Royal Expert Says Prince George Will Unexpectedly Attend Eton, Following Much "Tension" Between Kate Middleton and Prince William Over the Decision

There's an alleged "smugness" about the choice, according to insiders.

Kate Middleton looks at Prince William, who is wearing military uniform in front of the British flag, while Prince George walks with his head down
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Amy Mackelden's avatar
By
published
in News

Prince George is following in his father's footsteps in an important way. According to a new report, Kate Middleton and Prince William have allegedly decided to send Prince George to Eton College, after much discussion and disagreement. Insiders are also claiming there is some degree of "smugness" regarding the choice to send George to Eton, which is yet to be officially announced.

According to the Mail on Sunday, sources have shared that "all roads lead to Eton" for Prince George. It was previously believed that Princess Kate wanted George to attend her alma mater, Malborough College. Since then, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been spotted visiting a number of different schools, presumably in an attempt to weigh up their options for George's future.

Insiders told the outlet that there appears to be some "smugness" regarding a "forthcoming announcement" from the Royal Family regarding the decision. A source alleged, "It was like, 'I know something and the people at Eton know something, but I'm not going to tell you.' That was after William and Kate visited Eton."

Prince George at Trooping the Colour 2025 wearing a navy suit with a white shirt and a red tie, and joining the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony

Prince George will allegedly attend Eton from 2026.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The outlet also reported that both "Eton and rival Marlborough College were clear front-runners" for the young prince's schooling. However, Prince William and Prince Harry's alma mater is located close to Adelaide College in Windsor, where George resides with his parents and siblings. According to the Mail on Sunday, school fees at Eton cost as much as $85,000 [£64,000] per pupil per year.

Prince William Eton first day

Prince William's first day at Eton College.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If the reports are true, Prince George will leave Lambrook School in Berkshire, which he attends alongside siblings Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis, for Eton College next fall.

It was previously reported by OK! magazine that there was "a lot of tension" regarding whether or not Prince George would be a boarding student at his next school. The outlet alleged that Princess Kate was "dead set against" the idea.

A source told the outlet, "Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernize the monarchy...Plus, she'll miss George desperately." The source also suggested that, following years of disagreements, Prince William had "finally won" the argument about George's education.

Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.