Even more so than entertainment celebrities, royalty can choose to live a cocooned life. Although it is entirely possible to marry into the world’s few royal families –as the likes of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle did –more often, you are born a royal. Education is one area where that cocoon is often reinforced. With their wealth and – perhaps more importantly – elevated status (something not even Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos’ billions can buy) royalty is often educated away from the masses, to ensure both a particular kind of education and a measure of privacy. The British royal family are famous for sending its progeny to Eton College. Princes William, Duke of Cambridge; Harry, Duke of Sussex; Edward, Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent are all alumni of the famous Berkshire school. In extreme circumstances certain royal families ensure that education takes place within the confines of the royal palace itself. Both Mohammed VI of Morocco and Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, were taught at schools within their respective families’ palaces. Grace Kelly to Rita Hayworth: 10 American princesses before Meghan However, it is not always the case that royalty remains aloof. Some royal families are happy with a more common touch, and have been willing to educate their young in less gilded environs. Here are five such examples. Albert II, Prince of Monaco Despite being the sovereign prince of Monaco, a state where it is estimated that more than 30 per cent of the resident population are millionaires, Prince Albert had a surprisingly modest education. Born in the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, which dates back to 1191, Albert attended Monaco’s prestigious public school Lycée Albert Premier, founded in 1910 by his namesake. As well as its royal connections, the school has also experienced some Hollywood stardust in the form of Grace Kelly, mother to Prince Albert, who inaugurated the school’s library. Today the prince is married to Princess Charlene, a South African former Olympic swimmer . Which royals have competed at the Olympic Games? King Philippe of Belgium A scion of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which also counts the British royal family as members, Philippe of Belgium belongs to one of Europe’s most prestigious families. Despite this exalted background, Philippe’s parents, Albert II and Paola Ruffo di Calabria (daughter of the sixth Duke of Guardia Lombarda), elected to send him to one of Belgium’s public schools. After starting his formal education he attended Sint-Michielscollege van Brussel (St Michael’s College, Brussels), a French-speaking Catholic school, until he was 15. Previously the school had educated elites such as Hubert Pierlot, a Prime Minister of Belgium, and Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, youngest son of Emperor Charles I of Austria. Game of thrones: Who are the future kings and queens of Europe? Thereafter, the future king completed his education at Abdijschool van Zevenkerken in Sint-Andries, a somewhat more exclusive boarding school in the suburbs of Bruges. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is second in line to the Norwegian throne. Just 17 years old and still at school , the young princess has attended a mix of educational establishments. Initially she attended Jansløkka Skole, an elementary state school about half-an-hour’s drive outside Oslo, as her parents wished for her (and her half-brother, who also attended) to receive an ordinary education. After four years at Jansløkka, Ingrid Alexandra moved to the more elite, fee-paying Oslo International School, supposedly because her parents wished for her to perfect her English and experience a more international curriculum. She was there for six years before she changed schools once again, this time to the capital’s Uranienborg School, a public high school in Oslo’s Frogner/Briskeby district, a spot close to the Royal Palace. What about Princess Victoria of Sweden makes her so popular? The princess herself has now chosen to attend public high school at Elvebakken VGS, situated in the formerly working-class neighbourhood of Grünerløkka. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that Ingrid Alexandra had to go through the same application process as all other incoming students to get into the highly rated school. King Harald V of Norway Princess Ingrid Alexandra isn’t the only member of recent Norwegian royalty to have experienced a relatively modest education growing up. Her grandfather, Harald V, also attended a relatively ordinary school for someone of his station. Displaced by World War II as a child – Harald spent much of the war in America – the future king studied at Oslo Katedralskole (Oslo Cathedral School) before university. Royal rebels: the princesses who decided not to play by the rules Although selective and among Norway’s most prestigious schools, the institution does not require fees, and does not bar entry in the manner that, for instance, Eton does less wealthy families. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands King of the Netherlands and member of the House of Orange, Willem-Alexander belongs to one of the world’s richest royal families. Thanks to their investments in the likes of Royal Dutch Shell, Philips Electronics and KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines, the Dutch royal family is estimated to hold a fortune worth over US$3 billion. Despite these riches, Willem-Alexander was educated in mostly humble surrounds. He attended a local state primary school, Nieuwe Baarnsche Elementary School, in Baarn from 1973 to 1979. Thereafter, as a young man, he went to two different state secondary schools: the Baarnsch Lyceum and then the Eerste Vrijzinnig-Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague. Prince Harry and 4 other royals who served their country in the military It wasn’t until the end of his secondary education that future king attended a private school, the United World College of the Atlantic, a sixth-form college in Wales, from 1983 to 1985, where he received his International Baccalaureate diploma. Prince Hisahito The Japanese royal family is usually a stickler for tradition. Previously, every male member of the family since World War II attended the highly prestigious Gakushuin Primary School in Tokyo, not far from the Imperial Palace. Not so for Prince Hisahito, who was third-in-line to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon his birth. The move was a surprise. Established in the mid-19th century, Gakushuin’s origins were as an academic institute for court nobles and it has a long list of notable Japanese alumni including many members of the Japanese royal family, former prime minister Taro Aso, Yoko Ono and acclaimed film director Hayao Miyazaki. Meet the 13-year-old who may be the future of Japan’s monarchy Despite this impressive roll-call of famous names, Hisahito attended Ochanomizu University Elementary School before graduating to its sister establishment Ochanomizu University Junior High School. Hisato’s parents, like Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s, wanted him to enjoy a regular education that saw him treated as an ordinary pupil. Media in Japan noted that during his junior school entrance day the Prince was referred to only as Akishino-no-miya Hisahito, with none of the usual royal honorifics. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .