Marlborough College for Prince George!

[barefootcook]

A great choice for the whole family. He will do well there.

Where did you see this?

In the tea leaves.

His mum went there, I'm not sure about the others.

Wtaf

Someone I know who knows someone who's child is going to Marlborough sez no.

My theory is that the Wales have authorised a 'leak" to see how quickly and via what media the 'news' becomes known. Then they can gauge how willing the parents of kids already there and willing to obey a 'please do not talk about the Royal kids so they can have as normal a schooling as possible ' . Thus far Wales' have out foxed everyone from the nursery chosen to the 2 prep schools Thomas Battersea and Lambrook were not high (or even on) the list of schools everyone was talking about. Personally I wouldn't count out Radley College for George. The Edinburgh 's son James is in his final year there so they have very recent info on the place. Sophie and Catherine get on well so thry could follow their lead.

There has been a lot of research and publicity in the last few years about the harms of sending children to boarding school. I get that the royals have always done this, and that both William and Kate went, but they are quite happy to break the mould in all sorts of other ways. Just because something has always been done doesn't mean it should continue. I think boarding school is awful and that 18 is soon enough for them to go away. It's a pity they're continuing this tradition. But then, they are very conservative. Kate always cooked for William at uni and was a professional girlfriend long before they married, and they like their class markers such as Norland nannies in uniform and adhering to the old-fashioned rule about boys in shorts year-round until about 11, and dressing boys in frilly blouses as toddlers like something out of Enid Blyton. They're very old-fashioned really.

I have (almost!) zero interest in Royal stories or threads, but anyone who speaks of ‘going away’ in relation to boarding in 2026 in the UK clearly has absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.

I suspect maintaining any reasonable level of security would be nigh on impossible at Marlborough. Too open with the town yards away, too much moving between buildings on the main road.

Not sure that’s quite right, I’ve just seen an interview with Mary Berry where Kate talks about William cooking for her at uni?

That's a variation on what I heard.

I thought it was well known they deliberately dressed the kids like that when they attended public events, so when they're out and about with their friends or whatever in normal clothes they're less recognisable? Same with the nannies.

And it's not like they're always wearing shorts - they wear them in summer like most kids! If you look at the 2020 Christmas card, for example, both boys are wearing cord/jean type trousers despite being about 2 and 7 at the time and Charlotte is wearing leggings.

It's hardly surprising they're dressed traditionally/smartly at major public events where they will be constantly photographed. If they were wearing footie t shirts and primark joggers to trooping the colour people would be judging them for being disrespectful and not buying ethnically. It doesn't mean they dress like that when playing in the garden at home!

I’ve seen the children on holiday and they dress very normally. We have been looking at schools for our DS in a similar area. I hope they announce soon so we can avoid it. 1) too much a security risk 2) need to avoid tge parents who would pick the school

Eton is also very open and spread out

I think "the Royals have always done this" is a bit of a misnomer. King Charles was the first royal to attend school - the tradition being home education prior to him.

I don't think your "boys in shorts until 11" is accurate either as Prince Louis has clearly not worn shorts on the Sandringham Christmas walk since he first appeared aged 5 in 2023.

The frilly stuff you can blame Diana for as Kate recycled some of William's outfits - I guess she was taken with the new-Romantic era of the early 80s.

https://andrewlownie.substack.com/p/if-this-was-a-normal-family-theyd

My thoughts exactly.

DC attend a boarding school (but as day students) however it’s totally proved me wrong as to what I thought boarding schools were like.

In many ways the boarders have a much more wholesome teen-hood. Much less internet time and many more traditional activities.

I think Kate will want to keep all 3 together. Quite isolating for Charlotte otherwise & not what they’ve all been used to. Oundle? Marlborough if they can make it work.

Do you have a copy / links for any of the research? Genuine question.

I didn’t go to boarding school but know many adult friends who did. They are all, without exception, well balanced people with healthy marriages and good lives who speak happily of their school days. So that would seem to indicate limited ill effects but of course maybe i only see the 1% who are fine and there is another 99% out there at home rocking and crying because of their trauma.

I get there were some schools where abuse was rife and children very damaged, but that doesn’t seem to be limited to boarding schools - there were day schools which left pupils horribly scarred also, and the key thing here would be send your kid to a school which doesn’t abuse them.

IME you really don’t see much of your siblings at the same school if you’re in different years. You may board in different houses, or have entirely different timetables. Separate friendship groups, separate sports and extra curricular activities. Plus the inevitable hierarchies of school - which may be more emphasised at a boarding school.

On the other hand half your school life is taken up with weekends and holidays, so you have lots of time at home to see each other then.

Essentially there isn’t much advantage for a child in going to the same school, even if, for most parents, it may be logistically easier.

IME there’s shared experiences, traditions, terminology, same teachers sometimes, same core friend groups & their sibs. Prob esp if Royal.

I think some mixed boarding houses at Marlborough (?) Also I imagine sibs will depend on each other for support at times esp if family probs in media etc. It’s also what Kate knows.

I think PG will go to Eton like PW and that the others, PC and PL, will go to Marlborough like their mum.

Having worked in independent schools, I can report that most parents are determined to choose the 'right' school for each child and if that means 3 children at 3 different schools then so be it. Some of them spend their weekends driving from Marlborough to Wellington to Rugby and back again. That said, family tradition is important to these parents too so they often look at their alma mater first.

Harry & Wills both went to Eton without any issues regarding security so PG would be fine at Eton and I'm sure Marlborough would find a way to manage. Eugenie went there and no one seems to have blinked.

I recently worked at a prep school that played matches against Lambrook and colleagues reported seeing the Wales on the sidelines cheering on their children. Security was present but the school didn't try to secure the perimeter by building a huge wall/fence.
Another colleague told about an away match at Prince Harry's godson's school. Harry arrived to spectate with Zara & Mike plus a second range rover full of security.

Totally agree.

KC’s school totally wrong for him. I wonder if he’d have a emerged a stronger character out of Eton?

@shutuporsaysomething
Not sure that’s quite right, I’ve just seen an interview with Mary Berry where Kate talks about William cooking for her at uni

I think @SoftBalletShoes made some comments about boarding schools as an opportunity to carry on with insulting Kate and William and their family.