Why we won’t see Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on their first day of school this year

The Wales children are heading back to school

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
(Image credit: Jonathan Brady - Pool/Getty Images)

Unlike last year, royal fans will not see Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as they walk into school on the first day of the new term this year and the reason why is surprisingly understandable.


Like most parents across the UK today, Prince William and Kate Middleton have sent their children back to school in the best new school shoes and stocked up with the best school supplies for the coming year. Meghan Markle is also reportedly following in her sister-in-law's footsteps and is planning to break royal tradition and do the school run herself too! 

Like many parents, they royals are likely excited about sending the kids back into class so they can have some quiet time to themselves, or perhaps they're slightly worried about the beginning of term as many parents who are trying to help a highly sensitive child go back to school are. 

But whatever they're feeling as they do the morning school run and plan how to get stuck in with school activities this year, as Kate reportedly does every year, royal fans won't be seeing the family during the morning drop-off like they did last year, Hello! Magazine reports. 

Princess Charlotte, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George

(Image credit: Getty Images / Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP)

According to the publication, the Wales family will not be releasing back-to-school images this year as William and Kate only 'share photographs with the public on milestone occasions such as when their children have had their very first day at school or nursery.'

Last year, the first day back at school was a milestone for the Wales children as it was their collective first day at Lambrook School in Berkshire, the school they have attended since moving to Adelaide Cottage. Previously, George and Charlotte attended Thomas's Battersea School and Louis was at Willcocks Nursery in Kensington.

2022 marked the first day at the new school for the oldest two children and, for Louis, the day was his first ever time stepping into his reception class at primary school. This year, however, George, ten, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five, will be moving up to Year Six, Year Four and Year One respectively, meaning it is a small milestone not worthy of a public photo call. 

In 2016, royal fans gushed over the adorable photo Kate took of Prince George as he arrived for his first ever day at nursery. Posting the picture to Instagram, the Prince and Princess or Wales shared the caption, "Prince George arrives for his first day at Westacre Montessori School nursery in Norfolk today."

The young Prince attended the Norfolk nursery as, at the time, the Wales family were living in Anmer Hall in Norfolk and the nursery was just a short distance from their home. When the time came for Princess Charlotte to begin nursery though, the family had moved to London and she enrolled at Willcocks Nursery School near their new home of Kensington Palace in London.

Prince Louis followed in his older sister's footsteps and also attended Willcocks Nursery School.

The differing nursery experiences were likely not that dissimilar for the children but the cost of their early education varied massively. To send George to nursery cost William and Kate just £5.50 per hour or £33 per day whereas Princess Charlotte’s and Prince Louis' nursery places can cost up to £14,500 per year, reports The Express.

News writer

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.