8 Ways Prince George & Princess Charlotte's First Day of School Is Just Like Your Kid's

Royal kids — just like yours! Okay, so not quite. But you might be surprised to learn how Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s first day of school will very likely resemble your own family’s back-to-school routine… especially now that children everywhere are returning to school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Don’t believe us? We did a little homework of our own to prove the Cambridge kids are a lot like quote-unquote regular kids when it comes to diving back into academia.

Granted, they are royals, so George and Charlotte (along with little brother Prince Louis and their royal cousins) will always be unique in that respect. And while the Cambridges may go to the posh Thomas’s Battersea school, that doesn’t mean they don’t go through everyday school-kid stuff. In fact, as we’re all finding out, it turns out that the COVID-19 pandemic is a bit of an equalizer. We’re all just trying to figure out how to make this work while keeping our kids safe at the same time.

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Still having a hard time picturing George and Charlotte having a first day like your kids? Well, here are a few examples of just how similar their back-to-school experience may be.

1. Safety Protocols Will Be in Place

According to Thomas’s Battersea’s coronavirus reopening policy, the children’s safety is of the utmost priority. So, like schools across the globe (including, of course, the U.S.), social distancing protocols have been put in place to minimize the potential exposure and spreading of COVID-19. This includes limited class sizes, re-organizing classrooms to keep children a safe distance apart, staggering arrival and departure times and instituting “enhanced cleaning regimes.”

George and Charlotte spent the better part of the year so far hunkered down homeschooling at the Cambridge’s country home, Anmer Hall. However, per the Express, Kate and William have decided they feel comfortable with the kids’ regaining some normalcy. “Both Prince George and Charlotte are pupils at Thomas’s Battersea in London and are expected to go back to school with the rest of their classmates,” said the outlet.

2. There May Be Face Masks

The Directory, a coalition of businesses recommended by families from Thomas’s Battersea, recently shared a photo of a group of children wearing superhero face masks. The post consists of a collage of five children sporting the cute coverings, suggesting that perhaps students at Thomas’s will also be wearing masks when they return to school on Sept. 7. We’d love to see what styles George and Charlotte would choose!

3. Homework Will Be a Hassle

It’s always surprising how much homework kids get on their first day back to school, isn’t it? And considering everyone has been remote learning most of the year, it stands to reason kids may get a bit more homeschool than they’ve become accustomed to. If you’re already dreading that, you’re in good company!

Speaking on BBC Radio’s 5Live’s That Peter Crouch Podcast in July, William admitted helping his kids with schoolwork was not his strong suit. “I’ve learned through homeschooling that my patience is a lot shorter than I thought it was,” William said. “That’s probably been the biggest eye-opener for me, and that my wife has super patience.”

4. There Are No Fancy Titles

As you can imagine, it might be a little awkward if Charlotte’s classmates had to call her “Your Royal Highness” or “Princess” every day. Fortunately, that isn’t an issue for Charlotte at Thomas’s Battersea — according to People, the royal 5-year-old simply goes by Charlotte.

And if her parents take the same approach they did with George, which seems logical, the roll call will reflect her name as Charlotte Cambridge.

5. Parents Do Drop Off

The next time you’re feeling out of sorts about the car drop-off line, consider this: Prince William and Kate Middleton have to deal with it, too. That’s right; the Cambridges do school drop-off duty themselves. In an interview with Vanity Fair, another parent at the school revealed, “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.”

And now that Charlotte has joined her big bro at school, the family carpool has grown by one for their surprisingly normal morning routine. This year, reports say Kate will be dropping the kids off for George and Charlotte’s first day back to school.

6. But Sometimes They Can’t

Then again, it’s not always possible for parents to do drop-off and pick-up. That can be pretty normal, too. Whether it’s conflicting work schedules or an unexpected last-minute emergency, being in the rider line isn’t feasible every time. Just ask Kate, who had to miss George’s first day of school in 2017 due to severe morning sickness during her third pregnancy. Such is parenthood, right?

7. They’ll Be Learning the Basics

According to the Thomas’s Battersea website, the early years’ curriculum includes subjects like math, English, science, history, geography and physical education. Seven-year-old George and 5-year-old Charlotte will also be exploring religious studies, French, art/technology design, drama, computing and ballet which, sure, sounds a little intense.

But since we don’t know the breadth or scope of these subjects, it’s hard to say if it’s that much more rigorous than a typical pre-kindergarten or second-grade environment.

8. There Will Be Tons of Photos

You know the hallmark of the first day of school, right? All the photos. Every year, social media is flooding with cute snapshots of kids sporting oversized backpacks as they toddle (under the weight of those behemoth backpacks!) toward their school years. The royal family shared a first-day photo for George, so we can guess that the same will be coming for Charlotte. The only difference, of course, is that their first day photos are taken by a professional — well, that and the fact that you don’t have to fight with paparazzi to get the best first-day snapshot of your little student.

Before you go, click here to see more super-cute photos of Prince George.

Launch Gallery: All the Best Photos of the Royal Family From the Past 20 Years

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