Why William and Kate Won't Release Prince George and Princess Charlotte Back-to-School Photos 2018

(Image credit: AFP Contributor)

published 6 September 2018

Name a more iconic photo than Prince George heading to his first day of primary school (opens in new tab) last year (I'll wait). The little prince took a melodramatic stroll with his father, Prince William, and his new teacher during his first day at Thomas's School in Battersea, London. Another year has quickly gone by and the five-year-old already starts his second year of primary school today, but unfortunately we won't be #blessed with any official photos of the prince this year. (opens in new tab)

According to People (opens in new tab), William and Kate have "always made a point of treating school as a private area so that George and Charlotte can grow up in as pressure-free an atmosphere as possible." The only reason why we saw so many pictures of George last year is because of the primary school milestone after attending Westacre Montessori School Nursery since 2016.

The same goes for Charlotte, who started the new school year yesterday. In January, Charlotte had her first day at Willcocks Nursery School, a female-run preschool located at the Holy Trinity Church in London near Kensington Palace. Kate snapped adorable pictures of the two-year-old (opens in new tab) sitting on a set of steps in a little red coat, pink scarf, and backpack. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are clearly very hands-on with their children. A day after Prince Louis' birth (yes, one day!), Kate took George to school (opens in new tab) herself.

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If you're devastated about not seeing any back-to-school photos, don't fret—the royal children will make their next public appearance together at their cousin Princess Eugenie's wedding in October (opens in new tab). Princess Charlotte, 3, will reportedly be a flower girl (opens in new tab) and Prince George, 5, will be a page boy.

Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.