The Duke of Cambridge quipped about his ‘gang’ of children during a chat with staff members of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ new £50k-a-year school as he dropped his children off for their first day yesterday.
Prince William joined Kate Middleton, both 40, to take their ‘excited’ children to Lambrook school in Windsor yesterday, with the couple strolling into the grounds hand-in-hand with George, nine, Charlotte, seven, and Louis, four.
The children attended a ‘settling in afternoon’ – an annual event to welcome new starters and their families to the school on the day before the new school term begins. The trio will officially start school today.
Arriving yesterday, the family strolled in a line, with Kate holding George and Louis’ hands and William holding Charlotte’s, to meet headmaster Jonathan Perry.
‘Welcome to Lambrook,’ Mr Perry told the children. ‘It’s lovely to have you with us. We’re very excited for the year ahead.’
Shaking them each by the hand in turn, he asked ‘Are you excited?’ with all three chorusing ‘Yes’. William remarked ‘We’re looking forward to it,’ adding the children had ‘lots of questions’.
Mr Perry’s wife Jenny, who works in the pastoral team, was waiting in the doorway and greeted them with ‘Welcome back to Lambrook’, with William quipping ‘With all the gang’.
William went on to user them up the steps of the large white 19th-century country mansion, while Prince George, Charlotte and Louis all said they are ‘excited’ to be starting. A source said the Cambridge children were ‘particularly excited’ to be going to the same school for the first time.
The Duchess was the picture of elegance in a £245 brown polka dot dress by Rixo for the occasion, which she paired with matching tan coloured heels. She wore her soft brown locks in her signature bouncy blow dry style, and kept her makeup and jewellery neutral for the occasion.
The Duke and Duchess are beginning a new life in the country away from the goldfish bowl of their official London residence Kensington Palace which is being seen as a bid to put their children first and give them more freedom.
William and Kate had been known to have set their heart on outdoorsy prep school Lambrook, with its 52 acres of grounds, where fees will cost the couple in excess of £50,000 a year in total for their three youngsters.
The Duke of Cambridge quipped he was dropping off his ‘gang’ of children during a chat with the headmaster of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ new £50k-a-year school yesterday – ahead of their first day
After walking with their children hand-in-hand into the school yesterday, Prince William and Kate Middleton stopped to speak to the headmaster ahead of the settling-in afternoon
The Duke and Duchess, both 40, yesterday dropped off their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the same new school after moving their family to Windsor for the next major phase of their life
The Duchess was the picture of elegance in a £245 brown polkadot dress by trendy cult brand Rixo for the occasion, which she paired with matching tan coloured heels
William drove his family the 20-minute journey, no doubt relishing his first experience of the shorter school run after the daily trek from west to south London to George and Charlotte’s old school, Thomas’s Battersea.
After parking, the family of five managed the walk to the school during a gap in the rain, which later became torrential as other parents arrived.
A source said the Cambridge children were particularly excited to all be going to the same school for the first time.
‘They’re really excited about starting a new school together, and I think mum and dad are too,’ they said.
The mother-of-three beamed widely as she walked hand-in-hand with Prince George and Prince Louis, both of whom were dressed in the school’s summer uniform, up the drive
It was Prince Louis’ first day at school, but he didn’t want to be seen holding his father’s hand and instead leaned into his mother for the outing
Meanwhile Prince William appeared in equally happy spirits, and could be seen walking with his daughter Princess Charlotte, who was dressed in a blue and white checked summer dress for the outing
The Duchess wore her soft brown locks in her signature bouncy blow dry style, and kept her makeup and jewellery neutral for the occasion
Yesterday marks a new start for the Duke and Duchess, who are beginning a new life in the country away from the goldfish bowl of their official London residence Kensington Palace – it is being seen as a bid to put their children first and give them more freedom
In photographs released from the family arriving, the Cambridge siblings looked confident and happy as they arrived ready for a 90-minute settling-in session for new pupils and their families.
A source close to the couple told the Daily Mail: ‘As they got out of the car, they were just giddy with excitement. It was just so sweet to see. Not a nerve in sight. It was all so relaxed. They are wonderful kids.’
