For all the talk about whether Prince George would be switching schools and whether the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are looking to move to Windsor, it seems like the Cambridge kids’ school year is starting uneventfully this week. George and Charlotte will still attend Thomas’s Battersea and Louis will likely still attend a preschool in London. The plans are still there to move to Windsor, but I guess William and Kate are giving themselves the length of the school year to figure everything out with the potential move and the potential school changes. So will we actually get to see William and Kate drop off Charlotte and George for their first day of school this year? Will we see Kate in a new frock and a fresh blowout and some back-to-school Botox? Apparently not.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are heading back to school — but without a public photo op.
Although Prince William and Kate Middleton have shared photos of their three children starting school in the past, it’s not expected that royal fans will see the adorable shots of George, 8, Charlotte, 6, and Louis, 3, each year. The couple has always made a point of treating school as a private area, so that their children can grow up in as pressure-free an atmosphere as possible.
Kate and Prince William, both 39, have shared photos in the past of big school milestones, including their kids’ first day at new schools. This year, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are continuing their studies at Thomas’s Battersea, not far from the family’s Kensington Palace home in London. Louis will return to Willcocks Nursery School, where he started preschool in the spring.
This is the kind of thing where Kensington Palace has briefed the Royal Rota off-the-record that no one should expect a school photo-call this year. I would imagine that it still has something to do with the pandemic too, although the Cambridges aren’t using that as an excuse. I wonder if Kate will just take photos of her kids’ first day of school and release the pics? That seems likely. I’d just like to point out that it is actually expected for the Cambridges to do a first-day-of-school photocall though. That is the compromise the Windsors have made for decades, and other European royals do the same – they invite the media to do a photocall on the first day and then in exchange, the media will not intrude at the kids’ school for the rest of the year. I guess Will and Kate are playing by their own media rules though. Hm.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Kensington Palace, Backgrid.
Very interesting. Something is definitely up with these two.
Am I missing something? Do William and Kate usually do a back-to-school photo call for the children every year? I thought it was only for the children’s very first day of starting a new school and that’s it. Why did they feel the need to leak that they wouldn’t be doing a photo call “this year”?
Remember Kate and the Irish Guard incident: “Kate doesn’t want to set up expectations that this will happen every year”. Same BS here.
That’s what I am finding odd–the fact that they announced this. It’s weird.
It’s weird that they haven’t been seen at all in almost 2 months. Like at all. It makes me think somethings seriously wrong. The other members of the family including Charles have been out and about. The last photo of Kate was posted on their Instagram august 6. Williams last video was posted in July. Strange.
It’s really weird, and to clarify, the picture of Kate posted on August 6 was an old picture. We have not seen either of them in public since July 11. Not a single strategically leaked photo of their happy family vacations, a pic of them visiting the queen at Balmoral to show how “close” they are to her, nothing. Even the picture of Charlotte released for the butterfly initiative could have been taken at any point.
That’s two months without seeing a single Cambridge. And that includes Zoom calls or the like. WHAT have they been doing??
Maybe they’ve been busy creating content for their YouTube site. Lol, sorry, I can’t even write that with a straight face.
It has been announced that William is doing something tomorrow for suicide prevention day. So far nothing is announced for Kate. While it is not unusual for the Cambridges to do no engagements for the entire summer, it has been odd that there were no casual shots of them anywhere for two months. And of course Kate hiding out longer than William is not that unusual for her.
Have to say a lot of this resembles when Kate hid out a few years ago when the rose story came out and only made an appearance after it was announced she was getting a Victorian order ribbon.
Maybe and it’s possible, he could have gotten desperate, lol. Anyway, maybe she is pregnant. Or it stops the divorce/separation/ trouble in Cambridge rumors
@Becks they are beyond moronic, honestly. If there were rumors about problems in my marriage, the LAST thing I would do is decline to do such a quick, visible “Look at this cute and extremely happy little family!!” engagement that probably only lasts like ten minutes before the kids go into the school. Can they really not stand to be in each other’s presence for that long?!
