The 13-year-old prince is set to start at Eton College next month, following in his father’s footsteps
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NEED TO KNOW
- Prince George is set to begin his secondary schooling at the prestigious Eton College next month
- Ahead of his arrival, new “no photography” signs have been spotted around the campus and surrounding areas
- Royal experts recently told PEOPLE that Eton’s commitment to privacy created a “much-needed haven” for William and will hopefully do the same for George
Prince George is set to begin his secondary school at the prestigious Eton College next month.
Like his father, Prince William, before him, the 13-year-old prince will live at the all-boys boarding school, returning to his family’s nearby home at Forest Lodge on designated weekends and holidays.
Ahead of his arrival, new “no photography” signs have been seen around campus. The signage includes individual signs on fences, as well as “no photography” warnings added to other signage that warns students and visitors to “please keep to public footpath only.”
Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton costs about $80,000 a year and has educated generations of leaders, including 20 prime ministers. So, while George will not be the only notable name on Eton’s roster when the school year begins, as the future King of England, he is likely their most high-profile pupil.
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The school’s commitment to privacy is likely one of the reasons that William and his wife, Kate Middleton, ultimately landed on Eton as their top choice.
As parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, have always been committed to giving Prince George, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, as normal an upbringing as possible, largely keeping them out of the spotlight. It’s only within the last year that George has begun attending palace events similar to those he will frequent in the future.
“They have been very careful not to pressure any of them to appear on the public stage too often,” Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson recently told PEOPLE. “It’s been a gentle introduction to royal life, which has let Prince George build his confidence.”
As it did for William and his brother, Prince Harry, the Eton community will provide George with privacy from prying eyes while also helping him take the next steps, both as a young adult and a future working royal.
“Eton was a much-needed haven for William,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith recently told PEOPLE, adding that the young heir will benefit from the school’s “rigorous education” as well as finding “a group of friends who will remain close and loyal.”
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He’ll also be close to home. Located just 15 minutes from the Wales family’s Windsor residence, Eton allows students to board while maintaining strong family ties. Boys return home on designated weekends, and parents are encouraged to attend sporting events, performances and other school activities.
It seems a win-win, as a source close to the family tells PEOPLE, “George has always wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps.”
Plus, a photography ban isn’t the only way Eton strives to protect its pupils’ privacy. As of 2024, first-year Etonians are not allowed to have smartphones, according to The Telegraph.
Instead, the school provides Year 9 pupils like George with basic “brick” phones without internet access, so they can communicate with their families via calls and texts outside school hours without full access to the multitude of smartphone features.
Eton College said the decision came after a review of its phone and devices policy, with the ban on smartphones for first-year students made “to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools.”
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While it may be a nightmare for some incoming students, it will be par for the course for George, who has never had a smartphone, per his parents’ rules.
During an interview with TV host Luciano Huck at the 2025 Earthshot Prize awards in Brazil, Prince William admitted that the topic was “becoming a little bit of a, like, tense issue” with his eldest, but added that he thought George “understands why” and Princess Kate made the rule.
“We communicate why we don’t think it’s right,” William explained. “And again, I think it’s the internet access I have a problem with. I think children can access too much stuff they don’t need to see online, and so having a phone and text message, the old sort of ‘brick phone,’ as they call them, I think that’s fine.”
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