Prince George’s Big Change Coming Up Next Year Might Be “Tougher For Him” Than For Prince William
“I think his parents will continue to protect him for as long as possible.”
It seems that it was only yesterday that little Prince George wore a navy quilted coat on his first day at a Montessori preschool in Norfolk, but the future King has a big change coming up in 2026. Prince George will start secondary school, the UK-equivalent of high school, in September. He currently attends Lambrook School with his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, but will move on to a new school in the autumn as he enters Year 7.
There has been plenty of speculation on Prince George’s new school, from Eton to Oundle, with many assuming he will attend a boarding school like his parents. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that she thinks Prince George’s new school will be a family decision. “It might be tougher for him to suddenly find himself living away at boarding school––if that is, indeed, the decision his parents have made. But I’m sure it will have been a family decision––and not one simply imposed on the young prince."
Prince George photographed by his mother, Princess Kate, on his first day of nursery in 2016.
Prince George photographed in 2025, proving time is a thief.
Prince George’s move to secondary school will be much different from his father’s experience. "When William was 13, he began his secondary education at Eton College. I remember standing a few yards away from him as he was welcomed by his housemaster.” Bond says that the support Prince William received at school during a tumultuous time in his life was invaluable. “Both his parents were at his side but, by then, they were officially separated.”
Prince William brings Prince George to school on his first day of reception.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis starting the school year at Lambrook School in 2022.
“In a way, being at boarding school became a haven for William,” Bond explained. “Things are very different for George, who has been brought up in a household full of love and harmony.” Prince William and Princess Kate have placed family stability at the center of everything they do, prioritizing school pick up and rugby matches over their royal schedules.
“This is a time for him to get used to his new circumstances, to knuckle down and start studying for important exams and to enjoy his school life,” Jenny Bond said of Prince George’s first year of secondary school. “I think his parents will continue to protect him for as long as possible from the public glare that lies ahead."
