Prince George and siblings use Wales as school surname

Page Six reports, citing Hello! magazine, that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis use Wales as their surname at school. On the register they are George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales, no prince or princess in sight.

The name tracks their parents' current titles. William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, and royal children traditionally use their parents' titles as a school surname. It is also a family pattern: William and his brother Harry were William Wales and Harry Wales during their school and military years, Page Six notes.

Before the titles changed, the children went by George Cambridge, Charlotte Cambridge and Louis Cambridge, after their parents' time as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The new surname simply keeps up with the promotion.

The school roster has shifted too. Charlotte, 11, and Louis, 8, are at Lambrook Prep School, where George previously studied. George, 13, started at Eton College this year, following William, and his parents dropped him off last month.

In July, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told Page Six the biggest test for George will be keeping privacy in a world where every classmate has TikTok, rather than settling into classes or making friends.

"William knows where the pressure points are. He understands the social dynamics, the academic expectations and the emotional challenges."

The Wales surname is a neat compromise: royal at home, one of the crowd at school. The catch is that the "ordinary" surname is still Wales, which is its own kind of reminder that this family is never fully off duty.

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