22 October 2023 , 09:37
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Kate Middleton is reportedly "heartbroken" over Prince William's plans for their eldest son, Prince George.
An insider has revealed that the Duchess of Cambridge has finally accepted that it's George's "destiny" to attend boarding schools - meaning he will leave home. The Royal couple were spotted visiting Eton College with their son in June, sparking rumours that George might follow in his father and uncle Prince Harry's footsteps by attending the expensive school.
A source told the Express that Kate is not looking forward to the day when George leaves for boarding school. The insider said: "Kate long disagreed with her husband about sending him away, even though it's tradition. Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernise the monarchy. Plus, she'll miss George desperately. She and William argued about it for years, but he has finally won."
The Prince of Wales and Prince George (left) in the stands ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023 quarter final match (David Davies/PA Wire.)Prince William first attended the Berkshire school in 1995, where he stayed during the week and visited his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, at Windsor Castle on weekends. An insider has revealed that Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, has reluctantly agreed to Prince George's wish "to be just like his father," and attend the posh £15,432-a-term Eton school.
The source told In Touch Weekly: "But she's still heartbroken. She was horribly bullied at her first boarding school, and can't bear the thought of George suffering through that."
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However, Kate still has a few years left to enjoy her eldest son's company before he heads off to boarding school, as pupils at Eton usually start at 13. It was recently shared that Kate will not accompany Prince William on a planned trip to Singapore next month for the EarthShot Prize Awards, choosing instead to stay home and support George through his exams.
William during his time at the private school (Tim Graham/Getty Images)
Kate reportedly doesn't want to send her son to such a 'stuffy, upper-crust institution' (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)Eton's entrance exam is a tough 150-minute verbal and mental reasoning test, with candidates typically needing a score of 125 or above to be considered. The Royal family recently moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor in 2022 and enrolled all three of their children at the local Lambrook school - another private school.
The insider suggested that George would be able to visit his family every weekend while at Eton, much like his father used to do with his grandparents when they were living at the castle during his school days. They added that the school is only a nine-minute drive from the family's cottage, meaning George could still spend plenty of time with his parents and siblings.
However, like any devoted mother, Kate is still worried about how much she will miss her little boy. An insider added: "But it still seems as if her family is being torn apart."
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