Prince George's bond with Princess Charlotte could mean this historic royal tradition is broken

Prince George's close bond with Princess Charlotte could be the deciding factor on whether he'll keep the historic royal tradition of attending boarding school, a royal expert has claimed.

It's understood that Prince George has been having more informal chats with King Charles and his recent first taste of boarding school life has led to questions over whether the young prince will follow in his father's footsteps and attend Eton College.

But Royal Editor at Vanity Fair, Katie Nicholl has cast doubts over his boarding school future. She told True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat, "I know William’s always been very keen for George to follow in his footsteps and go to Eton…[but Catherine] was of course at Marlborough, she was there with her siblings and that is a co-ed school and co-ed has always been really important for her."

Prince George, 10, currently attends Lambrook school in Berkshire with his younger sister Charlotte, eight, and brother Louis, five having relocated from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage.

Prior to their school move, Prince George and Princess Charlotte both attended St Thomas' in Battersea. 

Katie Nicholl added, "You rarely see George on official engagements without the support of his little sister. They are clearly very tight, and Charlotte is the ultimate support act in a way that Princess Anne has always been for Charles."

But when it comes to boarding schools as a place of secondary education, Prince William became the first senior royal to attend Eton in 1995 and he was joined by his brother Prince Harry in 1998, and attending boarding school is a royal tradition as previously his father King Charles attended the Scottish boarding school of Gordonstoun, but Charles reportedly hated it.

And while for most families the deciding factor of any secondary school application, can be the catchment area or the financial cost, the Wales' don't have to worry too much about that - even though fees for Eton are a staggering £15,432 per term - according to the school's website - with a £400 fee just for registering, although scholarships are offered to pupils who pass an exam.

And it's understood that children who wish to apply, must register their names three years before the planned entry date.

The recent Eton visit for Prince George could well have just been a royal engagement but only time will tell if the youngster is set to study there full time in the not-so-distant future.

Katie added, "If he goes to Eton, obviously she [Princess Charlotte] will have to go somewhere else. [William and Catherine] have kept them together all this time and chosen co-ed, Catherine was very happy at co-ed and loved her time at Marlborough so it will be a massive decision, and it will be a big thing if he goes to Eton."

However, in doing so, he will be away from his siblings and family for the majority of the time. 

And with signs already in place that the Wales' are Prince George, Charlotte and Louis paving the way for a collective monarchy it could well mean that Princess Charlotte could be set to make history as the first female royal to attend Eton, should the application rules change.