Kate Middleton bracing for Prince George shift as he prepares for life at £63k-a-year Eton

Kate Middleton bracing for Prince George shift as he prepares for life at £63k-a-year Eton EXCLUSIVE: Prince George is now in his final days at Lambrook School as after the summer holidays he will follow in the footsteps of his father Prince William and start secondary education at Eton College As the summer holidays draw in, the Princess of Wales will be bracing herself for a seismic shift when it comes to oldest son, Prince George. It’s been confirmed that from September, the second-in-line to the throne will follow in his father Prince William ’s footsteps and attend the £63,000-a-year Eton College. His secondary education at the school, which has educated 20 former Prime Ministers, comes after four seemingly happy years at Lambrook, alongside siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. It is likely he will board full-time at Eton leaving the confines of the family home, with sources saying Kate and William’s decision to send him to the school was long thought out before they decided upon Eton as far back as last September. And royal expert Jennie Bond exclusively tells the Mirror that it is clear to see Kate’s pride in her oldest son - and that her and William’s choice shows she will always do what is best for each of her children. The former BBC royal correspondent explained: “I’m sure Catherine is immensely proud of George. He seems to be growing not only in stature, but in self-confidence. Recently, he has looked far more at ease in front of the cameras, and he’s definitely more of a young man now than a child. “George and his siblings have had a great deal to contend with in the past few years, but with their parents’ careful nurturing, they appear to be doing just fine. Catherine must look at George – and these days he can almost look her straight in the eye – and think what a handsome, self-assured young chap he has become. “I’m not surprised that Eton has been chosen: there are all sorts of valid reasons for George to go there. It’s every parent’s right to choose what they believe is best for their child. William and Catherine fervently believe that Eton, in the shadow of Windsor Castle and so close to their family home at Forest Lodge, is where their son will feel safe and secure.” Of course, many factors will have influenced Kate and William’s decision for George to go to Eton. The school is used to educating pupils from high-profile families with complex security arrangements, such as the ones George, as a future King, has. But practicalities aside, the decision by the Prince and Princess of Wales was not believed to have been without any angst - as they visited several other places, including Marlborough College - Kate’s old school - before finally picking Eton. However, one major factor in that decision - and one that may have alleviated any fears Kate may have had - is the fact that William’s time at the school was a great source of happiness for him. During his time there, he became a prefect and joined several sports teams, including the water polo team, his house football team and the swimming team. When he left, he had gained 12 GCSEs and three A-levels, with an A in Geography, B in history of art and a C in biology, earning him a place at St Andrew's University, where he met his future wife. When William was interviewed about his time at the school, he said: “I’ve really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student.” And Jennie explained: “For William, Eton was not simply a haven during some of the most difficult years of his life; it was fun. It saw him through some of the most difficult days of his life, with his parents at war over their failing marriage, screaming headlines about them every day and tragically – the death of Diana. “The school was his haven and sanctuary through those traumatic years. He made life-long friends there, friends he could confide in and trust. But Eton is not only hot on academic achievements – and William did extremely well in his exams – but it’s also mad keen on sport. “We know George loves football, but perhaps he will also follow his father, who captained the swimming team and got regularly roughed up on the rugby field. “The school also allows the boys a fair amount of privacy. They each have their own bed and study room with a desk and TV if they want. So George will be able to close the door and be on his own when he chooses . And I’m sure that was something William appreciated - living in a dormitory must seem relentless at times. “There’s no getting away from the fact that moving away from your family home – and George’s family home is a very happy and secure one indeed – is going to be a wrench. So it’s going to be the most enormous help to George to know that his dad went through exactly the same process and he can turn to him for advice, comfort or support.” When George’s big move up to Eton takes place in September, not only will it be a huge change for the young prince, who turns 13 next month, but also for the rest of his family - especially mum, Kate. She has made the family home of Forest Lodge a sanctuary for the family, which will no doubt feel different when George is potentially boarding full-time at his new school. And Jennie added: “Personally, I can’t imagine how sad this will be for Catherine, who clearly adores her children and clucks around them like a mother hen. “But she, too, enjoyed her days at boarding school, and so I’m sure she’ll be wishing him off with a tear in her eye but a firm belief that he will be heading into a boisterous, formative and fun life in a place that served William so very well and for which he retains a great affection. “It’s not as if they won’t see George: the boys can go home every two or three weeks, and their parents can take them out on Sunday afternoons. They’ll also be encouraged to go along for sports, music or drama events and take part in social activities.” Eton is one of the country’s oldest and most exclusive schools, dating back to 1440, when it was founded by Henry VI. Notable Old Etonians also include Prince Harry, David Cameron and Boris Johnson – who were contemporaries – as well as actors Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. Pupils at the school, which educates around 1,345 boys between the ages of 12 and 19, can choose from up to 28 subjects, including nine modern and classical languages such as Latin and Ancient Greek. Outside the classroom, the school boasts 350 acres of playing fields and offers 25 different sports, including Eton fives, a handball game invented at the College in the late 19th century. When George arrives at Eton, like all new boys, he will need to accustom himself to the uniform, which was first adopted in 1820 in mourning for the death of King George III. The uniform consists of black tailcoats and waistcoat, pin-stripe trousers, winged collars and a white bow-tie. The school day starts at about 7.30am with breakfast in the boarding house, which is followed an hour later by Chapel. Lessons end at about 5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are half-days, but pupils also work half a day on Saturdays. Some eyebrows have been raised by William and Kate’s decision to send George to traditional Eton - especially given the Prince and Princess of Wales attempting to cultivate a modernising image for the monarchy. But Jennie said: “This isn’t about William. It’s about George and where he will be happy and safe – particularly in this age when everyone has a camera phone. Eton protected and nurtured William and Harry. It will do the same for George, and probably, eventually, Louis. “There will be other ways to show George that many people live in great hardship. I’ve no doubt his parents will continue to ensure he has some experience of life outside the gilded cage.”