I get that they haven’t done it every year, but they’ve done it enough that some people do expect it. And the argument could be made about how cheerful it would be (well, for some people 😂) after such an awful year? They could arrive and leave in the same car, then one of them could jump out and right into another Range Rover as soon as they were out of sight of the photographers.
Idk. It seem like such an easy win for them both, so whatever is going on is enough of an issue that they’re not even going to use this opportunity. Show up in a pretty pink dress, wave, kiss your kids goodbye, then leave. That’s literally all that’s required of her. My inclination (and this is 100% based on random speculation I pulled out of my ass, lol) is that William is the one who made the decision not to do it. But who knows.
@Lorelei – and they don’t even have to be in the picture! They could just release a pic of George and Charlotte in their uniforms on the steps of KP or something.
Like I said below I know they haven’t done this every year (released the pics), BUT even knowing that, I am surprised we did not get a picture this year or last year – if part of the point of the royals is to “lift spirits” during times of crisis and “be a rock for the country” or whatever else – then wouldn’t sharing a pic of the FFF King going to school in a safe manner (whatever that entails under current british guidelines, masks or social distancing etc) be part of that? “look we know the past year has been rough for parents, we’re looking forward to a new school year that is hopefully more normal, like every other parent in the country.” I know last year the lack of a picture made many speculate as to whether they were even back in school at all.
The Cambridge kids pictures are tricky IMO bc I do not think the public is owed access to the kids or anything. But, that’s all the Cambridges have to offer the press at this point. That’s the only thing even remotely interesting or newsworthy about them. So if the press wants to sell stories and get clicks and all that, the Cambs are going to have to pay up.
I don’t think the kids went to school last fall but instead did virtual schooling in Norfolk, hence why there weren’t any pictures. It would have been obvious they weren’t at KP. But this year kids are returning to school in person in England and submitting a photo of George and Charlotte would have been a good opportunity to have positive press.
With all the other rumours percolating, they aren’t helping the situation, seeing as the parents basically disappeared for 2 months from public view. They don’t need to release photos, but being so explicit to the media that they aren’t going to is a different approach from last year. They are bringing attention to it in a way they did not last year when they had a far better reason not to.
Cosmetic surgery and recuperation.
They usually disappear for a few weeks in Summer so this is not unusual at all.
No, this is unusual. This is two months of silence from the Cambridges. A few weeks – that’s just par for the course from them. But we haven’t seen either since the soccer finals (or was it Wimbledon, can’t remember which was last.) Even last summer they did a few events. Or you would have expected Kate to be “caught” out shopping or something after Meghan’s birthday 40×40 was such a hit. Or for one of them to at least do a zoom call at some point. But nothing.
MJM it is normal to see at least one of them. Last year it was staycation. The year before it was the budget airline hit job on the Sussexes, etc. But yes. Tone or the other pops in and out during the summer.
Twitter conspiracy is Kate got a facelift 😆
@MJM that was my first thought. Hiding out until the plastic surgery calms down.
Considering how the summer played out for Kate with the banishment from the Diana Statue Unveiling, and then the Jill Biden mumbling performance that she has to know looked bad, I think this year’s disappearing act is a little different than what we’ve experienced in the past. Adding in the rollout of the news that she is moving closer to her parents, and there were no photos allowed at Balmoral this year (which is also different) we’ve got some clues that they are either sidelining Kate as part of a marital separation, or she’s gone under the knife and isn’t happy with the results or isn’t healed enough to show her face yet.
@Becks1 I agree with every word of your comments. We last saw them in…May? June?
And spot on about how it would make total sense to set the tone for the fall, remind everyone they’re back after the long summer, show some leadership and camaraderie with their subjects, who are also sending their kids back to school. We are a week into September ffs
Yes, there is something going on in the Lamebridge household if KKKeen Guevara isn’t playing into the RR cards! There is something certainly happening as KKKeen Guevara wouldn’t miss ANY opportunity to be papped!! Hell, she calls them beforehand to get all of the pictures spattered across Britain!!
Seems that the Lambridge cards are all falling, as they should be. What a waste these two are for what they could be doing instead of what they are doing!!
