The Duke of Cambridge has said Prince George's first day at school went smoothly after he was forced to manage parenting duties alone.

The Duchess of Cambridge had hoped to join William on the school run on Thursday but is suffering from severe morning sickness and was too ill to attend, Kensington Palace said.

But William said the day "went well" and joked that he was pleased another parent had problems with their children rather than him.

He made the comments at a Kensington Palace reception for the England Under-20 football team - just hours after dropping his four-year-old son at Thomas's Battersea, a fee-paying independent school in south London.

The Duke told head coach Paul Simpson it had been a "good day".

"It went well. There was one other parent who had more of an issue with their children - so I was quite pleased I wasn't the one.

"It was really nice actually. It's a nice school."

The Duke and Duchess are very pleased to share a photograph of The Duke and Prince George at Kensington Palace this morning. pic.twitter.com/MxcU0RqGvi

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017