Prince George Could Become the First Future Monarch to Break This Royal Tradition

A new chapter might be unfolding in the world of royal schooling, with Prince George potentially becoming the first male heir to attend a co-educational school—and according to some reports, Princess Kate is leading the charge on this decision.

While George, 11, is happily settled at Lambrook School with siblings Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, his next educational step has made plenty of headlines in recent years. Many royal insiders have claimed that Prince George will attend his mom's old stomping grounds of Marlborough College rather than William's old school, Eton College. Unlike Eton, Marlborough, which is located just over an hour away from the Wales family's Windsor home, welcomes both boys and girls between 13 and 18. This means all three of the Wales children could attend school together.

However, new developments have hinted at a different schooling approach. The Princess of Wales was spotted touring two North London day schools recently, per the Daily Mail, suggesting the family might be considering non-boarding options for George, even if this would be an "unexpected choice."

The royal was spotted at both University College Hampstead and the Highgate School, both of which are co-ed day schools without a boarding option. If George attends any one of the three schools, he would veer away from the all-boys institutions his father and grandfather attended. Although King Charles didn't attend Eton like his sons, he was schooled at Prince Philip's alma mater, Gordonstoun (which became co-ed in 1972).

As one source noted to the Daily Mail, Princess Kate might be considering a day program to be able to extend her time with George at home just a bit longer. "With the year Catherine has had, she may well have thought to herself that she wants to soak up every drop of George's childhood and tuck him into bed herself each night," the insider said.

And although it might be tough to imagine a child of George's age going away to live at school, longtime royal Richard Palmer told the Sun that "it’s second nature for people of their social background to send their kids away."

He added that "clearly if George is at Eton they’re just around the corner, but I think what tends to happen is that the kids themselves don’t want to be going from home every day because they’re not then really at the heart of the school community."

"You want to be a boarder, so I'm guessing all of the kids will end up boarding, even if they go to schools very close," he concluded. It seems some traditions might stick around, even as others evolve.