The Princess of Wales has revealed that she is missing her eldest son, Prince George, with her confession coming a month after he started boarding at Eton College.
On Thursday, the mum-of-three visited Café 98, Hoveton in her capacity as a patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), which runs the charity shop. While meeting shoppers inside the centre, she revealed that she "missed" her teenage son.
After meeting Catherine, Denise Ashton, 68, told the media: "She said she's looking forward to George coming home - she's missed him. They may be going somewhere [during the break]."
A young child also informed the royal that it was his last day of school before the half-term break, to which she replied: "My children break up tomorrow and I can't wait to have them all home."
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Elsewhere during her solo outing, Catherine oversaw The Treehouse's new expansion project. Construction is underway on a new hydrotherapy pool, wellbeing and therapies suite for the children's hospice. It will also include a larger care activity area, dedicated teenage space, an additional bedroom and expanded kitchen and dining facilities.
Prince George at Eton
George has now been settling into Eton for nearly a month, making new friends and meeting his classmates. He will also be getting to grips with the school's many complicated rules – including rules on punctuality and receiving so-called "rips" on his work if it is not up to standard, meaning the top of the page is physically "ripped" off.
While George experienced part-time boarding during his time at Lambrook School, Eton is his first experience as a full-time boarder, living away from his family during the school term. The 13-year-old's living arrangements will be very different from his life in a royal residence, as he will have a humble study-bedroom just like the rest of the cohort of boys.
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Each student is granted their own room to ensure "self-discipline". The website explains: "From the very beginning, each boy has his own study-bedroom: there are no shared rooms. Boys thus have their own private space and are required to organise themselves and to develop self-discipline in meeting tasks and deadlines."
Although Catherine has been missing her eldest son, she has likely reunited with him already. Students had their first "short leave" of the term from 2 to 4 October, which allows boarding students to enjoy a weekend back at home.
Eton officially breaks up on Friday, and George will not be required to return to the hallowed institution until 9 November. This means he will be able to spend both Halloween and Bonfire Night with his family.