Duchess Kate enjoyed chatting to a host of guests while out at the National Portrait Gallery gala dinner on Tuesday night, including fellow parents from Thomas’s school in Battersea, where Prince George is due to start in September. Looking stunning in a floor-length dark green lace Temperley gown, the doting mum told them that she hoped to see them again at the school gates later in the year. Richard Found, who runs an architecture and design practice, and his wife Jane Suitor, an art consultant and collector were among the attendees. "We were chatting about Thomas', the school George will be going to," said Mr Found afterwards, adding,"We're parents there as well. She just said 'I may see you at the school gates'."
Duchess Kate chatted to fellow parents from Thomas's school while at the National Portrait Gallery gala dinner on Tuesday
Of course Prince George's arrival at Thomas's is very exciting to existing parents at the school. One such mum told HELLO!: “All the parents are so excited that Prince George will be joining them although there's quite a lot of talk about the security it will entail. Other than that the biggest concern is whether it's ok to serve a future King Waitrose fish fingers on a playdate or not.”
Prince George is due to start Thomas's school in September
On Friday, Kensington Palace made the announcement in a statement, confirming that the future King has been enrolled at Thomas's Battersea. The statement said: "Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to have found a school where they are confident George will have a happy and successful start to his education." Ben Thomas, headmaster at Thomas's Battersea, said: "We are honoured and delighted that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen Thomas's Battersea for Prince George. We greatly look forward to welcoming him and all of our new pupils to the school in September."
A letter was sent out to parents by headmaster Ben Thomas on Friday, ahead of the palace announcement. It noted: "Like so many parents, the Duke and Duchess have put a great deal of thought into the choice of their eldest child's first 'big school'. We are honoured that the aims and values of Thomas's reflect those that Their Royal Highnesses would like for Prince George's education. We are deeply conscious of the trust that they, like all Thomas's parents, are placing in us and we hope very much to live up to their expectations."
Tatler's past school guide describes Thomas's as being "the Marmite of the London day-school scene". A quote from headmaster Ben notes that the school embodies a "relaxed formality" but lessons are "short and snappy, and children have to be able to assimilate quickly". Music and sport are encouraged and according to the report, the "cream of the Battersea crop rises to the likes of Eton and Wycombe Abbey".