When Prince William offered a rare insight into home life with wife Catherine and their three children last week, one of the biggest revelations was that Prince George is boarding at his current school.
The Prince of Wales was appearing on the Heart Breakfast radio show, which was doing a special broadcast from the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall, when he gave a shout-out to his children, who were at home in Windsor.
“Charlotte and Louis, because George was boarding last night, Charlotte and Louis if you’re listening, make sure you’re on time please, make sure you’re not fighting over who listens to what this morning,” he said.
Watch the video above.
Prince George is preparing for secondary school by boarding at his current school. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
The reference to boarding came as a shock to the general public and even some royal watchers who were unaware the future king had already taken such a big step.
It is thought the decision could be to help prepare Prince George for the move to full-time boarding school later this year.
George is currently enrolled in Lambrook School, a co-educational preparatory school set on 21 hectares in Ascot, Berkshire.
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Prince George, left, with his siblings and parents, has been attending Lambrook School since 2022. (Getty)
He and his siblings started at the school in September 2022, soon after the family moved from London to Windsor, just weeks before the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The school caters for 630 students from nursery (three years) to year 8, and offers both full-time and flexible boarding options for children aged seven to 13.
“We have a thriving boarding community where pupils board anything from five nights a week to one night every so often,” the school’s website said.
“There are two boarding houses, Lambrook House for girls and Westfield for boys. Each house is overseen by a house parent and supported by tutors.
“Boarding is seen as a happy extension of Lambrook School life, with 75 per cent of the Prep School taking advantage of boarding in some way.
“Our boarding offers a great opportunity to prepare pupils for their future schools, where 95 per cent of our pupils go on to board.
“The experience and independence gained at this slightly younger age is an extremely positive and helpful stepping stone for all that awaits them at their future schools and beyond.”
It is not known how often Prince George boards at the school or when he started the practice.
The fact the breakfast radio show was recorded on a Friday means he spent Thursday night at the school.
Prince George will no t attend school with his siblings from later this year. (UK Press via Getty Images)
While it could have been a one-off, it is more likely he boards every Thursday night, or may be boarding Monday to Thursday in readiness for full-time boarding school later this year.
In comparison, Prince William was just eight when he started weekday boarding at Ludgrove School, which is also located in Berkshire.
He then moved to Eton College, where he boarded from 1995 to 2000.
Meanwhile, Catherine was a flexi-boarder at St Andrew’s School, Berkshire, during her younger years before becoming a full-time boarder at Downe House School.
However, she later moved to Marlborough College in Wiltshire, reportedly after being bullied, and boarded there until her graduation in 2000.
The closeknit Wales family will be in for some big changes. (Kensington Palace/Josh Shinner)New school contender
Speculation has been mounting for years about where George will spend his final years at school.
His parents opted to wait until he was older for him to make the transition to secondary school.
He will not start at his new school until September this year, which means he will be in year 9 – which is two years later than his contemporaries, with many heading to their secondary school at the start of year 7.
This means he will only spend a maximum of four years at his new school.
A young Catherine Middleton during her Marlborough College days.
Up until recently, two schools stood out. While his father’s alma mater, Eton, has always been a frontrunner, and his mother’s former school, Marlborough College, was thought to be in the running, a new contender recently came to light.
According to The Sun, the Prince and Princess of Wales recently visited Oundle School in Northamptonshire, the East Midlands of England.
The Sun quoted a source who said William and Catherine’s visit to the school was “terribly exciting”
“They are considering other schools but people in Oundle have their fingers crossed that George will be starting here in September.
“The town would be proud as punch if he attends school here.”
Prince William famously attended Eton. (Ian Jones, Pool Photo via AP)
Oundle is a two-hour drive from their new family home in Windsor, making it the furthest away by far, somewhat of an odd choice, considering how close the family is.
However, what it lacks in proximity it makes up for in other ways.
Oundle School is co-educational, meaning both Princess Charlotte and Prince George could also attend there.
It is consistently ranked among the top independent schools and top 25 private senior schools in the UK.
The school is academically selective, with the more than 1100 students needing to excel in entrance exams and interviews to secure a place, with “intellectually curious students” said to be most sought after.
But perhaps the reason it is being considered by the Wales family is its down to earth approach.
“Our pupils leave as grounded, open-minded young adults who are ambitious in what they can achieve and contribute but never arrogant,” the school’s website says.
If they choose Oundle, it would make sense in some ways.
Royal commentator Katie Nicholl told Vanity Fair in January this year that the couple was “leaning in favour of breaking tradition” when it comes to choosing Prince George’s school.
She believed this put the co-educational Marlborough College, ahead of Eton, an ultra-exclusive boys’ only school that has educated 20 UK Prime Ministers.