Why Wills and Kate didn't enrol Princess Charlotte in the same school as Prince George.

When Princess Charlotte rocked up on our social media timelines dressed in a matching maroon ensemble on Tuesday, she suddenly seemed a little less… tiny.

The youngest royal was starting her first day of preschool at Willcocks Nursery School – a decision which parents Kate and Will announced last December, surprising those that thought she would follow in brother George’s footsteps at Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk.

So, why the difference?

Well, according to People, a royal source said that “they chose that nursery because they thought it would be an ideal first step for Charlotte’s education and they were impressed by the team who work there.”

Sounds… diplomatic, but there’s also a few more differences between the two nurseries.

For one, Willcocks is a lot closer to the family’s Kensington Palace residence compared to Montessori, which was a short drive away from their then-residence at Anmer Hall in Norfolk (close to the Queen’s Sandringham Estate).

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However as Kate is now pregnant with baby number three, the family have since moved back to London’s Kensington palace, and therefore it wouldn’t have made much sense to send Charlotte there.

At the time, little George was also only attending nursery on a part-time basis, compared to Charlotte who will be at Willcocks full-time.

And while we’re sure Will and Kate aren’t pinching pennies – now or ever – Princess Charlotte’s pre-school education will be a heck of a lot dearer than George’s.

Tuition at Willcocks is a staggering $25,200 (AUD) per year, compared to the $58 (AUD) a day the royal family forked out to send George to Montessori.

Now five, George is at London's renowned prep school Thomas' Battersea, just like his dad, where Charlotte just might attend in three years' time.

Watch this space.

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