Prince George Has Just Started Eton – Here’s Where All The Other Royals Went To School

Prince George has officially started at Eton College. Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, the 13-year-old was dropped off at the all-boys boarding school by his parents, the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales.

And he’s not the only young royal set to start a new school this term. Harry and Meghan have made their grand return to the UK, with Prince Archie (age seven) and Princess Lilibet (age five) in tow. It looks like they’ve gone to the Cotswolds but their school of choice is yet uncomfirmed. Will they go primary or prep? Single-sex or mixed? London or rural? And most crucially, will they go to a royal alma mater?

Among Britain’s independent schools, there’s only a small handful which have received the royal seal of approval, and a future monarch among their alumni. Want to know where the royals go to school? Read on to find out which schools have a prince or princess in class.

Where Do Royals Go To School?

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Eton College

Perhaps the most famous school in the world, Prince William and Prince Harry both attended this historic boarding school. The royals aren’t the only ones to recognise this prestigious school’s appeal. In its nearly 600 years, Eton has educated 20 British Prime Ministers (including David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Sir Robert Walpole) and produced a vast pool of British talent, from Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Laurie, Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston to George Orwell, Ian Fleming and even Bear Grylls. With Prince George now started, it seems likely that Louis will follow in his footsteps. But as a boys-only school, Charlotte will have to continue her education elsewhere.

Lambrook School

Set in the Berkshire countryside, Lambrook School currently boasts Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis amongst its pupils, with George also having attended prior to his Eton move. A co-educational independent preparatory school, teaching ages three to 13, a school has sat on this site since 1860. George, Louis and Charlotte aren’t the first royals to attend Lambrook School during its rich history. In 1878, two of Queen Victoria’s grandsons, Prince Christian Victor and Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, were pupils at Lambrook. According to reports, Queen Victoria used to travel from Windsor Castle to Lambrook to watch her grandsons in plays and cricket matches. 

Thomas’s Battersea

Thomas’s Battersea

Prior to Will and Kate’s move to Berkshire in 2022, Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended Thomas’s Battersea. Though there is also a Thomas’s Kensington, much closer to there then-home of Kensington Palace, the security protection provided by the slightly further away school was much tighter, sealing the deal for the royal parents. A co-educational prep school, Thomas’s London Day Schools also have schools in Clapham and Fulham, as well as a secondary boarding school, Thomas’s College, at the top of Richmond Hill.

Wetherby School 

A pre-preparatory school for boys in Notting Hill, Wetherby School is where both Prince William and Prince Harry began their education. Princess Diana famously broke royal tradition by personally walking her sons to school and joining local sports events there. Other famous former pupils include Hugh Grant.

Ludgrove School

Ludgrove School

From Wetherby, Prince William and Prince Harry then moved onto Ludgrove School – a single-sex, preparatory boarding school in Berkshire. Starting there at just aged eight, both boys boarded in what was likely a welcome refuge from their divorcing parents.

Hill House School

In November 1956, King Charles broke tradition by becoming the first royal heir to attend school instead of being educated at Buckingham Palace. Attending the prep school for just one year, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip chose the school in order to give him regular interaction with other children. Located in Knightsbridge, pupils of Hill House have the opportunity to visit its purpose built chalet in Switzerland.

Cheam School

At age eight, Charles moved on to Cheam School, a historic preparatory boarding school on the border of Berkshire and Hampshire, where he stayed between 1957 to 1962. Originally located in Surrey, it was at this former location that the future Prince Philip attended the school.

Gordonstoun

Famously referring to the Scottish boarding school as ‘Colditz in kilts’, it’s fair to say that King Charles had a rather rough start at Gordonstoun. As portrayed in The Crown, its demanding routines, freezing cold showers, cruel kids and intense exercise regime aren’t built for the weak. Charles’s father, Prince Philip, also attended and loved the school. Though Charles struggled there at the time, he’s since stated that his years at Gordonstoun taught him crucial life lessons of self-reliance, resilience, discipline and leadership. Prince Edward and (former royal) Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were also educated at Gordonstoun, as were Princess Anne’s children, Peter and Zara Phillips.

Marlborough College

Honourable Mentions

• Initially educated by private tutors at Buckingham Palace, at aged 13 Princess Anne enrolled at Benenden – an independent girls’ boarding school in Kent.
• Prince Edward and his brother Andrew attended Heatherdown Preparatory School during their younger years.
• Though not a royal while at school, Kate Middleton started her education at St Andrew’s Prep School in Berkshire, before briefly attending Downe House School. She famously finished her schooling at Marlborough College – a potential contender for Charlotte.
• Another non-royal during her school days, Queen Camilla attended Dumbrells School in Sussex and Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington.
• Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie both attended Upton House School, Coworth Park School and St George’s School, Ascot.