Princess Anne defends sending kids to boarding school in rare candid comment

Princess Anne has spoken candidly about the benefits of boarding schools, reflecting on her own education decades later. 

The King’s sister, now 75, attended Benenden School in Kent as a teenager, and says the experience gave her “stability", something she believes is invaluable for children of naval families.

During her visit to the Naval Children’s Charity (NCC) in Portsmouth, Anne reassured families who often send their kids to boarding schools due to constant relocations. 

“One of the charities I’m doing puts children into boarding schools, and the thing they always say is that it gives them stability,” she explained. 

“I think that’s true for a lot of people… otherwise it leaves gaps in your life which are difficult to manage.”

The Princess spoke with 16-year-old Clarice McEwan, who boards in Cheltenham while her family moves with her submarine Captain father. 

Clarice told Anne she “really loves boarding” and can’t imagine day school anymore.

Anne’s comments come from personal experience. She boarded from 1963–1968, while her brothers Charles, Andrew, and Edward attended Gordonstoun. 

Her children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, later followed suit.

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