Inside the classroom, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis can leave their formal royal titles at the door. Although their names are instantly recognizable, the three children use a much simpler surname when one is required at school. The arrangement is designed to make everyday school life feel more ordinary and avoid creating unnecessary distance between the royal siblings and their classmates. Their surname was once “Cambridge,” reflecting William and Catherine’s former titles as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. But after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 and Charles became King, William and Catherine became the Prince and Princess of Wales, changing the children’s school surname as well.
George, Charlotte and Louis can now be known as George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales, following a practice that William and Prince Harry themselves used during their school years and military careers. The tradition is not limited to the Wales family, either; other royals have used surnames connected to their parents’ titles, while Mountbatten-Windsor remains the broader surname available to descendants who need one. The change has become especially noticeable as the children move into different stages of school life. George, now 13, began at Eton College in September 2026, following his father’s path, while 11-year-old Charlotte and eight-year-old Louis remain together at Lambrook School. Their mother, Kate Middleton, has also offered glimpses into the children’s ordinary routines, recently joking that she has to remind them to wear their seatbelts. Despite the family’s immense public profile—and the financial, estate and other responsibilities that surround royal life—the surname allows the children a small measure of normality. Behind the palace gates, however, George, Charlotte and Louis remain three of the most closely watched young members of the Royal Family.