Princess Kate wants her kids to go to ‘unstuffy’ coed schools where they won’t be bullied

We’re still getting different-but-same-y stories about Prince George’s education. To recap, for the past two years, there’s been tons of reporting and speculation about whether George will go to Eton. It’s clear that Prince William wants George to go to Eton, which is William’s alma mater. It’s also clear that the Princess of Wales is doing everything she can to fight that choice. Kate really, really does not want her oldest child to go to an all-boys boarding school, especially a posh one where many of the toff/aristocrat boys are sent. She wants George to go to a coed school and she really doesn’t want him to go to a boarding school. Every so often, we’ve been getting updates about “Kate visits such-and-such school” and “but William still wants George to go to Eton.” Here’s the latest update:

Prince William and Kate Middleton face a “huge dilemma” as parents to a future king. The Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly have strong opposing views about which school their eldest son, Prince George, should enroll in. The 11-year-old is second in line to the British throne.

“There has been much speculation surrounding Prince George’s next school,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. “The discussions have been circulating for years, with the Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly arguing and debating the decision for years. I’m surprised the bookies haven’t initiated a bet on which school Prince George will attend next autumn! Most parents find choosing a good secondary school for their children daunting, even more so for the Prince and Princess of Wales, who want the best for Prince George.”

Chard said there’s a good reason why William and Kate are reportedly sparring over their choices.

“There has been a long line of unhappy schooling within the family,” Chard explained. “King Charles was very unhappy at Gordonstoun. Eton wasn’t suitable for Prince Harry. Even Princess Catherine was bullied at a secondary school. Therefore, she is committed to securing the perfect fit for Prince George. And let’s face it, the world is their oyster — they have the pick of all schools. Princess Catherine has allegedly made it clear that she would rather Prince George attend an unstuffy co-ed school. However, Eton College, the Berkshire-based school that educates boys aged between the ages of 13 and 18, has several high-profile alumni and has educated generations of the aristocracy. Referred to as ‘the nurse of England’s statesmen,’ the school is the largest boarding school in England, ahead of Millfield and Oundle.”

“Sources claim there’s been a debate between the prestigious all-boys school, Eton College, and Marlborough College, the co-ed school which all three of the Middleton siblings attended,” Chard continued. “Eton College is the most suitable location and security-wise. It is close to their cottage in Windsor. The college is located in the Windsor security corridor and is financially covered. This is a big brownie point.”

Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner claimed to Fox News Digital that Kate wants to prevent her son from being bullied, just as she was as a child. She believes her choice is more laid-back for the young royal versus the stuffier Eton.

“School days for Kate at times were not the happiest as she experienced bullying, so she leaned more towards a less conventional education for George than William,” Turner claimed. “William, on the other hand, wanted to keep his traditional education by sending George to Eton College, which he enjoyed, and let him keep in close contact with Harry. Kate favors a more relaxed education for George rather than the structured life at Eton which, although it has many opportunities, is steeped in tradition. Who will win? I suspect George will go to Eton.”

[From Fox News]

I suspect George will end up at Eton too, but I think it’s interesting that Kate is putting up such a huge fight about it. She’s really spent the past two or three years touring various coed schools and leaking all kinds of stories in an attempt to publicly pressure William into changing his mind. I also wonder if this is part of a larger argument in which Kate will “lose” and George will go to Eton, but Charlotte and Louis will end up going to the coed school chosen by Kate. Personally, I think Kate wants all three kids to go to Marlborough because it’s close to Bucklebury. Kate will use that as a chance to get her own place, close to her parents and far away from William and the royal machine. But what do I know?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.