Samir Hussein/Getty Images
The royal kids lead lavish lives, and a central component of that lifestyle is attending the very best schools the U.K. has to offer. Prince George and Princess Charlotte started out at Thomas’s Battersea, a prestigious and impossibly posh school in London. Then, in 2022, the siblings and their little brother, Prince Louis, moved onto the equally fancy Lambrook School in Berkshire, where they’re able to study away from the glare of the spotlight. “The Prince and Princess of Wales though have done everything they can to insulate their children from the pressures of their future so they can enjoy a normal childhood,” a source told Entertainment Tonight.
Despite George, Charlotte, and Louis being born with silver (or should that be platinum?) spoons in their mouths, they have to head to the classroom like every other child. Prince William and Princess Catherine make their kids follow some strict rules, and this includes taking their studies seriously. Subsequently, the Wales offspring are each excelling in their own special way at Lambrook. But what’s George, Charlotte, and Louis’ school life really like?
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis go by different names at school
Pool/Getty Images
When he becomes king, Prince George could go by a number of different names. The youngster is used to having to adjust to varying monikers, as he and his siblings aren’t known by their regal names at school. When he started school, George had a rather un-aristocratic nickname. “George is really happy at school, [and] his nickname is P.G.,” a parent at Thomas’s Battersea, George’s first school, revealed to Vanity Fair in 2019.
Initially, George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis used the surname “Cambridge” in lieu of their H.R.H. titles at school. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the children’s subsequent move to Lambrook School, their names changed once again.
With Prince William and Princess Catherine now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children use the “Wales” title as their surname while at school. Accordingly, they are simply known as George Wales, Charlotte Wales, and Louis Wales. This no doubt helps the children fit in among their peers, as they are not reduced to their royal status. They follow in the footsteps of William and their uncle, Prince Harry, who also used the surname “Wales” in an effort to blend in at school.
Prince George struggled to adjust to school
Wpa Pool/Getty Images
When Prince George was first escorted to the gate of Thomas’s Battersea School in 2017, his body language was likely a familiar sight for so many parents. The young prince was evidently nervous on his first day of school, as he held onto his father’s hand and looked unsure of himself when a teacher sweetly greeted him. Nevertheless, Prince William seemed confident that his son would settle in smoothly. “It went well,” he said after collecting George on his first day, per Today. “There was one other parent who had more of an issue with their children — so I was quite pleased I wasn’t the one.”
But it soon transpired that George was struggling to adjust to school life. A few weeks into his son’s time at Thomas’s Battersea, William revealed that George wasn’t too happy with his new routine. “It was really exciting meeting William,” a fellow parent revealed after meeting William during a visit to Milton Keynes, per Grazia. “He told me he’d just dropped Prince George off at school and he didn’t want to go. Sounds a bit like mine really.”
Soon enough, Prince George made lots of friends
Pool/Getty Images
He may have found adjusting to his new normal a daunting experience, but Prince George would soon come to enjoy school life. Accordingly, he found himself becoming one of the popular kids at Thomas’s Battersea, where he made lots of friends. He appeared to be taking after his dad, Prince William, proving to be a much-loved figure at the school. “He’s very popular and has lots of friends, and there’s very little fuss made about who he is,” a source told Vanity Fair. “Either William or Kate do drop off, and they are always very friendly. William particularly loves to have a chat with some of the other parents and he works out with some of the mums at the Harbour Club after drop off. He’s very chatty and amiable.”
Sweetly, George invited his pals to Kensington Palace for a playdate in 2019. However, as an insider told The Sun, these were no ordinary playdates. Due to his parents living in a historical royal palace, there were more logistics involved than a standard Chuck E. Cheese outing. “It does involve a bit more planning than a normal play date, as everyone visiting the palace has to be security vetted,” the source said.
Princess Charlotte wasn’t looking forward to her exams
Max Mumby/indigo/Getty Images
On a number of occasions, Princess Charlotte has been caught showing off her sassy attitude. This sass seemingly extends to her time at school — well, at least when it comes to the youngster sitting her exams. In 2024, Prince William appeared at a D-Day event where he discussed his daughter’s struggles with sympathetic members of the public. “Yes, she’s got tests — she wasn’t looking forward to it this morning … Hopefully it’s all gone well,” he told a mother and daughter in attendance, per Hello!
She wasn’t the only one feeling frustrated over exams. While meeting with some older school kids, Princess Catherine revealed that Prince George was also getting annoyed over frequent exams. “George is just at the beginning of being tested. He says, ‘Mummy, I keep getting tested all the time.’ But when it gets to A-levels you feel like you’re on it,” she could be heard saying in a TikTok video.
