This post has been updated since its original publication date to include new information
As the second in line to the throne, a large part of 11-year-old Prince George‘s future has already been mapped out – and that includes his education!
Prince William, 42, and Kate Middleton, 42, will reportedly be sending their firstborn to Eton College, the prestigious $60,000 a year boarding school that many royals, including Prince William and Prince Harry, previously attended. And the Princess of Wales is *not* too happy about it, with royal expert Katie Nicholl recently saying that she and her husband have argued about the decision for years!
Eton College was reportedly also attended by the late Queen Elizabeth II‘s cousins Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent, as well as Princess Diana’s father, John, 8th Earl Spencer, and her brother, Charles Spencer. Interestingly, King Charles and the late Prince Philip didn’t actually attend Eton themselves, as they both attended Gordonstoun boarding school in Scotland.
Kate Middleton And Prince William Reportedly Disagree On Prince George's Education
Although the Princess of Wales has been praised for fitting into the royal family so well and taking on many of its traditions, sending her son to Eton College is apparently something which she isn't keen on. This could partly be because she does *not* have fond memories of her first boarding school, with an insider previously explaining: "She's still heartbroken. She was horribly bullied at her first boarding school, and can't bear the thought of George suffering through that."
"Kate's preference is for George to be at a co-education school, so he can be with his siblings, which is what Kate experienced at Marlborough with her sister, Pippa, and brother, James," Nicholl recently said, as per Ok!, in reference to his sister Princess Charlotte and brother Prince Louis.
"Kate spent her high school years at Marlborough College in Wiltshire from 1996 to 2000," Nicholl continued, adding: "It was a very happy school life for her, but William has very fond memories of Eton, which has a long history with aristocrats and members of the royal family."
"There's always the possibility of traditions being changed," she continued. "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. Whatever happens, it'll be a decision made by William and Kate with George's best interests factored in."
According to previous reports, the Prince and Princess of Wales have argued about Prince George's education for many years – Kate has reportedly even had disagreements with King Charles about her children's upbringing – but it's looking more and more likely that the Prince of Wales will get his way!
"Kate long disagreed with her husband about sending him away, even though it's tradition," a source told InTouch Weekly last year, before adding that they think part of their disagreements are because she may regard the boarding school as "stuffy," and not in keeping with the modernization of the monarchy which she and her husband are reportedly keen on achieving.
"Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernize the monarchy," the source continued, adding, "Plus, she'll miss George desperately. She and William argued about it for years, but he has finally won."
Prince George Reportedly Wants To Follow In His Father's Footsteps
Perhaps most interestingly of all are the reports that Prince George is taking his father's side in this argument, as he has reportedly previously expressed interest in attending Eton College because he wants to follow in his father's footsteps – aww!
"He wants to be just like his father," a royal insider claimed, adding that the Princess of Wales "finally gave in" to both her husband and her firstborn's wishes, despite having not-so-great memories of boarding school herself.
And that's not all, as the mom-of-three is reportedly worried that Prince William will want their other two children – Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 – to go to boarding school too, with the source saying: "There's also the worry that William will insist the other two kids be shipped off next."
