Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are nearing the end of the school term at Lambrook Prep School in Berkshire, where they are part of the same summer exodus as thousands of other children across the UK. George, now 12, is preparing for a major change as he finishes his final year at the prep school before moving on to Eton College in September. According to Hello!, the three children do not use their royal titles in the classroom and are instead addressed in a far more ordinary way by friends and teachers.
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis Use Wales at School
At school, the siblings go by George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales. The surname is a direct reference to their parents’ current titles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, which were granted after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022. It is a practical choice, but also one rooted in royal custom. Before that change, when Prince William and Princess Kate held the Cambridge titles, their children used Cambridge at their earlier schools. The same pattern once applied to William and Prince Harry during their own school years.
Prince George Prepares for Eton This Autumn
George is currently in Year 8, while Charlotte is in Year 6 and Louis is in Year 3. His next step marks a significant moment for the family, with the eldest Wales child set to begin secondary education at Eton College this autumn. The move follows months of public interest over where he would continue his studies. His father also attended Eton, making the decision a familiar one within the royal household. For now, though, George is still completing his final weeks at Lambrook alongside his younger brother and sister.
Windsor and Mountbatten-Windsor Explain Royal Surnames
Royal surnames have long worked differently from those used by most families. Members of the monarchy often rely only on title and first name in formal settings, but there is a wider structure behind that practice. As reported by Hello!, the royal family’s official website states: "At a meeting of the Privy Council on 17 July 1917, George V declared that 'all descendants in the male line of Queen Victoria, who are subjects of these realms, other than female descendants who marry or who have married, shall bear the name of Windsor'." That rule shaped generations that followed.
Archie, Lilibet and Lady Louise Follow Another Path
Later changes added another branch to the family naming system. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip decided that their direct descendants should be distinguished from the wider royal family, leading to the use of Mountbatten-Windsor in some cases. Lady Louise Windsor became the first royal to use it after her birth in 2003, and she still appears under that name in carriage driving competitions. Prince Harry and Meghan’s children were also Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor before their prince and princess titles began to be used formally in 2023, while everyday family conversation stayed more relaxed.