When is their next engagement set? It is indeed strange that they’ve been so silent. Normally (when they haven’t been seen) we get sugar stories, but even this year it felt like that was to a minimum. The only story i can recall was how they were apparently having the time of their lives sailing and on the beach etc.
@Pao: William has an engagement next week with first responders to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day. 😳
He’s doing something for Suicide Prevention Day??
Is he taking the piss?
Would that be calling his SIL and giving a heartfelt apology for driving her to thoughts of suicide?
Can we buy these idiots a dictionary, clearly they struggle with big words like ‘hypocrisy’.
@zebz: William and Kate take the summer off every year but their break starts earlier than the other royals because they go on break at the same time that their children do. Sophie and Edward do this too. Although with their children being teenagers, I don’t think it’s necessary for Sophie and Edward to take the whole of July off.
While it is not unusual for them to hide out and do nothing in the summer, they have usually had a few photos of them going to Balmoral, such as the flybe incident or just arriving on the grounds. While there was an order not to photograph Andrew , the paps still managed to catch him after he left balmoral. But the Cambridges have been purposely ignored by the paps this summer and that’s not an accident.
Last year they didn’t do a school photocall either, but they didn’t actively say there wouldn’t be one. They just stayed silent and with the pandemic no one asked on the record about it. That they specifically said they wouldn’t do it suggests something is going on.
“The other members of the family including Charles have been out and about.”
Is anyone surprised? One can accuse Charles of very many not-so-nice things but one thing Charles (along with Anne & Sophie) cannot be accused of is being lazy.
I think Kate’s absence from the scene is because she’s doing therapy from the mental abuse her husband and her mother has caused her over the years. She has perhaps given up playing pretend but is forced and brainwashed by these two people to look at the bigger picture: future future queen consort. She can’t deny her unhappiness. It shows when her husband doesn’t even give her a glance when they’re in public as if he finds her presence repulsive. It’s a loveless marriage. It shows in her aging face and anorexic frame. All of these issues and more she has to resolve and find help in therapy.
So I was looking at this a few months ago (I can’t remember why, don’t judge me, I get bored a lot at work) and I don’t think they have released pictures every year, I think only for milestones. The Thomas’s pictures in this post are from Charlotte’s first day at Thomas’s, then we have the pics of Louis’ first day at nursery, and I think before that it was pictures from George’s first day at Thomas’s in 2017. So we didn’t get pics of George in 2018. We did get pictures of Charlotte’s first day at nursery (the pictures of her on the steps in the red cardigan sweater.)
I think the kids are just starting school in such a manner in terms of ages etc that it seems like we’re getting a picture every year just because, but we’re not, only for milestones, but the milestones (like first day of school at nursery and Thomas’s Battersea) are right on top of each other for right now. I remember last year many of us (including me) insisted that we would know if they went back to school bc we would get a picture, and I think that’s why I looked it up.
Anyway, regardless – interesting in the context of the “big move” to Windsor. This seemed like the time to switch schools for George, wonder though if the plan is to keep him there until its time for Eton or wherever?
Agree, they just tend to photograph the milestones so the fact we’re getting nothing this year doesn’t, in itself signal anything particularly untoward.
But the move to Windsor? Eton doesn’t start until 13 and George is some way off that. To move him from where he is to another prep school for a few more years would be more disruptive than not so, if the Cambridges do move, then I don’t think George’s schooling is their primary reason …. whatever the papers say.
Last year they simply didn’t provide photos and outside of us questioning why, there was no mention in the media. That they are specifically telling the media no pics this year suggests something more.
@Nic – I think it was said years ago that we would not get pictures every year (maybe when George started? like in a “take this pic and be happy but don’t expect it every year!!!” kind of way?) but I can’t remember my source for them, just something I came across when we were having this discussion last year.
Regardless, I do think it is interesting that this was in People, that we are definitely NOT getting a BTS pic this year, because it tells me that people (i.e. the rota) are asking for one and may be annoyed that there won’t be one. The Cambridges have been silent for two months as discussed above, there was one pic of Charlotte but that could have been taken months ago, the press is going to want their pound of flesh and right now the only thing the Cambridges have to offer is the children. So its interesting that they are pushing back and saying there will not be a picture.
