Prince George’s School Won’t Let Him Have a Best Friend

He may be the third in line for the throne, but Prince George has to obey the rules just like everyone else.

Prince-George’s-School-Won’t-Let-Him-Have-a-Best-Friend_9045255y_REXREX/Shutterstock

Last week, Prince George arrived at Thomas’s School in Battersea, London, for his first day of school. As he walked hand-in-hand with Prince William, he looked understandably a bit apprehensive—but luckily, he didn’t need a pep talk from his dad this time. And can we talk about how precious his little blue uniform was?

At Thomas’s, Prince George will learn basic skills like math, English, and science, and he can also take extracurriculars such as art, ballet, drama, French, music, and PE. Among all of the incredible lessons at this three-year-old’s fingertips, however, there’s also an important rule: He’s not allowed to make a best friend.

No, this has nothing to do with any royal etiquette rules. In truth, Thomas’s has a policy which discourages children to have a singular best friend, according to Loose Women panelist Jane Moore, who lives nearby the prep school and has friends whose children attend.

“There are signs everywhere saying ‘be kind’—that’s the ethos of the school,” Moore said. “They don’t encourage you to have best friends.” (In the adult world, here are the best gifts for every type of friend.)

Why? Apparently, the school wants to prevent its pupils from feeling left out. And to ensure that all children are included both outside and inside the school gates, Thomas’s maintains a few guidelines on birthday party invitations, as well.

“There’s a policy that if your child is having a party—unless every child is invited—you don’t give out the invites in class,” Moore said. “I think [it] is quite a good thing as you don’t feel excluded.”

Looks like the future king of England has to follow a few rules, too. And in case you were wondering, here’s the last name he’ll go by in school.

[Source: Country Living, The Guardian]

Brooke Nelson Alexander
Brooke is a tech and consumer products writer covering the latest in digital trends, product reviews, security and privacy, and other news and features for Reader's Digest. She's a two-time Emmy-nominated reporter with nearly 10 years of publishing experience, and her work has been recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.