Prince George to Attend Eton College from September, Kensington Palace Confirms

Announcement

On Tuesday, Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince George, 12, will begin at Eton College in September. The palace statement said,

“Kensington Palace can confirm that Prince George will attend Eton College from this September.”

The decision ends months of speculation about the young prince's next school.

Eton's prestige and traditions

Eton College, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, is an all-boys boarding school near Windsor Castle. Annual fees stand at about £63,000 ($84,552), according to Reuters. The school, which enrolls about 1,350 pupils aged 13 to 18, retains archaic traditions: students wear tailcoats, waistcoats and gowns, and call teachers "beaks." It has educated 20 British prime ministers, including David Cameron and Boris Johnson, and figures such as writers George Orwell and Ian Fleming and actors Hugh Laurie, Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston.

A family tradition

Prince George follows his father, Prince William, who became the first senior royal at Eton when he enrolled in 1995. William's brother Prince Harry joined in 1998. Their father, King Charles III, attended Gordonstoun in Scotland, but found the experience difficult. William, by contrast, has spoken warmly of his time at Eton. In an interview at age 18, he said,

“I've really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student.”

He recently recalled cycling to Windsor Castle at weekends to have tea with his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

The decision process

William and Kate reportedly deliberated between several schools, including co-educational Marlborough College, which Kate attended. The choice of Eton was a clear nod to tradition. George will leave Lambrook School, where he currently boards with sister Charlotte, 11, and brother Louis, 8. The palace has not confirmed whether he will board at Eton, though the school has 25 boarding houses, each with single rooms for around 55 boys.

Looking ahead

Melanie Sanderson, editor of the Good Schools Guide, noted that Eton offers "spectacular facilities and spacious grounds." She added,

“Despite its old buildings, it is a modern school with a progressive outlook. Most 13-year-olds arriving in September have no way of knowing what adult life holds. Prince George, however, faces a very particular future, and his parents, with an unparalleled choice of schools, have decided that an Eton education is the best preparation for life as a member of the working royal family today.”

George turns 13 on July 22.