince William at the Royal Variety Performance the following day.
With 2026 promising to be a significant year for the Royal family, Jennie Bond predicts that Catherine will need to master balancing her time between her family and her Royal duties as major changes loom.
Despite her increasing presence at Royal engagements, the Princess of Wales has always prioritized her parenting commitments, a sentiment she echoed during her speech at the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood summit.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond said: “I admire Catherine for practising what she preaches. She is a hands-on mom as much as possible, and she has encouraged William to be a hands-on dad. Obviously, they are both incredibly privileged to have some choice in the matter, and they’ve taken a fair bit of flak for doing things like ring-fencing school holidays as family time.
“But Catherine believes passionately that these early years in her children’s lives are by far the most important and formative, and she’s determined to be there for them as much as possible.”