Came here to say this. I think they just release pictures when it’s the first day at a new school. So if they keep the kids at the same school next year, we’ll probably get pictures of Louis attending Thomas’. Or if one, two or all go join a new school.
I think it’s interesting that not only have the Lambridges been MIA for the better part of the summer, but Ma Meddling hasn’t been running to the royal rats all summer as well. You know that something is up when Ma Meddling isn’t selling out her kids to the media. What is happening has apparently shut her up as well, which we all certainly appreciate!!
Ma Middleton might have spent the past seven weeks vacationing with her daughter?
@ Lady D, that would probably be a wonderful respite for Michael, to get rid of her for a while. Ah, peace and quiet, finally!! Though, Ma Meddling has 2 daughters to whore out to the press. And didn’t the the brother just become engaged and she is working to destroy, I mean, meddle into that relationship as well?
Becks1, William and Harry were sent to Ludgrove boarding school at age 8. Harry was a few weeks shy of 8. Conveniently located in the county of Berkshire. George could be send there starting January as a boarder. If W&K are determined not to do boarding, they could find another school in the area that does day students. One of the W&K kids started preschool or school in January one year, so switching or starting school in January isn’t unusual for this family.
It would fit with Angela Levin’s crazy timing of the move being announced next week (September) or around Christmas. If she’s aware this is linked to a school change, this would fit.
What would be the reason for a photocall at school this year? None of children are going to school for the first time. The next expected photo call at school will be when Louis goes to primary school. I think all this talk about moving to Windsor is just filler for the press because the Cambridges have no real info to leak to the press. So I think we’ll see Louis going to Thomas Battersea next year or the year after that.
Did they release one last year? If so i don’t recall them doing so.
Last year we were in the midst of a pandemic with no vaccine. School openings were random.
Hmm. Does this sort of feel like the Cambridges are testing the fences? Seeing what pushback there might be if they decide to release photos just on social media?
I’m reminded of the event Kate took over for St Patrick’s day where her “duties” were to wear green and pose with an adorable wolfhound, and even then she made it known that she wouldn’t go every year, so as not to set unrealistic expectations for herself. People made excuses for her then, and that pattern has continued.
Although they talk a lot about having to pick up the slack from Harry and Meghan leaving (🙄), I wonder if the Keens feel emboldened to see if they can get away with doing even less. After all, there’s no competition now for the media to run to now, is there? Let’s see if the media will be happy to make do with what the Cambridges are willing to give, or if they’ll push back.
I don’t think the Cambridges release a photo of the kids every year for the first day if school because i can’t recall them releasing one last year. I do think though that we might see more off Cambridges vs the UK press in the future. Remember, william is lawyering up. And i can’t help but feel like, after pimping them out for a few years, they are now backtracking and trying to keep the kids as private as possible.
@Jay that’s JUST what I was about to say! We’ve known since March of 2016 that Kate doesn’t like to set expectations that she’ll do anything annually. She said it herself — until people freaked the fck out —and then they “changed” the reason (as if we’re all idiots who hadn’t seen the first announcement like a day earlier), something about staying at home with the kids, maybe? I’m not sure, but I know that Keen is keen for the public to not “expect” anything from her regularly.
They had several excuses, one of which was the pathetic ‘She wanted to attend the St Patricks Day events at the school’. Too bad it was shown she went to the salon instead.
The way the press continue to coddle the Cambridges. I wonder of they get comfortable or if they worries about being exposed.
They don’t owe taxpayers pictures of their children. They owe work. But of course they’re arrogant about it.
@Alexandria But, but that’s the same thing. . . . 😳
They like to use their kids in an effort to show how much they so called sacrifice the kids’ privacy for the country. Nobody is asking them to show off their kids, except for the dumb tabloids. They are expected to work but can’t even do that. So they deflect by showing the kids once in a while and shouting woe is me, look how we try to be nice to the public by giving some pictures.
