The burly former football legend showed of his tender side when he admitted to the Daily Mail that he’s not keen for his daughter to follow royal tradition and attend boarding school.
“I’m certainly not keen on sending Mia away to a boarding school at the other end of the country,” the retired rugby player admitted while he was at Abbey Road studios, where he was supporting a fundraising event for children’s charity Hope and Homes.
The 37-year-old attended a private school in the English town of Wakefield, expressing he thinks that would be the perfect option for his little one.
“Personally, I’d rather she attend a school that’s nearby, where we’ll always be on hand if she needs us,” he said.
“Anything else goes against my instincts.”
While Zara, Prince Philip and Prince Charles all attended Gordonstoun, an elite boarding school in northern Scotland, it seems the young royals are moving away from tradition.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enrolled Mia’s cousin Prince George into Westacre Montessori School, a local nursery school in Norfolk.
And for the dad-of-one, he has no issue going against royal tradition so that his little girl can be close to him.
“I know many people who say boarding was the making of them because they forged great independence from their parents, but I don’t really want her to be distanced from us,” he quipped.
But Mia is still very young, and Zara and Mike still have quite some time before they make any serious schooling decisions.
Watch Zara talk about motherhood in the video player below. Post continues…
For now, the cheeky tot who stole the show during her great-granny’s 90th portrait, is loving life as a toddler.
Speaking to Hello!, Mike said, “She loves fairground rides and trampolines. We have a trampoline in the back garden and she would happily bounce on it most of the day.”
“She loves being outside and is full of life!”
