Kate Middleton and Prince William to move to Kensington Palace in 2017

Kate Middleton and Prince William will leave their Norfolk residence in 2017 and set up home again in Kensington Palace .

The move has been prompted by the decision to begin Prince George's schooling in London. The three-year-old is expected to attend the £6,500-a-term Wetherby School in London, which is less than a mile from the palace.

The pre-prep school is a favoured educational establishment for the royals, with Prince William and Prince Harry among its former pupils, Mail Online reports.

George currently attends a Montessori nursery close to the family's Norfolk country home Anmer Hall.

The move will also enable the couple to take on more royal duties and official engagements on behalf of the Queen who at 90, may understandably be looking to lighten her workload.

William and Kate, are also expected to step up their responsibilities from the New Year, and are committed to focusing on their own Royal Foundation charity.

The pair, along with Prince Harry, has championed the cause of mental health awareness through the charity Heads Together. In October, the Duchess pledged they will do "what they can to shine a spotlight on emotional well-being", with the focus on young people.

If the family is to make the move to London, Prince William would have to give up his role as helicopter pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service. A former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot, William took on the role in March 2015.

While his piloting contract ends in March according to the Daily Telegraph, the Duke may continue to work until the summer.

Kate however, is said to be less than excited about the prospect of leaving the secluded county residence of Anmer Hall which was given to the Duke and Duchess by the Queen. The couple have spent several million pounds refurbishing the ten-bedroom Georgian mansion, which boasts tennis courts and a swimming pool and has allowed them to live in relative privacy.

The Duke and Duchess have also completed a £4.5m refurbishment of their residence in Kensington Palace, Apartment 1A, which was formerly the home of Princess Margaret.