Prince George Begins a Major New Chapter at Eton — With William and Kate Beside Him on His Rainy First Day

Prince George has officially begun life at Eton College, marking one of the biggest milestones yet for the 13-year-old future King — and Prince William and Princess Kate were right beside him for the important moment.

George arrived at the historic Berkshire school on a rainy morning accompanied by both of his parents, with William and Catherine carrying umbrellas as their eldest son prepared to begin his first day.

Dressed smartly in a jacket and tie, George was greeted by Eton head teacher Simon Henderson and provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge before heading inside.

“Welcome, good luck and enjoy,” Henderson told the young prince as they shook hands.

It was a relatively ordinary exchange on an extraordinary day.

Because when George walked through Eton’s doors, he was not simply starting at a new school.

He was following a path previously taken by his father Prince William and uncle Prince Harry — while beginning another stage of preparation for the very unusual future that awaits him.

William and Kate Were There for the Big Moment

William and Catherine accompanied their eldest child personally as he arrived at the school.

The family exchanged brief remarks with Eton officials about the wet weather before George and his parents disappeared inside the historic buildings.

For William, the moment may have carried particular significance.

More than three decades earlier, he had made his own first-day journey to Eton.

William began studying there in 1995, when he was 13, and photographs from that day showed him accompanied by members of his family, including Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles.

Now he has returned not as a pupil, but as a father delivering his own 13-year-old son to the same school.

George Will Become a Boarder

The move also represents a significant change in George’s daily life.

After finishing his education at Lambrook, the independent preparatory school attended by all three Wales children, George will now board at Eton.

The school has 25 boarding houses, with each housing approximately 55 pupils from the age of 13.

Residential teams led by house masters oversee the boys during their time there.

Although boarding will inevitably give George greater independence, his family will remain geographically close.

Eton is near Windsor, meaning William, Kate, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will not be far away.

That combination of independence and proximity could have been an important consideration for the Prince and Princess of Wales when deciding where George should continue his education.

He Is Following Directly in William’s Footsteps

The choice also continues a strong family connection with Eton.

William studied there between 1995 and 2000.

Prince Harry followed his older brother, arriving in 1998.

Interestingly, Harry also began his Eton education on a rainy day, with his father accompanying him.

George therefore becomes the latest member of his family to attend the famous institution.

But his situation is unique even among royal pupils.

He is second in line to the throne.

Barring an unexpected change in the succession, George is expected one day to become King after his father.

That means every stage of his education carries an additional layer of public interest.

Eton Could Give George Something William Valued Deeply

Despite the intense attention surrounding the Royal Family, Eton could offer George something his father once said he treasured: the opportunity to feel like an ordinary student.

Speaking as an 18-year-old in June 2000, William reflected positively on his experience at the school.

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student,” he said.

For George, achieving anything approaching that normality will be particularly valuable.

He has grown up knowing his life will eventually be very different from those of most of his classmates.

As the eldest child of the Prince of Wales, his future role has effectively been determined from birth.

But inside school, William and Kate will likely hope he can enjoy friendships, academic challenges, sport and everyday teenage experiences without his royal position dominating every moment.

George Faces a Future Unlike His Classmates

Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of the Good Schools Guide, highlighted exactly that difference.

She described Eton as a modern school with a progressive outlook despite its ancient surroundings.

Most boys arriving at 13, she noted, have little idea what their adult lives will eventually look like.

George does.

His future carries responsibilities that none of his classmates will share.

Sanderson suggested William and Catherine’s choice reflects their belief that an Eton education offers George the best preparation for life as a modern working royal.

That makes his arrival about much more than academics.

The next several years will take George through adolescence while he simultaneously becomes increasingly aware of the constitutional responsibilities waiting for him.

One of Britain’s Most Famous Schools

Eton is among the best-known private schools in the world.

Its fees are approximately £65,000 per year, according to the BBC, and its alumni include generations of influential figures in British public life.

Twenty British prime ministers have attended the school.

More recent political alumni include Lord David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Kwasi Kwarteng and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Its famous former pupils also extend well beyond politics, including actors Eddie Redmayne, Dominic West, Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston.

But George will inevitably become one of its most closely watched pupils.

The challenge will be ensuring he is not treated that way during everyday school life.

Privacy Will Be Particularly Important

George’s years at Eton are expected to be carefully protected from excessive media intrusion.

There is a precedent for that approach.

William was allowed substantial privacy during his school years, something he later credited with enabling him to experience a degree of normal teenage life.

The same principle is likely to be especially important for George in an era when smartphones and social media make protecting a high-profile teenager far more complicated than it was in the 1990s.

His parents have repeatedly tried to balance public interest in their children with their need for a private upbringing.

Eton now becomes the setting for the next stage of that balancing act.

A Striking Royal Family Parallel

Photographs from George’s arrival also create an extraordinary comparison across generations.

In 1995, a teenage William arrived at Eton accompanied by his parents and Harry.

Three years later, Harry arrived with Charles.

Now, in 2026, William has returned through those gates with Catherine and their own eldest son.

The uniforms change.

The faces change.

The responsibilities move from one generation to another.

But the family connection remains unmistakable.

For William in particular, watching George walk into Eton may have brought back memories of a chapter in his own life when he was beginning to understand what being a future King would eventually mean.

A New Stage for William and Kate Too

George’s first day is also a milestone for his parents.

For years, William and Catherine have attempted to give George, Charlotte and Louis as stable and private an upbringing as possible while preparing them gradually for royal life.

George becoming a teenager this summer represented one transition.

Starting boarding school represents another.

He will naturally become more independent.

His academic and personal interests will develop.

And over the coming years, public interest in him is likely to increase as he moves closer to adulthood.

William and Kate therefore face the difficult task of allowing George to grow independently while knowing that his future will eventually become a matter of national importance.

The Future King Walks Through the Same Doors as His Father

There was no grand royal ceremony for George’s arrival.

Instead, there were umbrellas, wet weather, handshakes and a simple message from his new head teacher: “Welcome, good luck and enjoy.”

Perhaps that ordinary quality was exactly what William and Kate wanted.

George may one day become King.

But on his first morning at Eton, he was also simply a 13-year-old arriving at a new school with his mother and father beside him.

For William, it was a remarkable full-circle moment.

Thirty-one years after beginning his own Eton journey, the Prince of Wales has watched his eldest son step through the same historic doors.

And for George, those doors now open onto a new chapter — one that will help shape not only the teenager he becomes over the next several years, but eventually the future monarch he is expected to be.