The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have disclosed that their three children are to attend a new school in Berkshire.
Kensington Palace announced that Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven — who have left Thomas’s School in Battersea — and Prince Louis, four, are joining Lambrook School in Winkfield Row near Bracknell.
They will start at the independent preparatory school on September 8. Lambrook has 560 pupils aged between three and 13 and nearly 190 members of staff. It describes itself in its prospectus as a Christian school that encourages pupils to take an active role in supporting a range of charitable causes.
The Royal couple said they are hugely grateful to Thomas’s Battersea where George and Charlotte have had a happy start to their education since 2017 and 2019 respectively and are pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values.
Jonathan Perry, Headmaster at Lambrook School, said: “We are delighted that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be joining us this coming September and very much look forward to welcoming the family, as well as all of our new pupils, to our school community.”
Ben Thomas, Principal of Thomas’s London Day Schools, said: “We would like to thank George, Charlotte and all of our leaving pupils for upholding the school’s values and for their many contributions to school life throughout their time at Thomas’s. We wish them every happiness and success at their next schools and beyond.”
Founded in 1860, Lambrook is set in 52 acres of beautiful countryside, with a croquet lawn, and old tyres hanging from trees for children to swing in.
The prospectus says pupils learn “that with privilege comes responsibility”.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate reported: “The school is highly successful in fulfilling its aim to provide the highest standard of education for its pupils.”
It went on: “It provides an outstanding wide range of curricular and extra-curricular opportunities and excellent teaching, both of which enthuse and engage all the pupils, enabling them to achieve high academic standards and preparing them extremely well for their future senior schools.”
The school announcement comes as the Cambridges move to their new main residence, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, which has been in the royal family since 1831. The house is a mile from the Queen’s base, Windsor Castle — the new “royal hub” as Buckingham Palace is having a major restoration.
It is also just 40 minutes down the M4 to Bucklebury, where Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton live.
Lambrook’s motto is “Feather to Fly”. The prospectus says: “When they (the pupils) leave us, they spread their wings and take flight, leaving Lambrook as confident, happy, engaging, mature, considerate and thoughtful young adults who are outward looking global citizens.”
It is understood that Prince William and Kate, who were both privately educated, were keen for the school to be co-educational.
Their children will be day pupils, though there are also boarders. The school has four houses: Alexander, Athlone, Dewar and Goodhart and charges up to £7,000 a term. Louis’s age group, pre-preparatory (for three to seven year olds), costs £4,389 full-time per term.
Charlotte and George’s fees for preparatory school are £6,999 a term.
Weekly boarding is available for years three to eight and costs £1,481 — with 75 per cent of the prep school taking advantage of it in some way as flexible boarding is offered.
Many school leavers go on to prestigious secondary schools such as Eton College, William’s old school, and Marlborough College where Kate boarded.
Tatler said Lambrook head Mr Perry was “one of a kind” and the school has “a real outdoor culture: little ones have wellies and waterproof all-in-ones so they can romp freely through the 52 acres”.
