IN PICS | Cambridges all smiles as George, Louis and Charlotte start new school

The three young children of Prince William and his wife Kate had a first taste of their new school on Wednesday as they nervously met their headmaster, accompanied by their parents.

Princes George and Louis, 9 and 4, and Princess Charlotte, 7, will all attend the private Lambrook School after the family moved their base from London's Kensington Palace to a home on Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle estate.

Footage released by William's office showed the young royals, wearing their uniforms, heading to Lambrook for a “settling-in afternoon” for new pupils ahead of the official first day on Thursday.

George and Louis held their mother's hands while Charlotte clutched her father's as they walked to the front door.

“Lovely to have you with us,” headmaster Jonathan Perry said as he shook their hands. When he asked them if they were excited and looking forward to being at the school, they bashfully nodded and replied “yes”.

“Lots of questions,” William said.

Kensington Palace announced last month the children would start at the school, where annual fees cost up to £21,000 ( R418,000) per pupil.

It coincided with the couple, officially the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, moving to Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom property a short distance from Windsor Castle where the 96-year-old queen spends most of her time nowadays.

Media reported the move was designed to give the children as normal an upbringing as possible, as well as allowing William, the future king, to be near his ageing grandmother who has had health issues in the past year.

William is known to fiercely defend his family's privacy when not at official engagements, and only a small number of media were invited to see the children's arrival at their new school. 

Reuters