Princess Catherine reportedly has concerns over Prince George’s favorite school sport
Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Sports have always been integral to the royals’ school life. Prince William was an avid rugby player as a kid, while famously sporty Princess Catherine played field hockey. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ children have followed in their footsteps, with Princess Charlotte developing a love of gymnastics and soccer. However, Catherine was a little concerned when Prince George began embracing a decidedly un-royal pastime.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, royal pundit Neil Sean revealed that Catherine had her reservations over her son’s newfound interest in martial arts. George reportedly learnt about martial arts from his Norland nanny, who is a keen participant. “He’s now very keen to undertake martial arts training, with of course the support of his father … He likes the idea of, you know, basically looking after himself,” Sean explained. While Catherine was reportedly worried about the dangers associated with the athletic pursuit, William believed that it would offer his son character-building and independence.
The royal children have been learning about farming
Karwai Tang/Getty Images
The royal kids’ school, Lambrook, is no ordinary place of learning. As such, the prestigious institution has some rather unusual activities on offer for pupils. Farming is on the curriculum with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all engaging in the activity. “As part of our sustainability curriculum, we teach our children about their natural environment,” reads the school’s official website. “Our hope is that caring for these animals will equip the children with practical skills, a greater understanding of animal welfare and the food industry, as well as providing plenty of entertainment and joy.” In addition to being encouraged to look after animals, the children grow fruits and vegetables and build bird houses, in the process learning about important environmental issues.
George, in particular, is sure to be keen about this school activity. Back in 2019, Prince William told ITV (via Country Life) that his eldest son was already obsessed with farming. “My children are already playing on the tractors,” said William. “It’s so important to get outside and have the children understand nature.”
Princess Charlotte is really popular among her classmates
Samir Hussein/Getty Images
Known for her confident persona, Princess Charlotte is proving a star at school. In 2019, the 3-year-old was already Miss Popularity. Speaking to Closer Weekly, an insider divulged that the princess’ outgoing personality made her a hit among her classmates. “[Charlotte is] very popular and is very passionate about art and music … She has a strong personality and is the kind of little girl who knows what she wants and doesn’t let anything get in her way,” the source revealed.
As she gets older, this popularity is showing no sign of waning. But interestingly, it’s not the princess’ royal background that makes her so well-liked. In 2024, a source told Hello! that kids love Charlotte because she’s compassionate and friendly toward her fellow students. “She’s kind to the kids in younger years and she’s very popular,” the insider said. Royal fans saw a brief glimpse into the princess’ kind-hearted nature when she allowed her cousin, Mia Tindall, to have some flowers that a fan had offered her in December 2023. Charlotte is proof that kindness, rather than prestige, is key when making a good impression.
Prince Louis is encouraged to talk about his feelings at school
Max Mumby/indigo/Getty Images
One of the most expressive royal kids, Prince Louis is unafraid of showcasing his silly side. But so much of royal life is based around quiet stoicism. Queen Elizabeth II, for instance, rarely allowed herself to show her emotions in public. With this in mind, the royal kids need an outlet for mitigating the pressures of service.
At school, Louis and his classmates use a feelings wheel to help them deal with their emotions. “It’s really good … these are 5 or 6-year-olds, and going with names or pictures of a color that represents how they feel that day, so there is a real keenness in school particularly to get involved in conversations,” Princess Catherine told British TV host Fearne Cotton, per Bracknell News.
Catherine welcomed the school’s activity, as she’s a proponent of enabling children to manage their emotions in order to reach their full potential. With Louis encouraged to embrace his sensitive side at school, perhaps the future generation of royals will be less concerned about maintaining the stiff-upper-lip resignation associated with the Windsors.
Prince George has reportedly been using his royal status to his advantage
Max Mumby/indigo/Getty Images
The crown is as much a boon as it is a burden, with those at the top of the line of succession bound by a life of duty and service. From an incredibly young age, Prince George knew that he would someday become king. “I am sure [William and Kate] are making George aware in the best way they can. And not making it too burdensome,” a source told People. But while there are many normal things that Prince George will never be able to do, he is also able to use his regal status to his advantage.
At school, George has reportedly been showing off his cheeky side. In her book “The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown,” Katie Nicholl alleged that George had some choice words for his school pals following a spat. “George understands he will one day be king and as a little boy sparred with friends at school, outdoing his peers with the killer line: ‘My dad will be king so you better watch out,'” Nicholl wrote. Ouch!
Princess Charlotte studies hard and has been dubbed an overachiever
Max Mumby/indigo/Getty Images
Just as Princess Charlotte has proved herself a master of royal rules, she is a rule-follower outside of her duties. “Charlotte knows the rules,” parenting expert Jo Frost told Hello! “She’s the one in the middle. She knows how to keep everyone in good stead.” At school, Charlotte’s knack for sticking to the script has been to her benefit. Accordingly, the hardworking princess has been dubbed an overachiever by those in her inner circle.
