She and Prince William may have come to a compromise amid her cancer battle.
As Prince George nears the end of his time at the Lambrook School, Kate Middleton and Prince William are busy figuring out their eldest son’s next step. Sources previously reported that Kate and William weren’t seeing eye to eye when it came to their eldest son’s future schooling plans, with Kate gravitating towards an elite co-educational institution while William hoped George would attend his prestigious alma mater, the boys-only Eton boarding school. However, it looks like Prince George may no longer be planning to follow in his dad’s educational footsteps, as Princess Kate was reportedly spotted touring several co-ed schools just after they closed for the holidays.
Prince George currently attends the Berkshire preparatory school along with his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, but he’ll have to make other plans for the September 2026 school year. Kate and William have reportedly been struggling to come to a compromise, with each parent taking inspiration from their own schooling for George’s future plans. Kate, who attended the co-ed Marlborough, reportedly hoped George could go to school with his younger brother and sister, just like her experience with her brother James and sister Pippa. Sources also said that Eton, which is a boarding school, was a little too far from the Waleses’ Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor for Kate’s liking.
While reports previously suggested that a “heartbroken” Kate had given in to George attending Eton, it looks like the dynamic may have changed amid her cancer battle and remission. According to the Daily Mail, Kate was spotted visiting the University College School (UCS) in Hampstead right after it closed for Christmas break. The publication also reported that nearby Highgate School had a “special VIP visitor” that was believed to be the Princess of Wales.
Meanwhile, Marlborough–which Kate attended from 1996 and 2000–is also believed to be one of the princess’s top choices for George. According to Express, Prince George was already offered a spot as well as boarding at his mother’s alma mater, but based on Kate’s touring schedule, it sounds like the Waleses are still keeping their options open before making a final decision.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl previously told The Mirror that Prince William was set on his eldest heir attending Eton as a result of his “fond memories” of the institution. However, an insider previously revealed to InTouch Weekly that Kate balked at the idea of sending her son to “such a stuffy, upper-crust institution,” arguing that it would hurt the royal family’s “efforts to modernize the monarchy.”
“There’s always the possibility of traditions being changed,” Nicholl said at the time. “William and Harry didn’t end up following in their father’s footsteps by going to Gordonstoun [in Scotland] and it may be that George breaks the Eton mold and ends up somewhere else.”
