It has an illustrious reputation for schooling the elite – including Princes William and Harry – but Eton College may not be able to count Prince George among its future pupils.
Speculation is growing that the second in line to the throne will, instead, follow in his mother’s footsteps, and be educated at Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
The Princess of Wales has recently toured the £47,000-a-year co-educational school for the second time in as many months – this time accompanied by her husband and ten-year-old George.
Kate is said to not be a fan of single-sex schools like Eton, and reportedly ‘absolutely hated’ her time at Downe House, an all-girls boarding school in Berkshire, where she was allegedly targeted by bullies.
However she flourished at Marlborough, where she excelled academically and performed well at sports, including hockey and tennis.
The Princess of Wales recently toured Marlborough College for the second time, but this accompanied by her husband and ten-year-old George
It is understood that no firm decision has yet been made on whether George will attend Marlborough College, which costs £47,000-a-year
The Princess of Wales is said to not be a fan of single-sex institutions and flourished once she was sent to Marlborough, where she performed well at sports, including hockey
Although it is understood that no firm decision has yet been made about what school George will attend, the Princess took him and William to her alma mater on December 1, having previously visited alone in October.
They also all toured Eton back in June. The college, which is a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle, provided a haven for William and Harry, who boarded there during the most turbulent years of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage.
But while William found solace there after his mother’s death, Harry lamented in his memoir Spare that it was not the right choice for him.
George is currently at co-educational prep school, Lambrook, along with his sister Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old brother Prince Louis. Close to the home of their Middleton grandparents, it educates pupils up to the age of 13, meaning George will have to move on in 2026.
Kate Middleton moved to the prestigious school aged 14, staying there until it was time for her to attend St Andrew’s University. She became a keen hockey player. Pictured: Kate in the middle, back row with her hockey team outside the College
Kate pictured at St Andrew’s prep school with her classmates
Kate was hailed by her peers as the ‘person most likely to be loved by everybody’ in her yearbook when she departed on her gap year before heading to University of St Andrews after achieving two As and a B in her A Levels
While the future Queen was never caught up with boozing, unlike some of her friends, on one occasion she threw up on the train home after an all-night champagne and dance party
The Princess pictured with her friends at a sleepover in the summer of 1998
One friend of Kate’s, called Gemma, said all the boys ‘fancied her rotten’, including classmate Jack Whitehall, who attended the school a few years below Kate and admitted she was his first crush
Pictured: Kate and Jessica Hay in Marlborough College
The Princess of Wales’ family also toured Eton in June, which educated William and Harry
Kate Middleton on the ‘Throne’ at Elmhurst House in Marlborough College in 2000
Princess Eugenie previously attended Marlborough College. She was the first female member of the Royal Family to attend the school
Prince George started at Lambrook last year and is currently in Year 6. He has recently been sitting exams that could influence his future education.
But if he continues at a mixed-sex school like Marlborough, he could later be joined by his siblings. The Princess of Wales was similarly educated alongside her younger sister, Pippa, and brother James.
Founded in 1843, Marlborough’s former pupils also include Princess Eugenie, Lady (Samantha) Cameron and comedian Jack Whitehall.
In October, Kate revealed that she had been helping him prepare, telling pupils at a secondary school in Cardiff: ‘George is just at the beginning of being tested. He says, ‘Mummy, I keep getting tested all the time.’
Last month, the Princess missed Prince William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony in Singapore to further support George during his exams.
On the same day as the visit to Marlborough College, the trio enjoyed a low-key lunch at Tray’s Cafe at nearby Barrs Yard in Hungerford with their security detail hovering nearby. A member of staff at the cafe, a 15-minute drive from the school, told The Mail on Sunday that the Waleses were ‘utterly delightful’ and ‘couldn’t have been nicer’.
Both Eton and Marlborough have similar application processes involving assessments and interviews that begin when pupils are George’s age.
Kensington Palace declined to comment last night.