Prince George is approaching a major milestone: the start of secondary school. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ eldest child, who currently attends Lambrook School in Berkshire alongside Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, is expected to move to a new school in September 2026.
At the moment, two prestigious schools are understood to be the main contenders. The first is Eton College in Windsor, the all-boys school attended by Prince William and Prince Harry. The second is Marlborough College in Berkshire, the co-educational school the Princess of Wales once attended.
William and Catherine are said to be weighing both options carefully. However, even once they reach a decision, it’s believed they will wait before announcing George’s next step.
Why the delay?
Melanie Sanderson, Managing Editor of The Good Schools Guide, explained the reasoning.
“If the Wales family runs true to form, they will announce Prince George’s secondary school at the eleventh hour, possibly as late as September 2026,” she told HELLO!.
According to Melanie, the family knows that both the school and George’s future classmates would be placed under immediate scrutiny once the information is public. Delaying the announcement helps minimise attention and gives George a chance to settle into his new environment with as little pressure as possible.
Melanie also believes Eton remains the most likely choice. “In our most recent review, we describe it as ‘traditional, radical, expectation-busting and packed with confident boys with nary a hint of entitlement’. To me, this reflects the values we are told matter to this generation of royals.”
History supports this approach
William and Catherine have announced previous educational decisions for their children at the last moment.
When the family moved from London to Windsor in 2022, they revealed that George, Charlotte and Louis would attend Lambrook School only two weeks before the term began. The palace statement at the time thanked Thomas’s Battersea for giving George and Charlotte “a happy start to their education” and highlighted the shared ethos between Thomas’s and Lambrook.
Likewise, when George started at Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk, the news was confirmed just one month before he joined in January 2016. The nursery was chosen for its proximity to Anmer Hall and its quiet, private location.
Even Prince William’s own transition to Eton followed the same pattern. His move was announced in June 1995, just three months before the start of the autumn term.