Prince George at the center of major security fears over school relocation

A source close to the royal security talks said the decision had become extremely sensitive because of George’s status in the monarchy.

The insider told us: “Any school the Waleses are seriously considering will immediately face a whole different level of scrutiny. There are fears that any location linked to George could end up on terrorist hit lists or attract kidnappers and fixated individuals looking to target him.”

Another source familiar with the school selection process said safety concerns now dominated conversations as much as education or tradition.

The insider said: ‘William and Catherine want George to have as normal an upbringing as possible, but the reality is that wherever he goes becomes a global story overnight. It changes the risk profile not just for George, but for every child at school.

“They would much prefer that the names of the schools they are considering remain secret.”

Oundle School, a co-educational boarding school founded in 1556, has emerged as one of the strongest contenders.

The Northamptonshire institution is said to have impressed Welshmen during a recent visit and offers extra-curricular activities including a jazz orchestra, pipe band and a beekeeping club.

The school, which charges an annual fee of around $65,000, has also attracted attention as Charlotte and Louis could theoretically study alongside George in the coming years.

Oundle is about 100 miles from the Waleses’ home, considerably further away than Lambrook, where William and Kate’s children currently enjoy relatively private routines.

The Good Schools Guide has described Oundle as possessing ‘ravishing Jane Austen-style architecture without the accompanying floppy entitlement’, cementing his reputation as a less traditional alternative to elite institutions such as Eton.

William himself attended Eton College, the prestigious boarding school in Berkshire that was home to generations of aristocrats and royals.

Marlborough College, meanwhile, has personal significance for Catherine, who studied there before attending the University of St Andrews, where she met her future partner William.

Royal insiders said the couple were trying to balance George’s need for independence with increasingly complex security realities as he approaches adolescence and public interest in his future role increases.

A palace source said: ‘George is getting older and more recognizable every year. William and Catherine are acutely aware that his school years are entering a phase where threats are becoming more sophisticated and unpredictable.”

The challenge is compounded by the fact that George is expected to one day become king, making him one of the most sheltered and closely watched children in the world.

Former rugby international Danny Grewcock and ex-England cricketer John Crawley are among Oundle’s best-known alumni.