Kate beamed widely as she walked hand-in-hand with Prince George and Prince Louis, both of whom were dressed in the school’s summer uniform, up the drive.
Meanwhile Prince William appeared in equally happy spirits, and could be seen walking with his daughter Princess Charlotte, who was dressed in a blue and white checked summer dress for the outing.
The duke and duchess could be heard talking to the children and laughing, in the final moments of preparation.
The children’s first full day is on Thursday, at the official start of term.
The Cambridges are said to have visited the exclusive prep school a number of times before choosing it, and greeted Mr and Mrs Perry warmly, with Kate remarking: “Nice to see you, Mr Perry.”
William and Kate went inside with the children for refreshments before George, Charlotte and Louis went to their new classroom to meet their teachers and other students.
The family are also now using the pretty 19th century Adelaide Cottage as their base after the Queen gave them permission to lease the four-bedroom Grade II listed cottage, which belongs to the Crown Estate. It was built for Queen Adelaide in 1831 and is nestled just a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle in the private Home Park.
It comes after William and Kate’s sister-in-law the Duchess of Sussex said in an interview to US magazine The Cut last week that she would not be able to do the school run in Britain without being hounded by the paparazzi.
Meghan feared it would have become a ‘royal photo call with a press pen of 40 people snapping pictures’, according to the interviewer who joined her to pick up son Archie, three, from pre-school as part of the article.
But royal experts pointed out that strict rules governing the UK media prevent photographs being taken of children in education.
William and Kate regularly drop off their children at school most days without note, and any published pictures are released to the press with their approval – such as those yesterday – or taken at public events.
Their arrival at Lambrook was captured for the history books by just three members of the media – one PA news agency photographer, one BBC cameraman and one reporter, forming the royal rota, supervised by one Kensington Palace press officer.
Those present were asked not to film on their mobile phones, to make sure the children were not faced with screens.
About half a dozen protection officers, dressed discreetly, kept carefully out of sight, with no other members of the media permitted to attend, in order to keep the afternoon calm and relaxed for the children.
Harry and Meghan are staying at their Frogmore Cottage home on the Windsor estate while in Britain this week.
But they are not expected to meet the Cambridges at Adelaide Cottage, which is less than a 10-minute walk away, amid a feud between the brothers that has continued since Harry and Meghan moved to North America in 2020.
When news of the Cambridge children’s new school and the move to Windsor was announced by Kensington Palace on August 22, royal officials said in a statement that William and Kate were ‘hugely grateful’ to Thomas’s Battersea where George and Charlotte had a ‘happy start to their education’.
The statement also added that the couple were ‘pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values to Thomas’s’.
Kensington Palace also confirmed that the family would move to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park before the school term began.
A royal source said at the time: ‘This is very much a decision that two parents have made to give their children the ‘most normal’ start possible. KP can be a little bit of a fishbowl.
‘They wanted to be able to give George, Charlotte and Louis a bit more freedom than they have living in central London. It’s very much a decision that’s been led by the kids.’
William and Kate have retained Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A, which was refurbished with £4.5 million of taxpayers’ money in 2013, as their official residence and their working base, which continues to house their office staff.
They are also keeping their 10-bedroom Norfolk country mansion Anmer Hall, which was a gift from the Queen, has a swimming pool and tennis court and underwent large-scale building work at their own cost.
The downsizing to Adelaide Cottage, which is not considered vast, means William and Kate’s full-time nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo is now living elsewhere for the first time, as well as other staff including the housekeeper and the chef.
The source said at the time of the announcement last month that the duke and duchess were very conscious of how their move stands in contrast to the cost-of-living crisis impacting the nation.
Asked whether the couple was mindful of the economic difficulties facing many who would not be able to afford such opportunities, the source said: ‘They absolutely are.
‘It’s something they have thought long and hard about and this is a decision they have not taken lightly. It would have been extremely difficult for them to continue on as senior working royals if they were based in Norfolk.
‘What they have basically done allows them to put the kids first, but also to continue on doing what they do all day, every day.’
Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said last month that the decision had many benefits for the family.
Mr Little said: ‘Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace is perfect in so many ways but the duke and duchess and their children are unable to come and go as they might like or take advantage of the nearby London parks because of the ever-present privacy issues.’