Perhaps it has only just occurred to the Cambridges that it is the height of hypocrisy for them to speak on World Suicide Day. Lol, I forgot who I was talking about for a moment–it has never occurred to them.
OTOH, this could be a chance for William to step up and admit that he contributed to his sil’s suicidal feelings, and apologize. It would require a level of humbleness, of humility, of finesse–so yeah, never going to happen–but imagine if he did. It would completely change the monarchy.
I think the reverse is true; I think he’s doing the event precisely because he’s aware of how cruel and pointed the irony is. It’s a dagger to Meghan and Harry, and one that is shrouded in the fake innocence of supporting a worthy cause. He wants the appreciation and accolades he’ll get for supporting it, and some will even point to that support as more proof of how HE’S not the problem and isn’t he so mature and giving, all the while knowing that his cruelty contributed to his sister-in-law’s ideation. It’s calculated and evil.
@Merricat and @Sunday, I said the same thing yesterday—I was wondering if William was purposely doing this engagement as an “FU” to Harry and Meghan (because, sure, it makes him look just great to mock someone who was genuinely recently suicidal), or if he and his team are genuinely too stupid to see the hypocrisy. He is both cruel and dumb, so it could really go either way.
It reminds me of his glee when he played basketball in a wheelchair, or joked about Covid after it had already killed people. He’s just a mean, spiteful assho!e.
if he did that, i’d ask who is this brilliant William impersonator suddenly breaking character and where is the future monarch actually
I’m always looking for the possibility of redemption, but yeah, it would be out of character.
Crossing fingers for another Meghan-authored piece in a high-profile publication, this time about suicidal ideation.
I wonder if the rota thought they’d get one for the sort of milestone of going back to school after the pandemic forced at home learning. Kind of a ‘getting back to normal’ thing. The kind of thing a FFK AND FFQ would do as reassurance/PSA.
So no boarding school for George yet. Or even this year. Makes sense why. The Cambridges PR as parents has always been how hands on and involved they are with their kids compared to the older, less hands on and colder generation. It’s literally given as a reason as to why they don’t work. So sending a kid of to boarding school at age 8 doesn’t say “hands on”.
@Sofia, and in the meanwhile, the kids are probably with a nanny 90% of the time that William and Kate are out of the spotlight, being “hands-on” parents
Well if you have a nanny for each child and a head nanny (Maria) exactly how are you going to get some “hands on time” in there between the nannies and school?
They could still send him in January, as they’ve started their kids in school in a January before.
maybe they are unofficially separated that’s why kate is hiding at mommy. We always get summer holiday at least pap . This year nothing plus rota are all quiet, also not much whining about Sussex either. I think rota knows something and waiting for which paper to take the first bold step. kate doesn’t go this long without pap picture and also all Middleton is quiet. My money is on unofficially separated and will keep it quiet up to the queen’s dead or forever.
If not separated, I think kate might undergo some cosmetic surgery and hide out from paps. During summertime, she usually does something to her face. Let’s wait and see.
So laziness, pregnancy, separation/divorce or plastic surgery disaster seem to be the possible options. I wonder if we’ll get leaks as to which it is.
The media try so hard to make something out of nothing. No school photos!!! But…mumble, mumble, mumble…we weren’t expecting them anyway…mumble, mumble.
Still, the lack of W&K is interesting. Perhaps they’re taking remedial classes in social graces – “OK Will, pretend I’m the president of Italy. Now come forward and congratulate him on his country’s win. No, don’t bare your teeth, smile…hmmm, let’s try that smile again…well, at least try to look less enraged.”
“Remember, you’re petting a pair of fluffy bunnies, so keep your fingers relaxed and whatever you do, don’t clench your fists . . . no, no! Now you’ve strangled the bunnies!”
You two have certainly captured TOBB at his finest!! Very well said!! KKKeen Guevara will now have to replace the bunnies before the kids get home, as you know they will notice they are 5 bunnies short!!
I have got to stop thinking it is okay to get a beverage before I come to this site.
@Christine lmao!!
