Kate Middleton Visits Alma Mater Marlborough College — Will Prince George Follow Mom's Path?
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Prince George previously visited Eton College, where Prince William and Prince Harry both attended school
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Prince George and Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour 2023Kate Middleton reportedly paid a visit to her old school — and in the process, sparked speculation that Prince George may also attend.
The Princess of Wales, 41, headed back to Marlborough College for a visit, according to The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden. "Catherine was here the other day," a source told the reporter. "It’s been the talk of the school."
In addition to Princess Kate and her two siblings, Pippa and James Middleton, being alumni, Princess Eugenie also attended the boarding school.
The royal visit prompted speculation that Prince William and Princess Kate might be considering Marlborough College as the next school for their three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
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Prince George, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Kate Middleton in 2022Earlier this year, Prince George was spotted with his parents on a visit to Eton College, where Prince William and Prince Harry attended as teenagers.
Although Eton College students are between the ages of 13 and 18, they must be registered before June 30 of the school year the boy turns 10. (Prince George marked his 10th birthday in July.) According to the school's website, "After this, the only route of entry will be through scholarships or Sixth Form entry, which open in Year 8 (for Year 9 entry) and Year 11 (for Sixth Form entry)."
The school costs nearly $20,000 per term, and there are three terms per year. There is also a $500 registration fee.
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Prince George and Kate Middleton in December 2022Although Eton is located near the family's Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor, it is an all-boys school. Meanwhile, Marlborough College is co-ed, so Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis could all attend.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis currently attend Lambrook School, a preparatory school that educates children up to age 13.
After previously being enrolled in London schools, the royal trio started at the new school in September 2022 after the family relocated their home base to Windsor. It marked the first time that George, Charlotte and Louis all attended the same school together — Prince George and Princess Charlotte previously attended Thomas's Battersea, not far from the family's Kensington Palace home in London, while Prince Louis was enrolled in Willcocks Nursery School.
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When Prince William enrolled at Eton College in 1995, he became the first senior royal to attend the school. While his father King Charles and grandfather Prince Philip both went to Gordonstoun in Scotland, Prince William did have family who were alumni — both Princess Diana's brother and father attended Eton.
Some of Queen Elizabeth's first cousins — including the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent — also attended Eton.
Following the divorce of his parents, Queen Elizabeth started a new tradition: Sunday lunches with her grandson.
"The prince takes his style from his royal grandmother, who intervened as the marriage of William's parents dissolved in 1995," Robert Lacey, a veteran royal historian and author of the best-selling book Battle of the Brothers, previously wrote for PEOPLE. "The 13-year-old was in a fragile place — alone and just starting boarding at the elite Eton College across the river from Windsor. Concerned for her grandson's emotional state, the Queen invited William up to join her when Eton boys went home for the weekend."
Related: Royal School Day! See Princess Charlotte, Prince Harry and More Royals on Their First Days of School
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Prince William's first day at Eton College in 1995Prince William and Princess Kate are currently keeping their royal duties to a minimum while their children are on a school break. Lambrook School students began their half-term break after classes wrapped on Friday, and they'll return to the classroom on Oct. 30.
The couple's decision to focus on their family during school breaks is just one example of how they're raising their children differently than previous generations of royals.
"Those children look pretty happy with life," a palace insider previously told PEOPLE. "A lot of it is the stabilizing normality Kate brings — and that's how she grew up. William absolutely loves it."
Despite their royal roles — especially George, who is second in the line of succession to the throne behind his father and will someday become monarch — Kate ensures that her kids' childhoods are as normal as possible.
"Coming from a different background, she appreciates the importance of having family time," a source close to the royal household previously told PEOPLE. "She wasn't brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day."
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Kate Middleton, Prince William and Prince George in May 2023The palace recently announced that Princess Kate won't join Prince William on his upcoming trip to Singapore so she can help Prince George with his school exams.
In a clip shared on TikTok by Matt Wilkinson of The Sun, Kate told students, “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.”
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