The 13-year-old Prince is following in the footsteps of his father Prince William and uncle the Duke of Sussex
New photos have been released of Prince George starting his first day at the prestigious Eton College alongside his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Kate rested a hand on his back during introductions with senior members of staff, and as the royals made their arrival, Eton’s headmaster Simon Henderson told the future king: “Welcome, good luck, enjoy it.”
The prince and princess accompanied their son on the short journey from their residence at Forest Lodge, Windsor Great Park, to the distinguished independent school, which has produced a long line of prime ministers and Hollywood stars. The young prince follows in the footsteps of his father William and his uncle, the Duke of Sussex, both former pupils of the college, and a photograph of George in his school uniform was later released to commemorate the occasion.
George and his parents arrived at School Yard, the Berkshire institution’s historic quadrangle, overlooked by Lupton’s Tower, a Tudor landmark, with a statue of King Henry VI – who founded Eton in 1440 – standing at its heart.
Heavy rainfall had persisted throughout the morning, and only Kate sheltered beneath an umbrella as the family made their way across the courtyard towards Eton’s headmaster and provost, Sir Nicholas Coleridge. William carried a folded umbrella, while George stood between his parents.
The group exchanged words briefly, and Mr Henderson was overheard telling George: “Welcome, good luck, enjoy it.”
When one member of the group mentioned the rain, the provost – whose role is comparable to a school’s chair of governors – responded with “typical”, prompting William to add to laughter: “If it rains, it rains for ages.”
The group then made their way through a doorway into one of the oldest sections of the school, where Kate was spotted gently placing her hand on her son’s back.
Beyond its academic and sporting reputation, Eton has long been renowned for fostering independence and leadership, with pupils expected to take on a wide range of non-academic responsibilities themselves. Entry requirements are demanding, with boys required to sit rigorous assessments, while parents must meet an annual fee of £63,298 – a sum that reflects a school whose name alone carries considerable weight, arguably more so than the qualifications its pupils leave with.
William attended Eton for five years from 1995, serving as both house captain and prefect before going on to study at St Andrews University, with Harry following in his brother’s footsteps three years later.
The school’s distinguished alumni include actors Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Eddie Redmayne, a considerable number of prime ministers including Lord David Cameron, authors George Orwell and Ian Fleming, and adventurer Bear Grylls.
George celebrated his 13th birthday in July and has spent a portion of the summer in Scotland with his family, enjoying a well-earned break following his departure from Lambrook School, a private preparatory school in Berkshire where he was educated alongside siblings Princess Charlotte, 11, and eight year old Prince Louis. Over the coming weeks, the young prince will need to settle into his new surroundings at Eton, where teachers are known as beaks and pupils reside in one of 25 boarding houses, each overseen by a house master and dame who provide pastoral care and guidance.
George arrived dressed in smart casual attire – dark trousers, a jacket, shirt and tie – before later changing into “school dress”, the iconic uniform standardised in the 1960s, comprising a black tailcoat, waistcoat and pinstriped trousers, paired with a stiff white collar.
Both William and Harry were afforded the opportunity to complete their time at Eton free from media intrusion, and William and Kate will undoubtedly be hoping George is granted the same respect.
Further new pupils made their arrival later that morning, following the prince and his parents, with many likely to have brought their belongings packed away in traditional boarding school trunks.
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