Kate's mum Carole Middleton tipped as 'key feature' for George, Charlotte & Louis's future

Following months of rumours and speculation, Kate and Prince William's move to Windsor has been confirmed by their office, Kensington Palace, on Monday. This news was accompanied by a statement announcing Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are to start together Lambrook School in September.

It read: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have today announced that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will attend Lambrook School in Berkshire from September 2022.

"Their Royal Highnesses are hugely grateful to Thomas’s Battersea where George and Charlotte have had a happy start to their education since 2017 and 2019 respectively and are pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values to Thomas’s."

This co-educational institution is located just a 15-minute drive away from Adelaide Cottage, the four-bedroom home where the Cambridges are moving into.

Moreover, it distances some 40 minutes from Bucklebury, where Kate's parents live.

And Mr and Mrs Middleton were tipped to have been given the chance to express their view on Kate and William's relocation. 

Journalist Beth Hall noted Lambrook is co-educational much like Marlborough College, the Wiltshire school the now Duchess of Cambridge joined after spending two terms at Downe House.

At this school, which was later also attended by Pippa and James Middleton, Kate "thrived", the journalist said.

Writing in the Daily Mail, she added: "It is surely no coincidence that Lambrook is only 30 miles from the children's grandparents, Michael and Carole Middleton, who will doubtless have been consulted." 

Moreover, Ms Hall spoke about the possibility for Mrs Middleton to play a prominent role in the education of George, Charlotte and Louis. 

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She said: "That Kate might see her mother as a key feature as she maps out the educational path of her own brood, would come as no surprise."

She then mentions an extract from a conversation between Kate and Giovanna Fletcher in a special episode of the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast.

The Duchess recalled memories of the time spent with her grandmother Valerie Glassborow, who worked as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park during World War II.

Kate told Ms Fletcher: "I had an amazing granny who devoted a lot of time to us, playing with us, doing arts and crafts and going to the greenhouse to do gardening, and cooking with us.

"And I try and incorporate a lot of the experiences that she gave us at the time into the experiences that I give my children now." 

Mrs Middleton herself spoke about some of the activities she does with her grandchildren.

She told Saga magazine: "It’s important for children to grow up appreciating nature and part of that is allowing them to get a bit muddy."

Speaking about how she plans a day with the children, Mrs Middleton also said: "If I’m doing planting with my grandchildren, I like to have it all laid out at ‘activity stations’ with their own little trowel and pot so they can get started immediately.

"It’s no good calling children over to an activity, only for you then to have to fuss about looking for the right equipment and clearing a space. 

"They’ll soon lose interest and slope off."

During the same podcast episode with Ms Fletcher, the Duchess described her childhood as "very happy" and spoke of her desire to provide a similar one for her children.

Praising the upbringing given her by Mrs and Mr Middleton, Kate said: "I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun.

"I'm very lucky, I've come from a very strong family.

"My parents were hugely dedicated to us — my siblings.

"I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us." 

Kate and William appear to be following in her parents' footsteps as the decision to move to Windsor has been "led by" the children, according to a royal source.

They said earlier this week: "This is very much a decision that two parents have made to give their children the ‘most normal’ start possible.

"KP can be a little bit of a fishbowl.

"They wanted to be able to give George, Charlotte and Louis a bit more freedom than they have living in central London.

"It’s very much a decision that’s been led by the kids."