Kate and Prince William have ignored a royal tradition and according to an expert this choice will "strengthen their family unit".
The Royal Family is known for having plenty of traditions that govern everything from mealtimes to which parts of the year they spend at different residences. However, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been increasingly taking a more modern approach. In recent years we’ve seen them posing for selfies with fans during engagements and personally signing off messages with their ‘W’ and ‘C’ initials. When it comes to their children they’ve also strayed from a tradition that had been upheld by many royals before them, and the BBC’s former Royal Correspondent, Jennie Bond, has suggested that this could "strengthen" their family.
Prince William and Kate have consistently chosen for Prince George, Charlotte and Louis to attend co-educational schools. The eldest two went to Thomas’s Battersea before the family moved to Adelaide Cottage and then all three started at Lambrook School in Berkshire.
This means that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have only ever been to co-educational schools, unlike their father, uncle, grandfather, great-uncles, great-aunt and great-grandfather. Prince Philip and King Charles were at Gordonstoun when it was still all-boys and Princes Andrew and Edward’s prep school was all-boys, whilst Princess Anne went to the all-girls Benenden School.
Prince William and Prince Harry attended Ludgrove followed by Eton and so it was an interesting move when he and Kate decided that their children should go to the same school. Opening up to OK!, Jennie Bond has expressed her belief that this must surely "strengthen" their family.
"The fact that all three are at school together must strengthen their family unit, and their parents act like other parents in doing the school run as often as possible," Jennie claimed, before going on to reflect more upon Kate and William’s modern royal parenting style.
She said, "They can’t change their destiny, but they don’t have to confront it just yet except on special occasions. So I think William and Catherine have got the balance just right. The children obviously know they were born royal, but they don’t have to be in the public eye very often - there will be time enough for that."
Jennie added that "for now" Prince William and Kate have "made it very clear" that it’s their priority to "give their children as normal an upbringing as possible". Perhaps their decision to ignore the Royal Family’s schooling tradition also indicates this. Prince George, Charlotte and Louis all attending the same co-ed prep school is not only lovely for them, but means their parents can pick them all up together and maintain that same “normal” routine they've always had.
In recent months speculation has arisen over where Prince George could go when he turns 13, with many reports suggesting that Eton is a frontrunner. Others have alleged that Marlborough College - which is co-educational - is also a contender.
It’s possible that Prince George could end up going to an all-boys school, but the Wales kids being co-educated for so long is a modern choice from their parents. When it comes to Prince William and Kate’s parenting decisions, Jennie also believes that the couple want to give Prince George, Charlotte and Louis as much privacy as they can and have created a "fun household" for them to grow up in. This likely also helps them to have a more down-to-earth royal experience.
"They have strictly controlled the children’s exposure to the pressures of public life which has bought them a good measure of privacy," she claimed. "They run a fun household, full of noise and bustle, music and dancing where it sounds as if the kids often rule the roost, as in most happy families."
