Prince George Is Facing “Another Big Change Ahead” in Just a Few Days’ Time

“George is rapidly turning into a young man.”

Prince George just turned 12 years old on July 22 and is currently on summer break from school alongside his parents and siblings at Balmoral in Scotland.
George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis return to the classroom at Lambrook School on September 3—likely the last year, possibly ever, that all three Wales kids will be at the same school together.
It marks another milestone for George, who “is rapidly turning into a young man,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—as evidenced by photos of them there yesterday with their parents—are currently at Balmoral, the royal family’s traditional end-of-summer retreat in Scotland. But when they return to school at Lambrook, it will mark a significant milestone, particularly for George: it will be the last time that he’s going to be headed to the same school as both of his younger siblings, at least for a few years, and, depending on what school he attends next, possibly ever.

The three children of Prince William and Kate Middleton start back to school on September 3; next year, George will likely be at the all-boys Eton College, where both his father the Prince of Wales and his uncle Prince Harry attended. That means that he will never be at the same school as his younger sister Charlotte, who he is known to be close to, and that it will be years before he is back in school with Louis, who is nearly five years his junior.

There is a chance that the Wales kids could go to the co-ed Marlborough College—the alma mater of the Princess of Wales—but that is seeming less and less likely as time goes on and reports roll in.

It’s one more milestone as the future king grows up following his 12th birthday last month. “William and Catherine’s baby boy George is rapidly turning into a young man—and this last year at Lambrook School with his siblings will be another milestone in his life,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror.

“I’m sure that he’ll feel nervous about the big change ahead, but hopefully some of his school friends will be making the move with him, wherever he is headed,” she continued, adding that “George has become used to his parents being deeply involved in his school life. As often as possible, it’s mom or dad who does the school run, and I’m sure they’re fully invested in every aspect of his education.”

“So that’s going to be another big change ahead,” Bond said.

Of buzz that George’s next educational stop is Eton, “There’s no doubt they will all cherish this final year of the three children being together—if, indeed, it does turn out that they end up at different schools,” Bond continued.

Kids—even royal kids—grow up too quickly, huh? George’s last year at Lambrook isn’t the only change afoot for the Wales family of five as they prepare for a “fresh start” and a move to their “forever home,” Forest Lodge, by the end of the year.

“After a childhood spent shuffling between the homes of his quarrelling parents, William is determined to give his family the stability he missed,” Bond said. “He is almost obsessive about guarding his family’s privacy. And the fact is that they can have a great deal more privacy in a secluded house in Windsor Great Park than they could ever enjoy if they live in the middle of a major tourist attraction like [Buckingham] Palace or [Windsor] Castle.”

The Prince of Wales is also committed to keeping his children as grounded as possible, despite them being born into the royal family: “Let’s face it—nothing can be completely ‘normal’ when you are born royal,” she added. “How many kids know what it’s like to hang around palaces and castles, go to a coronation, or ride in a carriage at Trooping the Colour? How many children have cameras pointed at them every time they are seen in public? But I think these three are lucky in that their parents have done all they can to let them enjoy a carefree childhood.”

“One thing is for sure,” Bond continued. “William and Catherine have forged a tight, happy family unit—despite all that life has thrown at them in the last couple of years. You can see the love in their eyes and their hugs—the children for their parents and vice versa. Every parent wants to bring their children up in a bubble of love and, from what we can see, that’s exactly what the prince and princess have achieved.”