Kate Middleton's heartbreaking move as she says goodbye to cherished loved one
Kate Middleton's heartbreaking move as she says goodbye to cherished loved one
Lauren Welch & Charl WrightThu, October 15, 2026 at 1:32 PM UTC
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The Princess of Wales will reportedly struggle with Prince George's absence -Credit:WPA Pool, Getty Images (WPA Pool, Getty Images)
A royal expert has shed light on how Kate Middleton is likely coping as the family adjusts to life without Prince George at home.
The teenage royal started at Eton College last month, the prestigious institution his father, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry, both attended in the 2000s. George, the eldest of Catherine and William's three children, is now boarding at Eton, following in his father and uncle's footsteps.
The couple remains at their Windsor home with their two younger children, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight. Now, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond suggested that Catherine is probably struggling with George's absence from the family home.
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She told OK!, "This must have been such a big transition period for the family as a whole. George will inevitably feel more independent after his first few weeks at Eton, and I'm sure his siblings will have had a fair bit of adjustment to make as the family dynamics change.
"Mind you, in this digital age, it's all so different to the time when children went away to boarding school, and there was nothing except the odd letter or phone call, if it was allowed.
Prince George pictured on his first day at Eton last month -Credit:GETTY
"I expect George and his family have been having video chats as he settles into life as a full-time boarder, so they won't have felt so cut off. But, even so, they have always been such a close-knit family, so it must have been strange to have an empty chair and an empty bedroom.
"I'm sure that must be especially emotional for Catherine after the past few years, when she has sometimes had to prioritise her health and recovery."
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The school's website indicates that Eton's Autumn half-term runs from October 23 to November 8. The Prince and Princess of Wales accompanied George as he began his journey at the Berkshire institution last month. William and Catherine made the brief trip with their eldest child from their Forest Lodge residence in Windsor Great Park to the prestigious private establishment.
Catherine and William were with George on his first day -Credit:GETTY
Headmaster Simon Henderson and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the school's Provost who chairs the governing body, welcomed the family in the quadrangle. "Welcome," Henderson told him. "Good luck. Enjoy it."
Following handshakes, the party proceeded into the fourth-form passage within the original school building, which reportedly contains the world's oldest classroom.
Beyond traditional academic courses, George's initial week at the institution likely included learning to wear the distinctive tailcoat-and-waistcoat uniform and completing the compulsory "colors test."
Eton College is one of the UK's best schools -Credit:Getty Images
Additionally, George will likely need to adhere to one significant regulation during his enrollment: utilizing a simple "brick" phone limited to calls and texts, with no internet connectivity.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Melanie Sanderson, managing editor at The Good Schools Guide, suggested that the policy has likely been "welcomed" by parents of pupils at the institution, including Catherine and William.
She said, "The phone decision was very much welcomed by parents, and the boys are so busy, they don't have time to be sat on their beds, scrolling TikTok."
William had previously revealed that none of his children currently owned phones, though his eldest son would probably receive one upon starting secondary school. He told Brazilian television host Luciano Huck from the Domingão show last year, "When George moves onto secondary school, maybe he'll have one with limited access."
Following the short photocall on George's first day, William and Catherine have made it clear they want his education to remain private and out of the public eye.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
