princess kate school

Heartbreaking reason Princess Kate left £28k-a-year all-girl boarding school

The Princess changed school mid-term

Homes Editor
November 14, 2022

Princess Kate switched boarding schools halfway through a term when she was a teenager, and it's been reported that the decision was made due to school bullying.

READ: Does Prince George and Princess Charlotte's school break this rule just for them?

It has been reported that the Princess was picked on at all-girls boarding school Downe House, leaving her "thin and pale". It's Anti-Bullying Week 2022 from 14-18 November, and we're sure it's an initiative that the royal is in support of.

WATCH: Kate Middleton speaks out about the importance of childhood experiences

It has been claimed that it could have been due to the fact Kate was a day student at the school, staying at her parents' home rather than lodging with the other pupils, making bonding with the other girls more difficult. 

SEE: Royals speak out about private therapy: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, James Middleton, more

REVEALED: Where the royal family went to school and university - see who broke tradition

© Photo: Getty Images

Kate Middleton took her A-levels at Marlborough College

After leaving the 28,000-a-year school, Kate relocated to the mixed boarding school of Marlborough College, and it is believed that she had a much more positive experience here.

Fellow dormmate, Gemma Williamson recalled to the Daily Mail: "Apparently she had been bullied very badly and she certainly looked thin and pale. She had very little confidence."

The Princess attended Marlborough College between 1996 and 2000, where she thrived, becoming part of the hockey team and making lots of friends.

The Duchess had a passion for hockey when she was younger

The school can take on around 930 pupils and the property itself is set within 280 acres of impressive school grounds. On site there are extensive facilities including an athletics track, a chapel, racket courts and a swimming pool.

Other famous faces have passed through the doors of Marlborough College including David Cameron's wife Samantha and comedian Jack Whitehall.

Anti-bulling campaigns are no doubt close to the royal's heart due to these alleged incidences, and back in 2021 the Waleses have shown their support for children's mental health amid Anti Bullying Week. The royals retweeted a post shared by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, a children's mental health charity, on their own mental health organisation Heads Together's account.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity and royal news delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Parenting

See more