William and Kate Hold Firm on One Condition as Prince George Nears His Next 'Big Transition'
Though their lives invite constant public attention, Prince William and Kate Middleton are fiercely protective of the privacy of their three children. As the future King, their eldest, Prince George, attracts the most public fascination. With the young royal set to begin secondary school this year, speculation has swirled over whether he will attend Eton or Marlborough College. Weighing in on his big transition, royal expert Katie Nicholl says William and Middleton share one firm condition: George should enjoy as ordinary a secondary school experience as possible.
In a conversation with OK! magazine, Nicoll explained the reasoning behind the protective parents' strict condition for George, regardless of the school he attends. She said, "It's really important to both William and Kate that he [George] has as ordinary a secondary school life as he possibly can. But of course, it's going to feel very different for George and the family when he goes, because they've always been so close." She added, "In their young lives, the children have moved from London to Windsor, had the transition when their great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, died, and coped with their mother's illness."
The shift from junior to secondary school, as Nicholl puts it, would bring up mixed emotions for the Princess of Wales, as she was a regular face at Lambrook school. Commenting on the royal couple's school hunt, she stressed, "I think he [George] will go to either Eton or Marlborough, but wherever he goes, William and Kate will have spent a lot of time making this choice." She continued, "They will have very much involved George in the decision, and will be making sure the school can give him the best start in life, for his future." Eton, the all-boys boarding school that William and Prince Harry both attended, is considered a potential option. Meanwhile, Middleton was educated at Marlborough College, a prestigious co-ed school, which was their second option.
Concerning her eldest, Middleton, in particular, often feels the pressure to 'get it right' and give him a 'normal' childhood. Chief among her concerns was ensuring George was never 'lonely', wrote The Times's senior royal writer Kate Mansey. She argued, "Motherhood is daunting enough, but the stakes are even higher when you're raising a King." Middleton, meanwhile, has spoken about her parenting skills during an appearance on Giovanna Fletcher's 2020 podcast, Happy Mum Happy Baby. She emphasized that her parenting focuses on the 'quality of relationships', having a 'safe' and 'happy home', as well as time spent in the outdoors, as non-negotiables.
With all these in mind, the Prince and Princess of Wales are slowly guiding George toward his future role. Commenting on the same, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail, "As George gets older, he is making more appearances at events of particular significance, especially those with links to the armed forces and sport." And with George set to begin secondary school next September, 'the kindest thing' his parents can do is 'let him be a teenager', according to royal expert Christopher Wilson.