This is what Prince George's friends have to do before a royal playdate

Young Prince George has only just started back at school, and it seems he already has some play dates lined up.

In fact, the 6-year-old royal has already invited "a few" of his classmates back to Kensington Palace, according to an insider.

"It is wonderful for them – and their parents – to go to such a beautiful and historic palace and have the run of the place," a source told The Sun.

His parents Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly "delighted" at how well he is settling in.

Playdates with the future king, however, are more complicated than the average, with every palace visitor having to be thoroughly vetted by security.

"It does involve a bit more planning than a normal play date, as everyone visiting the palace has to be security vetted," says the source.

Earlier this month, George's 4-year-old sister Charlotte joined her big brother at St Thomas's in Battersea in South London.

The Kensington Palace Instagram account posted the sweet first-day photos and a video of her meeting one of her teachers to mark the momentous occasion.

St Thomas's in Battersea has 560 students aged from four to 13 and promotes the ethos "be kind".

Pupils can learn everything from art to ballet, drama, French and music with specialist teachers.

Headmaster Simon O'Malley said the school emphasised key values such as "kindness, courtesy, confidence, humility and learning to be givers, not takers".

"We hope that our pupils will leave this school with a strong sense of social responsibility, set on a path to become net contributors to society and to flourish as conscientious and caring citizens of the world," he said.

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.