Do royals really do the school run like regular mums?
Take a look at the sweetest photos of royal parents taking their children to school including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Meghan Markle, Princess Diana & more
It's a big month for Princess Kate. While her two younger children are preparing to return to Lambrook for a new school year, her eldest, Prince George, is making the big transition to secondary school.
After much speculation, Kensington Palace confirmed that the 13-year-old would be following in the footsteps of his dad, who once said he "really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student".
Certainly, William and Kate have taken a hands-on approach to parenting, endeavouring to let their children enjoy a relatively 'normal' childhood. And that includes the school run.
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It's something that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also said to be keen on, following their move back to Britain last month.
Meghan previously claimed that if she were to do the school run in Britain it would turn into a 'frenzy'. Nevertheless, the Sussexes are said to be set on the idea of taking Archie and Lilibet to and from their new prep schools themselves.
William and Kate, of course, have to juggle their family life with their royal duties - and on occasion are unable to take their children in. But, like many royal parents before them, they make sure to always be present on important occasions.
In 2019, the Prince and Princess of Wales were all smiles as they arrived at the gates of Thomas's Battersea, a prep school in London, for Princess Charlotte's first day. The little princess held onto her mother's hand as she headed in alongside her brother, Prince George, who was seven at the time. Kate dressed smartly for the occasion, sporting a floral Michael Kors dress and navy heels. Charlotte was seen following in her parents' polite footsteps from a young age as she greeted Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, with a sweet handshake.
George, Charlotte, and Louis attend Lambrook School
Three years later, it was Prince Louis' time to join his siblings at school. By this time, the Wales children had moved from their home at Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Home Park estate, meaning a move to Lambrook School near Ascot. The family of five were all giggling as they arrived hand-in-hand for a settling-in afternoon at their new school. "The Prince and Princess of Wales are regulars on the school run, and we learnt that when Kate was undergoing cancer treatment last year, William planned his diary of engagements around the children's school pick-up and drop-off times," HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, Danielle Stacey, adds.
Meanwhile, fellow school mum and star of The Real Housewives of London, Panthea Parker, recently told HELLO!: "I see her quite a few times because my son's school plays against her son's school. I do see her a lot, but not to talk to, just from afar. So classy, so lovely, and she never misses any of her children’s matches, so really amazing."
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William and Harry went to Wetherby in Notting Hill
Princess Diana
Princess Diana was known for her nurturing nature, especially towards her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. The late royal was pictured on a number of occasions on the school run, including this sweet moment from April 1990, where the trio were pictured outside Wetherby School with the little princes in their uniforms. Diana was the coolest mum at the school as she rocked a printed shift dress and a chocolate brown suede bomber jacket.
How cute were Beatrice and Eugenie as they headed off to Upton!
Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York, made an appearance for her youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie's first day at Upton School in Windsor in 1994. Eugenie showed off the cutest grin as she donned her navy blue uniform, including a tiny blazer and boater hat, alongside her sister Princess Beatrice, who carried a pink backpack.
On an appearance on the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast, the Duchess of Sussex revealed if fellow mothers at the schools of her children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, can expect to see her doing the school run. Speaking about her morning routine, Meghan Markle "If I don't have meetings in the morning, then I try to do school drop off. They're at two different schools, so that's a big circuit," she explained. "So from 6.30 in the morning on drop-off mornings for me, I'm not home till 9. And then after that, I'll just jump into meetings. And then on other days, then I'll wake up and get them all set, and then our amazing nanny, who's been with us for five years, she'll take them to school."