Some research questions about the royals

[Beorning]

Hello!  ;D

One of my ideas for potential stories involves a situation where a young member of some (fictional) modern royal family - a princess, to be exact - leaves her sheltered life and goes among ordinary people (preferably without disclosing her royal heritage). The thing I'm wondering about, though, is: how much "sheltered" a modern royal would be?

For instance: do the royals get their education in the same places as everyone else? Would it be realistic to present my princess as homeschooled - or do modern royal children go to school like everyone else? What about the university-level education - I guess you can't get it attending university like ordinary people, or is it actually possible?

Also, what do you think - is it even possible for a modern royal to be sheltered from ordinary life? Is it possible for my princess to have lived in the palace all her life and not experience the ordinary things people go through during their childhood and teenage years? Or would it be unbelieveable?

Any thoughts on that matter?

[Oniya]

You might want to sort out what specific aspects of 'modern life' you want her to be sheltered from - keeping in mind that if she has access to a computer, it's possible for someone to learn a lot that their parents 'don't want them to know'.  Now, the accuracy of that information may be suspect, but even Wikipedia can tarnish a curious teen's naivete.

[Beorning]

True that - Internet makes this kind of story a bit tricky...

Still, the things I want her to be sheltered from are things like wild parties, obnoxious people, having to do many things by yourself etc. I want her not to have a good idea on how ordinary people live - or, at least, have no first-hand experience with such things.

And I do wonder about her education - because if she has attened ordinary highschool, then she'd have experienced many of these things just by having ordinary friends...

[Lilias]

A high-end private school is a world apart in itself, and her friends would be every bit the snooty aristocrats as she is, or the even snootier nouveaux-riches. There's not that much difference between a princess and a duchess, in contemporary royalties.

Social functions without bodyguards would definitely be challenging, especially if they're less than decorous. St Trinian's is fictional, after all.

I imagine that she would have no experience with household maintenance (from operating a washing machine to DIY repairs or cooking), using public transport (and the... colourful people one can meet on the bus or the train, especially late at night or early in the morning), and shopping (she probably never had a budget).

[Beorning]

A high-end private school is a world apart in itself, and her friends would be every bit the snooty aristocrats as she is, or the even snootier nouveaux-riches.

Interesting. Please, tell me more - I know nothing of such schools. I once met a girl who had attented a Catholic boarding school ran by nuns, but from what she said, it was a relatively normal place. The students just had to sneak out if they wanted to do normal stuff teenagers do...

Social functions without bodyguards would definitely be challenging, especially if they're less than decorous. St Trinian's is fictional, after all.

I'm thinking about the bodyguards, too. If the princess was to attend the university, would the bodyguards be following her around?

Any knowledge on how, say, the British royals treated these matters?

[Lilias]

Interesting. Please, tell me more - I know nothing of such schools. I once met a girl who had attented a Catholic boarding school ran by nuns, but from what she said, it was a relatively normal place. The students just had to sneak out if they wanted to do normal stuff teenagers do...

I don't know much about modern boarding schools either, but I imagine a place, say, in Switzerland would be remote enough to preclude much sneaking out. Where would you go if the closest village is a couple of miles away and the whole place is two metres deep in snow anyway? And if the students are of the kind that would be waited on hand and foot back home, school might not put a great emphasis on learning everyday life skills.

I'm thinking about the bodyguards, too. If the princess was to attend the university, would the bodyguards be following her around?

Any knowledge on how, say, the British royals treated these matters?

Yes. Not always following visibly, but definitely under constant surveillance. Can't afford to have a young royal kidnapped or pestered by the press. When Prince William was at school and university, the royal family had an arrangement with the tabloid press that they were to leave him in peace to his studies, in exchange for regular official updates, but surveillance was always there. St Andrews University, though, allowed that surveillance to be less overbearing, as it's out of the way enough.

[Beorning]

I don't know much about modern boarding schools either, but I imagine a place, say, in Switzerland would be remote enough to preclude much sneaking out. Where would you go if the closest village is a couple of miles away and the whole place is two metres deep in snow anyway?

Good point. The question is, would she be necessarily educated at a *boarding* school? Maybe she could attend a normal, high-end school in the city?

Yes. Not always following visibly, but definitely under constant surveillance. Can't afford to have a young royal kidnapped or pestered by the press. When Prince William was at school and university, the royal family had an arrangement with the tabloid press that they were to leave him in peace to his studies, in exchange for regular official updates, but surveillance was always there. St Andrews University, though, allowed that surveillance to be less overbearing, as it's out of the way enough.

So, let's say that the princess is at the university and goes to a frat party. We can assume that there would be bodyguards hiding somewhere in vicinity?

[Lilias]

Good point. The question is, would she be necessarily educated at a *boarding* school? Maybe she could attend a normal, high-end school in the city?

All the British royal children boarded. In other countries, that may not be the case. You can look up any and all of the current European royals and find out where they went to school. :-)

So, let's say that the princess is at the university and goes to a frat party. We can assume that there would be bodyguards hiding somewhere in vicinity?

Definitely. And she'll be whisked away if things grow too rowdy. That could make for a lot of resentment towards her nannies. ;)

[Beorning]

All the British royal children boarded. In other countries, that may not be the case. You can look up any and all of the current European royals and find out where they went to school. :-)

I've done some looking up... It seems that there are different approaches to the issue. The current Princess of the Netherlands is attending a *public* primary school, for once...

[lesleymoon]

I've done some looking up... It seems that there are different approaches to the issue. The current Princess of the Netherlands is attending a *public* primary school, for once...

I think the Royals of most countries are becoming a bit more open and less guarded following Princess Diana's example. She was very adamant about her boys having as close to a normal life as possible. She took them to McDonalds, for example, and other 'normal' places. And I seem to remember that William went to a normal, public preschool (and presumably Harry did as well) but I think for their formal education they boarded, as stated previously.

My take on them is that they are as 'normal' as can be for their status, but because of their status, they'll never have that true normal.

But, you said that your story is taking place in a fictional country, so you can determine how sheltered she was prior to the events of your story. Its your setting, so whatever you determine would be correct.