William and Kate 'argued for years' over sending George to Eton

Kate is not happy about it, apparently

Prince George with his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Apparently, Prince William and Princess Kate have argued for a long time over whether Prince George, 10, should attend Eton College, where his dad and uncle Prince Harry were pupils in their school days.

If one source is to be believed, it sounds like the Waleses have ended up coming to the conclusion that George will in fact attend the prestigious school. While it's really close to his home in Windsor, Eton is boarding-only, which means he will have to live away from home — and his mum doesn't sound too happy about it.

"Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernise the monarchy. Plus, she’ll miss George desperately," a source said (via OK! US). "She and William argued about it for years, but he has finally won."

However, George himself is reportedly happy about the move, which may happen when he is old enough to attend the institution. "He wants to be just like his father," the source said, adding that though Kate "finally gave in, she’s still heartbroken."

Another reason for the Princess' reluctance was her own bad experience at boarding school. "She was horribly bullied at her first boarding school, and can’t bear the thought of George suffering through that," the source continued.

They pointed out that George will easily be able to visit home since he'll be living close by, but said that this wasn't quite enough to convince the Princess of Wales.

"There’s also the worry that William will insist the other two kids be shipped out next," the source said.

"Kate knows this is all part of her 'royal duty,' but there’s a lot of tension between her and her husband right now."

Back in July, George went to visit Eton with his parents, sparking rumours that the family were considering a move for him from Lambrook where he currently attends.

Recently, royal commentator Tessa Dunlop also said that George is likely already preparing for Eton's challenging entrance exams, so that he can feel confident about them when the time comes.

Iris Goldsztajn
Freelance News Writer

Iris Goldsztajn is a freelance news writer for Marie Claire UK. She covers celebrity and royal news, and has previously written for titles including Marie Claire US, InStlyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red.

Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, she is especially interested in debunking diet culture and de-stigmatising mental health struggles.