A significant milestone has arrived for Prince George as he takes his next step in education. At 13, the young royal has enrolled at Eton College, where his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, were by his side as their eldest child arrived to begin his first day at the historic school.
Wet weather greeted the royals as they made their way to the renowned boarding school for boys. Accompanied by his mother and father, George appeared smartly dressed in a traditional suit with a tie. The young prince currently occupies the second position in the line of succession, immediately behind his father.
George’s decision to attend Eton represents an important new chapter for the young royal. By enrolling at the prestigious boarding school, he will take the same educational path as his father, Prince William, who studied there in his teenage years. The change will also bring a new experience for the siblings: during term time, George will no longer be at the same school as Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who are set to remain pupils at Lambrook.
Despite becoming a full-time boarder, George will remain relatively close to his family. Eton is located near Windsor, where the Wales family moved several years ago. William had a similar experience during his own school years and was able to regularly visit his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, at Windsor Castle.
George reportedly wanted to attend the same school as his father. Tuition at Eton, whose former students include 20 British prime ministers, costs around $80,000 a year. Alongside its centuries-old traditions, the school offers modern facilities including a high-tech sports complex, a golf simulator and its own shooting range.
George’s decision reflects the path taken by his father and uncle rather than the schooling traditionally chosen for previous generations of royal men. King Charles III and Prince Philip were both educated at Gordonstoun in the Scottish Highlands, an institution famous for its rigorous rules and challenging approach. That pattern shifted when William and Prince Harry enrolled at Eton, with Princess Diana widely credited with playing a major role in choosing a different educational route for her sons.
For William and Kate, the milestone means watching their eldest child take another significant step toward independence. For George, it is the beginning of a new life away from his younger brother and sister — but only a short distance from home.
