The surprising names Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis use at school
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis may be among the most recognizable children in the world, but inside the classroom, they go by names that sound considerably more ordinary.
The three children of Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly known at school as George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales, according to Hello! magazine.
The surname is tied to their parents’ current titles as the Prince and Princess of Wales, which they received after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022.
Why the children use Wales at school
The arrangement follows a long-standing royal practice. When members of the family need a surname in school or other settings, they can use the title held by a parent as a surname.
Prince William and Prince Harry did the same when they were growing up. During their school years and later in their military careers, they were known as William Wales and Harry Wales, because their father, King Charles, was then the Prince of Wales.
William and Kate’s children previously followed a similar pattern with the name Cambridge.
George, Charlotte and Louis were known as George Cambridge, Charlotte Cambridge and Louis Cambridge while their parents held the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. That changed when Charles became king and William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales in September 2022.
Their school names changed with the titles.
George begins a new chapter at Eton
The change in surname comes as the Wales children enter different stages of their education.
Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, attend Lambrook School, where their older brother previously studied.
George, 13, has now moved on to Eton College in Berkshire, England, beginning his first year at the school attended by his father.
William and Kate accompanied George for his first day at Eton last month. George arrived dressed in a black suit and blue tie, matching his father’s look for the occasion.
He later changed into Eton’s traditional uniform, which includes a black tailcoat, waistcoat, pinstriped trousers and a white shirt with a stiff collar.
William attended Eton from 1995 to 2000, while Harry studied there from 1998 to 2003.
George’s move to the school therefore continues a family connection that stretches back more than three decades. Eton, founded in 1440, is an all-boys boarding school and is one of England’s best-known educational institutions.
George previously attended Lambrook alongside Charlotte and Louis.
A very different school experience for George
George’s arrival at Eton also brings a new set of challenges, particularly when it comes to privacy.
Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told Page Six in July that George’s biggest challenge was unlikely to be academics or making friends. Instead, she said, it would be balancing his privacy with the reality that his classmates have access to social media.
“William and Harry attended before social media transformed adolescence,” Schofield said. “George won’t have that luxury.”
She also said George is expected to have his own room while remaining part of the wider social environment at Eton. He will likely take part in the school’s athletics program as well.
Schofield believes George will have some familiarity on his side because his father is an Eton alumnus.
“William knows where the pressure points are,” she said, noting that he understands the school’s social dynamics, academic expectations and emotional challenges.
For George, Eton marks a significant change from the years he spent at Lambrook with Charlotte and Louis. Yet at school, all three siblings continue to share the same understated family connection in their names: Wales, reflecting the titles their parents now hold.
