There will be no “Your Royal Highness” in the classroom forPrincess Charlotte!
The 4-year-old royal will follow in big brotherPrince George‘s footsteps on Thursday, joining him at the $23,000-a-yearThomas’s Battersea— and just like the future king, she won’t be getting the royal treatment during the school day.
When it comes to the matter of her last name, things are a little trickier. But if she follows her brother George’s lead, she’ll be known as Charlotte Cambridge.
William now has a title of his own: Duke of Cambridge. So just as William took his own last name from his father’s title, so will Charlotte — and she’ll be Charlotte Cambridge in school records and to her peers and teachers.
Even though George is third in line to the British throne, he also follows the tradition and is known as George Cambridge in school.
Princess Charlotte.Karwai Tang/WireImage
The addition ofPrince Philipto the family brought about another name change, this one, the addition of Mountbatten, the last name he adopted after giving up his title of Prince of Greece and Denmark. The name belongs to his maternal grandparents — it’s the English translation of their German name, Battenberg. The change took time to make its way into the royal family — 1960, to be exact, 13 years after Philip married thethen-Princess Elizabeth, and eight years after she became Queen. However, this didn’t change the name of the House of Windsor, but rather just the surnames that those in said house would use when they weren’t using the style of His or Her Royal Highness (or if they’re members of the family but don’t get said said style.)
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their wedding day.Hulton Archive/Getty
The family actually explains the issue in fullon their website:
However, though that istechnicallythe royal family’s last name, it’s rarely the one members of the family use in day-to-day life.
Richard Pohle/Getty
Not only will Charlotte have her big brother, 6, to show her the ropes, but Kensington Palace announced that parentsKate and William will accompany Charlotte on her first day of school.
When Prince George started at the private school some three miles from the family’s Kensington Palace Home in Sept. 2017, only Prince William was there to drop him off. Although Kate was expected to join her son for the important milestone, she wasforced to cancel her plans due to acute morning sicknessshe was suffering during her pregnancy withPrince Louis.Hyperemesis Gravidarumalso afflicted Kate during her previous two pregnancies.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte.Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace via Getty
And with a big support system in tow,Princess Charlotte(who previously attendedWillcocks Nursery School) is thrilled for the big day.
“She can’t wait to be with George at big school,” an insider previously told PEOPLE. “She is so excited about it all.”
“They are close in age, and they spend so much time together,” adds the insider. “Playdates [with outsiders] can be tricky, so they learn to lean on each other.”
source: people.com
