Princess Charlotte arrives at St Thomas’s Battersea on her first day of school with Prince George, Kate Middleton and Prince William.
Princess Charlotte arrived at the school gates of St Thomas’s Battersea this morning looking every bit her adorable (and cheeky) self.
Accompanied by her older brother Prince George and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, four-year-old Charlotte at first appeared a little apprehensive of the big day ahead, clutching on to Kate’s hand and lingering behind her mother on the approach to the school.
However, she soon snapped back into her usual cheeky and charming self, waving to the cameras and her new teacher. While George looked seemingly less pleased to be heading back to school after a long summer holidays.
Charlotte and George were greeted at the gates by Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, at the entrance before joining their new classmates.
Kate Middleton looked thrilled to be accompanying her daughter on the first day of reception at St Thomas’s Battersea. The Duchess had previously missed out on the momentous occasion with George – who is now heading into Year 2 – as she had been suffering with Morning Sickness during her pregnancy with Prince Louis.
Read on to find out what’s in store for Princess Charlotte at her new school…
As Princess Charlotte starts school, royal author Kate Nicholl looks at what she can expect during her first day at St Thomas’s Battersea
Princess Charlotte started school at St Thomas’s Battersea, London on Thursday 5 September 2019.
They were just three little words. “Oh la la!” Princess Charlotte exclaimed as she joyfully explored her mother the Duchess of Cambridge’s Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show last month.
While the Cambridges have made a conscious effort to shield their three young children from the media spotlight, they allowed one of their favourite photographers, Matt Porteous, to take pictures and a Kensington Palace videographer to capture George, Charlotte and Louis playing. The footage is as charming as it is revelatory.
Running through the trees, skipping over stones, dipping her feet in the stream and energetically jumping onto a swing rope Charlotte, pretty as a picture in a printed sun dress, proved to be quite the scene stealer. In fact, she has made a habit of outshining, making sure the spotlight is on her.
She mastered the royal wave the day she was born (Kate left hospital within hours of giving birth) and while George is often shy in front of the cameras, Charlotte enjoys being the centre of attention.
As for little Louis, who recently turned one, “He just watches in awe,” laughs a friend.
With their brood of three, the Cambridges could not seem happier. As one of three herself, Kate always wanted two siblings for George, with friends speculating that William and Kate could go for another. “I think they’d like another baby, and a girl to balance things out,” adds the source.
One gets the impression that Charlotte is very much the boss of the palace. Having seen Princess Charlotte in action myself – I remember her cheekily poking her tongue out at photographers at Harry and Meghan’s wedding – there’s no doubt that the princess
is a bundle of fun and the leader of the pack.
So, all should fare well when Princess Charlotte starts school and joins big brother Prince George at Thomas’s Battersea this September.
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The independent primary school in south-west London is one of the country’s leading independent schools. The school has said they are “delighted” to be welcoming Charlotte, who apparently “can’t wait” to join her brother at what she calls “big school”.
Currently at the £20k-a-year Willcocks Nursery in Kensington, she is a popular pupil with lots of friends. On a recent royal engagement, the Duchess described her daughter as “very friendly” to a fellow mother. Meanwhile, the Duke has opened up about how raising a daughter is markedly different.
“Having a daughter is a very different dynamic,” he has said. “So I’m learning about having a daughter, having a girl in the family.”
While she might be HRH, life for Charlotte, and her siblings, is surprisingly normal, which is how William and Kate want it. “It’s a remarkably ordinary childhood,” adds the friend. “Charlotte goes on play dates and to parties. Kate and William want her to experience normality.”
Walks in Kensington Park Gardens are the norm (they are rarely, if ever, photographed) and the children love playing in the sandpit at Holland Park. They also love exploring the wild beaches of Norfolk with their hands-on and loving grandparents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and are close to their aunts and uncles.
Those who know the princess say Charlotte has plenty of confidence and character,
and she’s also bright and can count to 10 in French and Spanish thanks to the family’s bilingual nanny, Maria Borrallo.
As a baby, she was advanced, walking by her first birthday and speaking before she turned two. When she made her first appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour, she seemed thrilled to see the crowds waving at them like a seasoned royal.
I remember watching George and Charlotte playing at a garden party in Canada on a royal
tour and being struck by her confidence. She didn’t hesitate in going up to a huge bunch
of balloons to play with them.
Now four years old, she is a talkative and playful little girl who loves making pizza, going on spider hunts, and arts and crafts.
She bears an uncanny resemblance to the Queen when she was a little girl, which might explain why the monarch has a soft spot for her and has joked that she keeps everyone
in check. Even Catherine has described her only daughter as the boss of the house.
“She’s a charming and outgoing and utterly gorgeous little girl,” says a family friend. “She is what I would call a warrior princess. A bit of a tomboy, but always in a dress.”
Read More:
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- Everything you Need to Know About Baby Sussex
- Royal Baby Gifts fit for a Prince or a Princess
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