The 13-year-old future king followed in Prince William’s footsteps as he arrived at the prestigious boarding school for a major new chapter
Credit: Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Prince George, 13, arrived at Eton College for his first day on Sept. 8, following in Prince William’s footsteps at the prestigious boarding school
- Prince William and Kate Middleton accompanied their eldest son for the milestone moment, echoing William’s own first day at Eton in 1995
- George’s move to Eton separates him at school from siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for the first time since 2022
Prince George is officially an Eton student.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 13-year-old son marked a major milestone as he arrived for his first day at Eton College, following in his father’s footsteps at the prestigious all-boys boarding school.
George was accompanied by his parents for the occasion, just as Prince William was when he started at Eton at age 13 in 1995.
The move marks a new chapter for the family, with George leaving Lambrook School, where he has attended alongside his younger siblings since 2022. Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, will remain at Lambrook.
Credit: Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP via Getty
Although Eton will be Prince George’s first experience as a full-time boarding student, it won’t be his first time sleeping away at school. Prince William previously revealed that his son had already begun some boarding at Lambrook.
And George won’t be far from home. Eton is located close to Windsor, where the Prince and Princess of Wales moved with their children from London in 2022, making it easy for George to return home and spend time with his parents and siblings.
Prince William similarly remained close to family during his years at Eton. He recalled routinely visiting his late grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, at nearby Windsor Castle for chats over tea and cake.
George is also continuing a royal tradition that began with his father. Previous generations of male members of the royal family — including William’s father, King Charles, and grandfather, Prince Philip — attended Gordonstoun in the Scottish Highlands, a school known for its strict discipline and rigorous demands. Prince William and Prince Harry broke with that precedent by attending Eton, a move that author Simon Vigar of the new biography The Four Wives of Windsor recently told PEOPLE was “very much a [Princess] Diana decision.”
“Her brother and father went there, and of course, it was much closer to home than Gordonstoun, where Charles wasn’t happy anyway,” Vigar says.
William had a “good time” at Eton, Vigar said, and the school also became an important refuge following Princess Diana’s death in 1997, when William was just 15.
“Eton was a much-needed haven for William,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith recently told PEOPLE.
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While Prince William and Princess Kate did extensive research into schools for their eldest son, the ultimate choice was one George himself was keen on. “George has always wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps,” a source close to the family previously told PEOPLE.
Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton costs about $80,000 a year and has educated generations of leaders, including 20 prime ministers. While there are many traditions that George will become part of — from wearing their famous uniform to learning their lingo — the school also boasts updates like a state-of-the-art indoor sports complex that includes a dojo, a golf simulator and a rifle range.
Over the past year, George has appeared increasingly comfortable in public, from Wimbledon to Buckingham Palace balcony appearances. Friends and observers have described him as thoughtful and serious—qualities often associated with William at a similar age.
But George arrives at this milestone under very different circumstances from his father’s, but he hasn’t been untouched by adversity. In 2024, he and his siblings supported their mother through her cancer treatment.
“George’s great advantage is that he comes from a stable and loving home that appears to have become even more so as a result of Catherine’s illness,” adds Bedell Smith. “For George, it had to be a maturing experience that has given him an extra measure of empathy.”
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