It is a major milestone in a child’s life – and a pretty big one in every parent’s too.
Holding tightly on to her mother’s hand Princess Charlotte arrived for her first day of school and the start of a new chapter in her life yesterday.
Proud father Prince William said the little Royal, aged four, was “very excited” about joining her big brother Prince George at Thomas’s Battersea, where he has been a pupil for two years.
Charlotte looked a little hesitant at first as she was led into the school grounds and hid behind mother Kate’s legs while the small gathering of press photographers took pictures.
The Duke of Cambridge walked beside them, holding Prince George’s hand after driving his family to the fee-paying independent school in south London.
William parked the family Land Rover Discovery in an internal car park before the foursome headed to a side entrance where Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, was waiting to greet them.
Charlotte grasped her mother’s hand with both of hers and walked close to her as she approached Ms Haslem.
The duchess smiled and asked: “How are you? Did you have a nice summer?”, and Ms Haslem bent down to shake George’s hand and then Charlotte’s.
William beamed and said: “First day – she’s very excited.”
Charlotte wore the school’s transitional uniform which spans both summer and winter – a dark dress and cardigan with a blouse, white socks and shoes.
She had her hair in a practical ponytail, which she kept adjusting, fixed with a bow.
Her mother carried her satchel which had a sparkly key-ring identifier in the shape of a unicorn’s head attached to it. The satchel is part of the uniform and Charlotte – who, like youngsters across the world – is known to have a liking for the magical horned horses.
William and Kate, like other parents, get a slight reduction in fees for Charlotte’s education this school year as she has a sibling at Thomas’s Battersea – the school charges £19,287 for the first child and £18,915 for the second.
The duke and duchess took Charlotte to her class, where she is one of 21 pupils, to help her settle in and then waved her off for the start of her first day.
Kate missed George’s first day in September 2017 as she was suffering with extreme morning sickness while pregnant with Prince Louis.
She looked relaxed, wearing a summer dress, while her husband wore a jacket, trousers and shirt.
In his welcome message on the school website, headmaster Simon O’Malley said: “Thomas’s Battersea is a busy, thriving, purposeful school, educating 560 boys and girls between the ages of four and 13.
“As you would expect of any Thomas’s school, the most important school rule is to ‘Be Kind’. We offer a rich and broad curriculum, with art, ballet, drama, ICT, French, music and PE all taught by specialist teachers from a child’s first day in school.”
He added: “We hope that our pupils will leave this school with a strong sense of social responsibility, set on a path to become net contributors to society and to flourish as conscientious and caring citizens of the world.”
Earlier this year, Mr O’Malley, said in a statement: “We are delighted that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have decided that Princess Charlotte will join her elder brother, Prince George, at Thomas’s Battersea.
“We greatly look forward to welcoming her and all of our new pupils to the school in September.”
Kensington Palace celebrated the special day for Charlotte with a tweet, writing: “Princess Charlotte arrives for her first day of school at Thomas’s Battersea, joining her older brother Prince George.”
“Today marked an emotional milestone for Kate just as much as Charlotte, as the Duchess could not experience the excitement of the first day of school of George because she was suffering from severe morning sicknesses during the first months of her last pregnancy.”
Charlotte, who has been at Willcocks Nursery, Kensington, since January 2018, will start at Thomas’s by doing half days.
There is also another friendly face in the form of her cousin Maud, the daughter of Prince Michael of Kent’s son Lord Freddie Windsor, who is in the same year as George.
Royal biographer Penny Junor told Hello! magazine: “Prince George is a very protective and lovely older brother.
“I’m sure he’ll look after his little sister and take great pride in showing her the ropes.”
The school is housed in a Grade II listed building, the former Sir Walter St John’s Grammar School, which dates back to 1700. Former pupils include Florence Welch, of the band Florence and the Machine.
Others include model Cara Delevingne and her sisters, Poppy and Chloe.
In 1987, Prince William went to Wetherby School, also in west London, with pictures from the time showing him with his late mother Princess Diana in a smart uniform consisting of a grey school cap, double-breasted coat, grey shirt and red tie.
His father, the Prince of Wales started as a day boy at Hill House School in Knightsbridge in 1956.
The following year, at the age of eight, he went as a boarder to Cheam School at Headley, near Newbury, Berkshire, before completing his school education at Gordonstoun, in Elgin, Moray.
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