Kate Middleton and Prince William Have Been Locked in This Same Argument “for Years”

It’s reportedly the disagreement between a loving couple (hey, who doesn’t have ‘em?) that keeps going and going—but will eventually find resolution when the Prince and Princess of Wales ultimately decide where they will send eldest son Prince George to school next after his years at Lambrook end.

George is currently a pupil at Lambrook alongside his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. For his next stop, though, it’s become an ongoing battle of the alma maters—in the right corner, Prince William’s alma mater, Eton, and in the left corner, Kate Middleton’s alma mater, Marlborough, competing for where the future king will attend come 2026.

Eton is seen as more “stuffy,” if you will (per Cosmopolitan); Marlborough is more laid back. Another feather in Marlborough’s cap? That it’s co-ed, meaning that Louis and Charlotte could eventually join him there, just like they are all three together at Lambrook. Broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox that “There has been much speculation surrounding Prince George’s next school. 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,” she added.

When it comes to education, “There has been a long line of unhappy schooling within the family,” Chard continued. “King Charles was very unhappy at Gordonstoun. Eton wasn’t suitable for Prince Harry. Even Princess Catherine was bullied at secondary school. Therefore, she [the Princess of Wales] 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.”

Royal commentator Ian Pelham Turner shared that, because of her own bullying experiences, Kate is worried about the same happening to George: “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,” he said. “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.” (For what it’s worth, Turner’s money is on Eton.)

George apparently paid a visit to Eton ahead of his Easter break from school, according to The Daily Express, and the decision over where to send the future king has become a “real dilemma” for the Prince and Princess of Wales. Though Eton and Marlborough appear to be the frontrunners, they’ve reportedly also visited other schools, like London’s Highgate School. The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden said Highgate has a “world-class” drama department (which Kate was attracted to) but the distance between their home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and Highgate makes it “an unlikely choice,” he wrote.

At Eton, meanwhile, Eden wrote George possibly attending is “the talk of the school, and of the parents.” Eton’s graduates include Prince William and Prince Harry; Marlborough was attended by Kate and her two siblings Pippa Middleton and James Middleton, as well as Princess Eugenie.

Comparing costs, Eton costs just over $83,000 per year, while Marlborough slides in at just under $78,000 annually. At Marlborough, “Parents have been talking about nothing else, and discussions have really ramped up in recent weeks—but security is obviously a massive consideration,” a source said, per Tatler. 

If Marlborough is chosen, George could also make a little history—he’d be the first male heir to study at a co-ed school ahead of the 11-year-old’s future graduation as part of the class of 2031.