He added that having all three children at the same school made sense and removes the ‘nightmare’ journey from Kensington Palace to Battersea twice a day.
‘It also means that the cost of security, always a contentious topic, is much lower than if Louis was at a different school to his siblings,’ Mr Little said.
But royal commentator and former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt highlighted the three properties now at the couple’s disposal amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Young Prince Louis was seen rejecting his father’s efforts to hold his hand on his first day at school
William and Kate regularly drop off their children at school most days without note, and any published pictures are released to the press with their approval – such as those yesterday- or taken at public events
Prince William and Kate appeared to share a smile as they walked with their young children into the school in Berkshire this afternoon
Mr Hunt said: ‘A third home for the Cambridges is a reminder the royals don’t suffer from the cost-of-living crisis and a looming recession in the same way as the rest of us.
‘When taxpayers’ money was spent on refurbishing their apartment at Kensington Palace, Prince William, who campaigns for the homeless, insisted his family planned to stay there for many years to come.’
Republic branded the decision ‘disgraceful’. Graham Smith, chief executive of the campaign group, said: ‘All these palatial homes require round-the-clock protection, heating and staffing.’
He said the Crown Estate was ‘a state-owned property empire that is supposed to make money for the treasury’.
Mr Smith added: ‘While ordinary households are struggling with their energy bills and facing crippling inflation, why are we giving yet another home to William and Kate? This is disgraceful.’
William and Kate pay market value rent on the property from their own private funds, not from taxpayers’ money via the Sovereign Grant, and footed their own moving costs.
Future king George, nine, and Charlotte, seven, have left their current school Thomas’s Battersea in London and four-year-old Louis is starting full-time education.
After shaking hands with the three Cambridge children, headmaster Jonathan Perry pointed the family up the stairs to enter the school for the afternoon
They are now enjoying first class facilities at Lambrook including a swimming pool, sports pitches and new £6 million academic and ICT building.
The day and boarding school offers both weekly boarding and flexi boarding for the older two – where they can opt for a night’s stay as and when they choose, but George and Charlotte are day pupils for now.
The Good Schools Guide describes how youngsters get to ‘run and run’ in vast grounds with ‘total freedom to explore, provided you’ve got your wellies on’, with Lambrook’s pastoral care described as excellent.
Jonathan Perry, headmaster at Lambrook, said last month that we ‘very much look forward to welcoming the family, as well as all of our new pupils, to our school community.’
Ben Thomas, principal of Thomas’s London Day Schools, wished George and Charlotte ‘every happiness and success’ and thanked the pair for ‘upholding the school’s values and for their many contributions to school life throughout their time at Thomas’s’.
It was the first time Lambrook has been chosen for a future king and his siblings.
William and Kate will be spending in excess of £53,000 a year on their children’s private education.
Fees cost £4,389 a term for Reception to Year 2 pupils such as Louis, £6,448 per term for Years 3-4 like Charlotte, and £6,999 per term for George through Years 5-8.
The bill amounts to £53,508’s worth of fees in 2021-2022, not factoring in any future boarding which costs £1,481 per term per pupil for Y3-8, potential sibling discount if available, fee increases or the cost of uniform or trips.
The school on the outskirts of Bracknell is only a 20-minute drive from Adelaide Cottage, and their new home is just a short stroll to see the Queen at Windsor Castle.
The source said being able to be close to the 96-year-old monarch – who is currently at her Scottish retreat of Balmoral, where she welcomed the incoming and outgoing prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson yesterday – was a factor in the move.
Adelaide Cottage used to be the grace-and-favour home of equerry Group Captain Peter Townsend whose love affair with Princess Margaret caused a scandal in the 1950s.
Four bedroom detached rental properties in Windsor with substantially less land are currently priced at anywhere between £3,000 to £5,750 a month.
The location also ensures the family are close to Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton, and sister Pippa Matthews in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
Next Tuesday, the Cambridges are to visit a Slough charity founded in response to gang violence between young people from Asian backgrounds.
