Kate Middleton is reportedly "heartbroken" over Prince William's decision to send Prince George to Eton College. The Prince and Princess of Wales have allegedly disagreed about this choice, which seems to contradict the Royal Family's efforts to modernize the monarchy.
Kate's concerns stem from her own experience of being "horribly bullied" at her first boarding school, Downe House in Berkshire. She "can’t bear the thought" of George facing a similar situation. She transferred mid-term to co-ed Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she completed her education.
Sources close to the royal family indicate that the 42-year-old is determined to enroll George in Marlborough, while William is committed to sending him to Eton, which costs £53,398 a year. Both William and Prince Harry attended Eton, moving away from the older tradition of attending the Scottish boarding school Gordonstoun.
While William had a positive experience at Eton, Harry has expressed that he doesn’t remember his early days at the prestigious institution fondly. Speaking to In Touch Weekly, a royal insider said: "Kate thinks sending George to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernise the monarchy. Plus, she’ll miss George desperately."
They added: "Kate long disagreed with her husband about sending him away, even though it’s tradition." However, it has been reported that Kate has "given in" to William’s wishes and agreed to his education request.
In the comments section, readers shared their thoughts. One user recalled: "I remember Prince Charles (now King Charles of course) was sent away to Gordonstoun and absolutely hated it. This was the choice of his father the Duke of Edinburgh to 'toughen him up' but I feel we should look for a school which complements a child's natural abilities and personality ... NOT try to make them something they are not. This has to surely apply to any family, Royal or not?! William is in danger of repeating the mistakes of the past just because he enjoyed Eton. It may not suit Prince George and if Kate is worried he may be bullied then that should be taken into consideration."
Another wrote: "At Marlborough Prince George will, hopefully, be able to make contact with a spectrum of people who have not had the privileges that members of the aristocracy and moneyed people have." While a third expressed: "Kate is right not wanting to send Prince George to Eton," as another posted: "Boarding school is not the issue, Eton is. Not an advisable or sound choice unfortunately."
