Prince George to attend private school where best friends are 'banned'

Kensington Palace announced with a Twitter post that Prince George will attend Thomas's Battersea School in London from September 2017. One of the rules set down by the school is for pupils to be kind and another discourages them from picking a best friend to avoid possessive and hurt feelings.

The Prince will attend the mixed-sex day school, which costs £5,653 a term and has a particular focus on the arts, sports and the importance of outdoor activities. Prince George, aged three, will be blazing a different trail by attending a mixed school, unlike his father and grandfather before him who all attended all-boys school.

The Royals and upper-class families favour all-boys schools and Prince George was previously expected to attend Wetherby School, his father’s alma mater, but Prince William and Kate Middleton are deciding to try something different. At the moment, the young Prince attends a £33-a-day Montessori nursery in Westacre, Norfolk, close to the Cambridges’ Anmer Hall home.

Thomas's school, in south London, has 540 day pupils and is considered one of the best in the capital, boasting a new music school and sports facilities.The school said it was honoured that the Royals chose the school for their son and that its aims and values “reflect those that Their Royal Highnesses would like for Prince George’s education”. The principals of the school, Ben and Tobyn Thomas also informed parents of the school that the Prince will be joining them but pledged not to let anything change as a result of Prince George's presence.

“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 message said. "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."