A multi-talented royal, Charlotte excels at everything from academia to acrobatics and acting. In fact, the princess even likes doing her homework. “Charlotte is sharp and bright as a button,” a source told Us Weekly. “She is top of her class at reading. She actually enjoys doing homework.” It’s pretty common for youngsters to loathe homework, but Charlotte is evidently no ordinary kid, with her studious tendencies likely making her a classroom favorite among her teachers.
The royal kids aren’t allowed besties at school
Wpa Pool/Getty Images
There are some truly wild rules that royal kids have to follow and this extends to their interactions with fellow pupils at school. At Thomas’s Battersea, Prince George and Princess Charlotte weren’t allowed to have best friends. This is due to the school’s emphasis on kindness being key to students’ wellbeing, as having a BFF is viewed as exclusionary.
In addition to the royal kids not being allowed to have besties early on, the school prohibited them from handing out birthday party invites. “There’s a policy that if your child is having a party, unless every child in the class is invited you don’t give out the invites in class, which I think is quite a good thing as you don’t feel excluded,” TV host Jane Moore explained on British show “Loose Women” (via Cosmopolitan). “It’s a really great little school actually. It really focuses on kindness.”
Being royals, such rules have a twofold effect on George and Charlotte, as they’re encouraged to treat everybody as equal regardless of status. Since moving to Lambrook, it’s unclear whether they’re now permitted to have best friends, though body language expert Judi James told Express that George and Charlotte’s respective BFFs appear to be Savannah Phillips and, rather sweetly, Princess Catherine.
Prince Louis has made lots of new friends
Wpa Pool/Getty Images
Prince Louis has been keen on making friends since he was barely out of diapers. During the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Louis’ mother, Princess Catherine, joked that he was struggling with social distancing due to his friendly personality. “Louis doesn’t understand social distancing,” she told BBC Breakfast (via People). “He goes out wanting to cuddle anything, particularly any babies younger than him.” Soon enough, however, Louis would be able to make lots of pals at school.
As the youngest of the Wales siblings, Louis didn’t start school until 2022. At Lambrook, he has been encouraged to make new friends through the school’s nature-themed initiatives, which will no doubt please the amiable young prince. In a post on the school’s Instagram, it was revealed that the children in Louis’ year had taken part in a nature-themed art and drama class as part of a collaboration with a partnership school. “It was wonderful to see them not only inspired by everything they learnt during their morning, but also happily forming new friendships,” the post read.
Some school activities left Prince George feeling frustrated
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
As the grandson of passionate environmentalist King Charles III, Prince George has discovered a thing or two about the importance of looking after one’s surroundings. But George’s budding interest in environmental causes has also caused him some distress and confusion.
In 2021, Prince William revealed to the BBC (via the Mirror) that his eldest son was in a bad mood following a litter-picking activity at school. “So George at school recently has been doing litter picking and I didn’t realize but talking to him the other day he was already showing that he was getting a bit confused and a bit sort of annoyed,” he said. After collecting the litter with his classmates, George noticed that more trash had taken its place the very next day. “I think that for him he was trying to understand how and where it all came from,” William continued. “He couldn’t understand, he’s like, ‘Well, we cleaned this. Why has it not gone away?'” Now that George has moved onto Lambrook, which champions sustainability as part of its curriculum, the future king will undoubtedly become even more invested in environmental causes.
Princess Catherine has discussed her kids’ unique school curriculum
Max Mumby/indigo/Getty Images
Though generally pretty private when it comes to their children, on occasion Prince William and Princess Catherine have opened up about the Wales kids’ school activities. In May 2020, the couple revealed that Prince George and Princess Charlotte were working on a creative school project in remembrance of V.E. Day. “The school has sent all the children a challenge, and they’re currently learning the lyrics to the song ‘We’ll Meet Again,'” Catherine said, per People. “It’s been really lovely having that playing every day.”
But it’s not just the creative arts that are keeping the royal kids busy. Also that year, Catherine met with Ceri Edwards, a finalist of a lockdown photography project (Edwards had taken a poignant photo of her partner and daughter, Poppy, hugging before the former headed to frontline duty during the pandemic). Famed for being a talented photographer herself, Catherine had much to talk about with Edwards. In a chat with Hello!, Edwards revealed that she and Catherine discussed what their children were currently studying at school. “We talked about Poppy and Prince George being in the same school year [three] and their current school topics [Poppy’s is Brazil and Beyond and George’s is The Active World — Volcanoes],” said Edwards. “It was a very special day and something we treasured and will always remember.”