After hiding all summer, the back-to-school shot seems like an easy one to feed the sharks. But then, looking at the above photos of Kate in the school colors matching dress, I can’t help but think that it took at least an hour of hair and makeup for her that morning. Plus Nanny Maria getting the two kids camera-ready in their school uniforms, then the drive and the unnatural hyena smiling, all super early in the morning. So maybe it was a big no from Kate and everyone else.
Maybe they got covid
Baldingham had it in March/April 2020 and meanwhile, both have been vaccinated, albeit separately. Also, if they were really sick, they would let everybody know so they can take months off to recuperate.
No photos whatsoever – maybe plastic surgery for Kate trying to look more like Rose.
There are multiple variants, re-infection is quite possible. And breakthrough infections, particularly with the new variants. It’s unlikely, but by no means implausible.
And we only found out that William had it MONTHS later, we STILL aren’t sure when exactly he had it. Not even a PEEP of speculation from ANYONE before KP told us it had happened. They can absolutely keep a secret when they want to, and for some reason with the Covid infection they wanted to.
maybe they are unofficially separated that’s why kate is hiding at mommy. We always get summer holiday at least pap . This year nothing plus rota are all quiet, also not much whining about Sussex either. I think rota knows something and waiting for which paper to take the first bold step. kate doesn’t go this long without pap picture and also all Middleton is quiet. My money is on unofficially separated and will keep it quiet up to the queen’s dead or forever.
If not separated, I think kate might undergo some cosmetic surgery and hide out from paps. During summertime, she usually does something to her face. Let’s wait and see.
Plastic surgery is a good guess especially since she’s approaching 40 years old.
I love this for the rota rats. I don’t know why W&K aren’t holding up their end of the bargain this time but I love that not only will the rota not get their annual photo op but they won’t even be able to bitch about it since they’ve made the Cambridges these perfect untouchable saints next to the evil Sussexes. Haha!
Maybe she is in therapy, that probable eating disorder has to be addressed. Imo kate also reminded me of a drinker. Plastic surgery definitely.
Lets face it the children are paraded after bad press for mommie, and daddy. Well those are my ideas.
They are out of sight because they need to get rid of the I’ve been out of the country, lounging on a sunny beach tan before they can show themselves in public.
But there were no holiday pictures of the Middletons either… highly suspicious.
I really do not think the public cares about pictures of the Cambridge children. I think the British Media actually cares even less than the public.
The “money shot” the British Media want is the one of Lili Mountbatten-Windsor.
Kate’s probably pregnant. 🤦♀️
If she is pregnant?. Someone predicted this, and that will eliminate her work duties. Or with all the babies being born, she just had to jump in. What a piece of work, if true. Nothing cool or great about such a move, more pathetic than anything. I truly hope she is not that desperate.
If she is pregnant?. Someone predicted this, and that will eliminate her work duties. Or with all the babies being born, she just had to jump in. What a piece of work, if true. Nothing cool or great about such a move, more pathetic than anything. I truly hope she is not that desperate.
Doesn’t she normally announce her pregnancies as soon as she can get a blood-test confirmation? Hiding it and not having a solid official excuse for not working would be wildly out of character for her.
I’m interested in royal stories but don’t know all of the fine details so maybe I’m wrong here. But is there anything to the fact that they’re probably moving, and they haven’t been seen in months, and they’re not releasing a photo? Obviously I don’t know what that means but sounds like the confluence of all of those factors might mean something. Wondering if they got inspired by how private H+M are and want to pull back a bit.
Harry and Meghan are private citizens. Where the heir to the heir lives, how much is spent on that, how much is spent securing it? All of that is info the public has the right to know. As they have the right to information about where the next heir is being educated.
Maybe the kids are going to stick with remote learning this term.
Weren’t they upset because they thought the whole world was making fun of George when he was photographed wearing his little suit to the soccer game? Ol’ Kate is probably holding back pictures to “punish” the world in the only way she knows how. Little does she know nobody really cares if we see pics of her kids.
All I can say is I hope those kids take a page from Unca Harry and RUN!