Generally, it kind of feels like whenever I do a blog post in my mind about royalty now, it is usually whenever someone has said something wrong. Or… if not wrong, then just used the basic facts to imply something is wrong.
Let’s use this example: a couple of days ago, the Daily Mail posted the story about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly having chosen an American-community school in the UK for their as of yet unborn child. The headline: they might be shunning Eton.
Which, really is nothing wrong – except the wording in the article makes it sound like Eton is the preferred school for the young royals to attend. (Or the Daily Mail is just happy that they get to trash Eton? Because there was a similar story when Prince George started school.) Granted, it is just across the river from Windsor, and the aristocracy has had a tendency to send their sons there. But the British royal family haven’t.
When the Duke of Cambridge started Eton (after being in day schools in London and boarding at Ludgrove after that) in the 90s – it was not a royal tradition. It was then seen as snubbing of Gordonstoun – the school William’s father, paternal grandfather paternal uncles and cousins, Peter and Zara, attended.
(William and Harry’s maternal grandfather and uncle, on the other hand, did go to Eton.)
And before Prince Philip joined the royal family, having attended Gordonstoun – Queen Elizabeth’s father and (most of) his brothers were also educated at home, until the time came to send them off to the Naval college as cadets when they were 13.
Likewise their father and uncle before them went into the Navy as cadets.
King Edward VII attended a home school, put together by Prince Albert with the idea of what a British monarch should know.
(To be fair, Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, Queen Elizabeth’s uncle did attend Eton. )
Also, the kid isn’t born, yet, and whatever school he or she will attend, is not going to be an issue for the next couple of years. Really.
