Their little boy is growing up fast! Prince William and Kate are sending their son Prince George to a private school in Battersea, London in September 2017. 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."
Prince William and Kate have some exciting news to share...
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."
Prince George will attend Thomas's Battersea
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".
In their 2017 report, the magazine noted that "entry is selective at 4+; get your child's name down at birth." The school currently has 544 day pupils, aged between four and 13. Term fees cost £6,385.
Harry and William attended the £6,865-a-term Wetherby School
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."
The headmaster also noted: "There has of course been a certain amount of planning and preparation in advance of this announcement, particularly in the areas of security and communication. Pupils will be told the news at school today, members of staff have been briefed."
The choice of school may surprise royal watchers, who had largely expected George, three, to attend the same school as his father Prince William. William and his younger brother Prince Harry were educated at the £6,865-a-term Wetherby School, a stone's throw from Kensington Palace in Notting Hill. George's new school Thomas's will be a 30-minute drive from Kensington Palace.