Will Prince George go to boarding school?

As Prince George turns 7, his parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a decision to make about his education.

Typically, members of the Royal Family are sent off to boarding school at the age of 8 - Prince George’s father Prince William and his uncle Prince Harry were both sent away at 8 to Ludgrove School in Berkshire.

Prince George and his sister Princess Charlotte currently attend Thomas's School in Battersea (where George is reportedly referred to as 'PG'). The £6,429-a-term Christian school includes subjects such as Modern Foreign Languages, Computing and Outdoor Learning and, according to its website, emphasises the importance of kindness to pupils.

The Cambridges are now said to be debating the next step for their son. Robin Fletcher, the CEO of Boarding Schools' Association and BSA Group, thinks boarding school could be a "fantastic opportunity" for George: "Boarding school is a fantastic opportunity for the right child. Should the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge choose a boarding school for Prince George, he will join over 79,000 pupils at UK boarding schools who enjoy endless academic and extra-curricular opportunities and make friends for life."

"Whether in a city or a country boarding school, Prince George will be treated as an equal and will be free to develop his skills and interests, safe in the knowledge that he is surrounded by a supportive and caring boarding community," Fletcher continued.

Before he attended Thomas's, William and Kate chose to send George to a £33-a-day Montessori nursery in Norfolk. William was the first senior royal to attend a nursery of this kind - named after an Italian model which prioritises education through play. Before she married Charles, William's mother Diana briefly worked as a teaching assistant at a Montessori nursery; the decision to send George to a Montessori nursery could suggest the Cambridges favour a more informal approach to their son's education.

Whatever their plans for George's secondary schooling, an educational consultant told Insider they think it is highly unlikely William and Kate will send George off to boarding school any time soon: “The vogue now is massively against young children boarding. Sending them away from the familial bubble, whatever the resources and culture of the school, the emotional structure that a family provides is more important at that age - it’s such a tender age."

Though Harry and William both attended Eton College (which is currently priced at £14,167 per term), the consultant added that another option the Cambridges could consider for secondary school is a state boarding school: “Wymondham School in Norfolk [an hour away from the Cambridges' country home Anmer Hall] is one of the best state boarding schools in the country. State boarding schools are typically incredibly well regarded and there is only a handful of them around the country. How incredible for the future king to go to a school where they meet people of all backgrounds and races.”

In recent years, other members of the Royal Family have decided against sending their children to boarding school, including William's uncle Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Both of their children, Lady Louis Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, were not sent away for schooling and are believed to attend St Mary's School Ascot and St George's School in Windsor respectively.

Mike Tindall, who is married to the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips, previously said sending his daughter Mia, 6, away for school "goes against my instincts."

Speaking with the Daily Mail, Tindall said: "I'm certainly not keen on sending Mia away to a boarding school at the other end of the country. I know many people who say boarding was the making of them because they forge great independence from their parents, but I don't really want her to be distanced from us. Personally, I'd rather she attend a school that’s nearby, where we’ll always be on hand if she needs us."

Prince William and Prince Harry both attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire, where they both boarded from the age of 8. At the school, which is currently priced at £9,420 per term, they shared dormitories with other children before moving to Eton College at the age of 13.

Their father Prince Charles was also sent away to boarding school at a young age. After starting his education at Hill House School in London, the Prince of Wales moved to Cheam School, where his father, Prince Phillip, also attended from the age of 8.

Prince Charles was said to have been incredibly lonely and unhappy at boarding school. The Queen reportedly wrote that he was “beginning to dread the return to school" while royal biographer Dermot Morrah claimed he viewed Cheam as “a misery.”

He later moved to the £8,650 per term Gordonstoun school in Scotland, where he became the first royal to sit O-Levels and later the first to earn a university degree at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret were amongst the last members of the Royal Family to be schooled at home, with their educators including governesses and the provost of Eton College.