Charlotte off to nursery full-time while parents take the strain
THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge moved back to London from Norfolk in order to increase their workload on behalf of the Queen.
And now they have signalled their intention to prioritise official duties by enrolling their two-year-old daughter full-time at a private nursery.
From January, Princess Charlotte will attend the “kind and gentle” Willcocks Nursery School five days a week. It is situated barely half a mile from Kensington Palace.
The decision marks a significant departure from the way in which Prince George was introduced to the education system.
He attended a modestly priced Montessori nursery school in Norfolk – where most parents get financial help to pay the fees – on a part-time basis.
By comparison, Kensington Palace announced that Princess Charlotte – who has never previously attended any form of nursery or pre-school – would join Willcocks full-time. Annual fees will exceed £16,000 a year.
She will be enrolled in its morning school, lunchtime club and afternoon school, attending from 9am until 4pm, three days a week and until 12pm on the other two, taking in her own packed lunch and joining activities including cooking, music and acting.
The nursery accommodates 32 children, aged between two and three quarters and five, meaning that Charlotte, who will be three in May, will be among the youngest.
Advice on the nursery’s website suggests that the lunch club is for children “ready for a longer learning session and for older children to prepare them for big school”.
The daily routine at the nursery, which is based in the church hall at Holy Trinity Church in Kensington, includes prayers and hymns and employs professional dance and French teachers. A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said the Duke and Duchess thought Willcocks “an ideal first step” and were “impressed” by the staff. She also noted that when the Cambridges moved back to London from Norfolk, it was to enable them to continue to increase their official work on behalf of The Queen and for the charities and causes they support.
The Duchess’s third baby is due in April and the decision will also allow her to spend more time bonding with the new arrival.
Willcocks, which has an all-female staff, is described by Tatler as a “hidden gem” that “flies under the radar” and is attended by British children and “chic foreigners” alike, some of whom register their children at birth in order to ensure them a place.
It is rated “outstanding” by Ofsted because of the “exceptional” organisation of time and the staff ’s meticulous planning, which ensures “no time is wasted”.
Meanwhile, the Cambridges have released a new family photograph that features on their Christmas card.
The image was taken by Chris Jackson, who works for Getty Images and has become the family’s favoured photographer for both official and private portraits.
Mr Jackson is married to Natasha Archer, the Duchess’s stylist, and together the couple have become trusted confidantes.
As well as taking the first official portraits of the Duke and Duchess after their wedding and before they went to Canada, Mr Jackson worked with Prince Harry on several projects, including Sentebale in Lesotho and accompanying him during this year’s Invictus Games in Toronto.
Mr Jackson has often been mistaken for the Duke of Cambridge during royal tours abroad.