Prince William and Kate Middleton Will "Never Force" Prince George to Go to Boarding School, a Source Says

Prince William and Kate Middleton don't plan to send Prince George to boarding school in the fall, a royal source says. George will get a say in the decision.

london, england july 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince george of cambridge and prince william, duke of cambridge and president of the football association applaud during the uefa euro 2020 championship final between italy and england at wembley stadium on july 11, 2021 in london, england photo by eddie keogh the fathe fa via getty images
(Image credit: Eddie Keogh - The FA)
  • Recently, reports have been circulating that Prince William and Kate Middleton planned to send Prince George, who just turned eight, to boarding school in the fall.
  • A royal source told Us Weekly that Will and Kate actually think eight is a little young to starting boarding school, but that they are open to sending George away to school in the future, if that's what he wants. 
  • "George going to school is a decision the Cambridges will make as a family," the source said. "They’d never force George to go unless he wants to and they feel it’s right."

Prince William and Kate Middleton are staying open-minded about Prince George's educational future.

Recently, reports have suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge planned to send George to a boarding school in the Berkshire area for the next school year, as opposed to continuing on at St Thomas’ Battersea in London, which he currently attends along with his sister, Princess Charlotte. Supposed evidence of the change included reports that the couple had been looking at both schools and homes around Berkshire and the fact that George just turned eight—the same age William was when he began boarding school.

Now, however, a royal source says those reports aren't accurate—at least not for now.

"Kate and William are open to sending George to boarding school in the future and have already checked out a few, but they feel eight is a little young and want to wait until he’s slightly older," the insider told Us Weekly.

Even though Will and Kate are "open" to the idea of sending George to boarding school eventually, they're not set on the idea by any means. Ultimately, it sounds like the decision will be George's to make.

"George going to school is a decision the Cambridges will make as a family," the source added. "They’d never force George to go unless he wants to and they feel it’s right."

Both Will and Kate went to boarding school and have shared stories about their experiences with George, who reportedly thinks going away to school sounds "super fun" and is "keen" on the idea.

For now, however, the source says George is "settled at St Thomas’ Battersea and has lots of friends there," where he is "one of the most popular boys in the class."

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london, england july 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince george of cambridge and prince william, duke of cambridge and president of the football association look on during the uefa euro 2020 championship final between italy and england at wembley stadium on july 11, 2021 in london, england photo by eddie keogh the fathe fa via getty images

(Image credit: Eddie Keogh - The FA)
Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.