Prince George and Princess Charlotte's one special privilege that set them apart from classmates

Handout photo released by Prince William and Kate Middleton showing Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Kensington Palace shortly before they left for Thomas's Battersea for her first day at the school.
-Credit: (Image: PA)


Prince William and Kate Middleton are keen for their children to have a normal school experience, yet they once enjoyed a unique advantage over their peers.

Before enrolling at Lambrook School in 2022, Prince George and Princess Charlotte were pupils at Thomas's School in Battersea.

Their eldest, George began his education there in September 2017, with Charlotte joining him two years later in September 2019, which coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic.

During this period, Thomas's School implemented various safety measures to protect students and staff and limit the spread of the virus, the Mirror reports.

One significant rule change required parents to drop off their kids at the school's front gates rather than entering the premises. However, royal commentator Katie Nicholl revealed that the family, then known as the Cambridges, were given special permission.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 7, 2022 (From L) Britain's Prince George of Cambridge, Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge, Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Britain's Princess Charlotte of Cambridge arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot in Berkshire on the eve of their first school day.
Prince William and Kate often do the school run on their own -Credit: JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

In an article for Vanity Fair, she wrote: "According to one parent, the school has installed numerous Covid prevention measures and parents now have to drop children at the school gates. The Cambridges, however, are still able to drive their children into the school grounds."

It's likely that this was a security measure given that the high-profile family is always accompanied by personal protection officers. Despite having a nanny and other staff, Kate and William are often seen doing the school run for their children, who are enrolled at Lambrook.

The couple, like many working parents, typically schedule their work duties around school pick-up and drop-off times. George, Charlotte, and Louis, are currently in Year 6, Year 4, and Year 1 respectively at the Berkshire-based prep school.

Interestingly, despite being three of the most recognised children globally, they are not addressed by their royal titles at school. Instead, they are known simply as George Wales, Charlotte Wales, and Louis Wales among their schoolmates, reflecting their parents' titles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, which they assumed after Queen Elizabeth II's passing in September 2022.

Lambrook caters for pupils up to the age of 13, and it's been reported that William and Kate are already considering which secondary school Prince George will attend. Rumours suggest that the royal couple have toured St Edward's School in Oxford, a boarding school with an annual fee of £46,980 for boys and girls aged 13 to 18, who are affectionately referred to as 'Teddies'.

The school is approximately an hour's drive from the Wales' family home in Windsor and is co-educational, suggesting that Princess Charlotte could potentially join her older brother there when she reaches the appropriate age.

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