William and Kate will hear about the work of Aik Saath, which means ‘Together As One’ in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
The couple will join a cooking lesson with youngsters as part of the charity’s Global Grub programme – which was started during the summer holidays to keep young people positively engaged outside of school and ensure they had access to regular hot meals.
William and Kate will also meet youth volunteers who lead peer training sessions and hear how they teach youngsters to resolve conflict, challenge prejudice and contribute to a mentally healthy society.
Yesterday, the Duke of Cambridge has described the killing of 10 people in a series of stabbings in Canada as ‘truly heart-breaking’.
William said in a personal tweet that his thoughts and prayers were with the victims of these ‘horrific acts’ in an indigenous community and a nearby town – one of the deadliest attacks in the nation’s history.
The duke, a future king of Canada, said: ‘The attacks at James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan are truly heart-breaking.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these horrific acts and all those that have lost loved ones. Catherine and I send our best wishes to the people of Canada.’
The message on the Cambridges’ Twitter account ended with W, denoting personal words from the duke.
It comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex thrilled fans in Germany yesterday as they went on a walkabout in the hot sunshine before taking a cruise along the River Rhine.
Harry and Meghan shook hands and chatted with an eager crowd outside Dusseldorf Town Hall as they marked the one-year countdown to The Invictus Games coming to the city.
Shouts of ‘Harry, Harry’ could be heard, while Meghan posed for selfies with members of the public who stood in the sun to catch a glimpse of the couple on their short visit to Dusseldorf.
The duchess wore a cream halter-neck knitted vest by LA-based designer Anine Bing, and beige wide-legged belted trousers.
The couple’s outing yesterday comes after they made their first public appearance in the UK since returning for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.
Delivering a speech at the Town Hall reception, Harry, wearing a suit and white shirt, said he is ‘filled with such excitement’ at the thought of the next Invictus Games having the backdrop of the River Rhine.
The main building at Lambrook School is a large white 19th-century country mansion. Lambrook was founded in 1860
Children at Lambrook School can enjoy activities such as beekeeping and scuba diving. Pictured: The school’s bee hives
Lambrook School boasts of ‘first-class teaching and superb facilities’ which include a 25-metre swimming pool
Lambrook prides itself on its high academic standards, with a pass rate of 100 per cent for the Common Entrance exam
Talk Education said there is a ‘sense of delicious freedom’ at Lambrook School which is located near Ascot in Berkshire
William and Kate have moved with their children George, Charlotte and Louis to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor (file picture)
Harry and Meghan have returned to the UK ahead of the WellChild Awards in London , where Harry will deliver a speech.
Yesterday’s trip comes a day after Meghan gave the keynote address in Manchester on Monday for the One Young World summit.
The former actress told the 2,000 delegates how her life had changed when she last joined the summit in London in 2019, singling out her role as a wife and a mother, but making no mention of becoming a senior royal the year before.
During the proceedings on Monday, the couple sat in the front row on stage, side by side on a bench, as they joined One Young World counsellors to watch the flag bearers enthusiastically parading the flags of more than 200 countries.
Meghan swayed in time to the music, and Harry leaned over to whisper in his smiling wife’s ear a number of times.
The couple travelled by train from London to Manchester, and flew commercial from the US to the UK.
Meanwhile Meghan has described herself in her latest Spotify podcast as a ‘loner’ at school and an ‘ugly duckling’ who had no-one to sit next to at lunch.
The former Suits actress said it was ‘really hard’ and that she was ‘the smart one forever and ever and ever’ rather than the pretty one during her time at Immaculate Heart all-girls Catholic school in Los Angeles.
In conversation with actress Mindy Kaling, Meghan said she filled her lunchtimes with meetings and becoming president of clubs in order to keep busy and not worry about who to sit with.
The duchess also confessed to her love of Archie comics and redheads like the Duke of Sussex, and told how she dreamed of a ‘cookie cutter-looking perfect life’ but read the series because she was ‘alone so much as a child’ and was a ‘latchkey kid’.
She criticised suggestions when she became engaged to Harry that she was lucky to be chosen by him, saying the duke had ‘countered the narrative’ by saying: ‘They’ve got it all wrong. I’m the lucky one because you chose me.’
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