Bullying is surprisingly common among schoolchildren, but Princess Kate, sadly, was not affected by it in her own childhood.

And according to one royal expert, the Princess of Wales' painful experience at boarding school has greatly influenced the way she chooses schools for her own children, including her and Prince William's decision not to send them to boarding school yet.

"The Crown Prince and Princess have made it clear that they will put their young family first as much as possible, and that includes sending the three of them to day school rather than boarding school away from home," said Jenny Bond, whose Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis began September OK!"

"Princess Catherine had a very unhappy first two semesters at Downe House and was bullied quite badly before leaving and moving to Marlborough College," Bond continued.

Princess Catherine enrolled as a day student (not a boarder) at Downe House at the age of 13 and moved to Marlborough College in 1996, where she remained until 2000.

"This, coupled with her beliefs and research into early childhood development, completely influenced the way she wanted to educate her children," Bond added.11]

"Kate was heavily involved in the school search for George, Charlotte, and Louis, and the key desire of Ramluk are kindness and inclusiveness."

"The fact that Kate was so involved in the search for a school for George, Charlotte, and Louie is a testament to the fact that she was able to make a difference.

Before news broke that all three Welsh children would attend Lambrook, there were rumors that George would attend a boarding school, but this does not appear to be the case at this time.

"Prince William and Prince Harry attended boarding school when they were in elementary school," Bond said.

"Diana missed them very much, but they grew up the same way, away from their families."

"At least for now, William and Catherine want to keep their children close as day students at Rum Rook, in a happy, nurturing environment. They seem to be doing that."

"The children are now in the care of their parents.

This is not the first time Kate has reportedly been bullied at Downey. In her book, Kate: Queen of the Future, royal expert Katie Nicole explains that the future royal was unfortunately targeted for several reasons. First, she entered at age 13 instead of 11; second, she was a "day student" instead of a boarder; and third, she was "particularly slender and a head taller than her classmates."

Ugh, this must have been very painful, but thankfully, these experiences probably helped Kate think of ways to protect her children from similar difficulties.

If you have a child facing bullying around you, "Stomp Out Bullying" and "Stand for the Silent" are excellent resources.