Prince George arrived at Thomas’s Battersea for his first day at primary school this morning – just over 30 years since his father’s first day at Wetherby.
The third-in-line to the throne was dropped off at the gates of the £3,000-a-term co-ed school in south-west London by his father the Duke of Cambridge in a heartwarming echo of Harry and William’s first day at ‘big school’.
And as George made his big entrance, Kensington Palace posted a series of archive images on Twitter showing his uncle and father at the gates of Wetherby Pre-Preparatory School in Notting Hill with the Princess of Wales in 1989.
The images, which have been shared and liked thousands of times, prompted a flurry of tweets from royal fans who branded the little prince ‘precious’ with one writing: ‘Harry’s face he was so excited to be at school with William I remember it well, bless their hearts.’
Throwback: Kensington Palace posted a series of archive images on Twitter on Thursday morning, showing his uncle Harry (main and bottom right) and father William (top right) being dropped off at the school gates by the Princess of Wales
Diana was often pictured dropping her sons off at Wetherby, going to great lengths to fit the school run in around her royal duties.
Sadly the Duchess of Cambridge, who is battling severe morning sickness during her third pregnancy, was unable to accompany her son for his big day.
On arrival this morning, William and George were met by the Head of Lower School, Helen Haslem, who escorted them to Prince George’s reception classroom where he will meet his classmates for the first time.
Kensington Palace confirmed George’s place at Thomas’s in March, surprising royal experts who had expected the youngster to follow in his father’s footsteps by going to Wetherby.
The palace said in a statement: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will send their son, George, to Thomas’s Battersea from September 2017 this year.
‘Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to have found a school where they are confident George will have a happy and successful start to his education.’
This morning, William and George were met by the Head of Lower School, Helen Haslem (right), who then escorted them to Prince George’s reception classroom where he will meet his classmates for the first time
Set up 40 years ago, the school, a short drive from Kensington Palace, describes itself as being ‘happy, dynamic and vibrant’ and priding itself on its ‘excellent academic results’.
Its website describes it as a ‘busy, thriving purposeful school’ which has 540 boys and girls between the ages of four and 13, and its alumni include Cara Delevingne and Florence Welch.
In a letter sent out to parents at the time of the announcement, the school’s head masters, Ben Thomas and Tobyn Thomas, said they were ‘delighted’ to welcome the little prince.
They wrote: ‘The Duke and Duchess have made it clear that they do not wish Prince George’s attendance at Thomas’s to change its aims, values or ethos in any way.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose Thomas’s Battersea for the young royal, which is one of four family-run schools dotted around London – and not even its Kensington branch, a stone’s throw from their royal residence
Royal experts had expected the youngster to follow in his father’s footsteps by going to Wetherby Pre-preparatory in Notting Hill (pictured with mother Diana and brother William in October 1989, left, and April 1990, right)
The youngster previously attended Westacre Montessori nursery school near Sandringham, Norfolk – and sent sales of his John Lewis quilted jacket soaring
‘They would like, as far as is possible, for him to enjoy the same education that all of our pupils receive and for them to join the school community as all of our new parents do.’
George’s first day at Thomas’s comes as the Cambridges move from Amner Hall in Norfolk to make Kensington Palace their permanent home, with both the Duke and Duchess set to take on more royal duties.
The young royal, who celebrated his third birthday in July after flying back from Germany with his parents, previously attended Westacre Montessori nursery school near Sandringham, Norfolk.
Since Kensington Palace announced the news of his school choice, housing enquiries in the area are reported to have soared.
Estate agent Knight Frank revealed there’s been a ‘resurgence’ in interest in the south-west London area, as parents rush to buy a home in the royal-approved district, where the average house costs £1,605,632.