Prince George set for first family school run

WHEN Prince George starts school next Thursday, he will no doubt be just as nervous as any other four-year-old.

But the third-in-line to the throne will have some familiar faces by his side, as his mother and father will join him on the school run.

The Duke of Cambridge will be there to hold his son’s hand for his first day at Thomas’s Battersea, as the Cambridge family settles full-time in London to support the Queen in her duties.

The decision makes good on a promise made by the Duchess when she met fellow Thomas’s parents earlier this year, telling them: “I may see you at the school gates.”

The Duke and Duchess have often spoken of their wish to be hands-on parents, emphasising the importance of encouraging Prince George and Princess Charlotte to speak about their emotions.

The school run heralds the start of a new era for the Cambridge family, basing themselves at Kensington Palace to step up support for The Queen. The Duke will focus on initiatives dealing with homelessness, conservation and cyber-bullying while the Duchess will undertake engagements publicising addiction, family breakdown and the importance of early intervention.

Prince George, on the other hand, will be busy at £17,604-a-year Thomas’s, described in The Good Schools Guide as “a big, busy, slightly chaotic school for cosmopolitan parents who want their children to have the best English education money can buy”.

Meanwhile, figures from the Press Association yesterday showed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are currently the least-hard working of the Royal Family.

The Duchess has completed 39 days of work so far this year, while the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry are both on 46. The Princess Royal topped the table. Anne worked 114 days, followed by the Prince of Wales with 93.

However, that may soon change in the future as the younger Royals now increase their workload.