Prince George has officially begun one of the biggest transitions of his young life.

On September 8, the 13-year-old arrived at Eton College for his first day, accompanied by Prince William and Princess Kate as he followed his father into the prestigious boarding school 31 years after William began there himself.

The moment carried an obvious sense of royal tradition, but it also marked a major change for George personally: he has now left Lambrook School, where he studied alongside Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and begun life as a full-time boarding student.

William and Kate walked him in together

George arrived at Eton with both parents beside him.

William and Kate, both 44, carried umbrellas as they walked with their eldest son past the bronze statue of the school’s founder, Henry VI.

They were then greeted by headmaster Simon Henderson and provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge.

“Welcome,” Henderson told George. “Good luck. Enjoy it.”

For the arrival itself, George wore a suit and tie rather than the school’s formal uniform.

Kensington Palace later released official photographs showing him dressed in Eton’s unmistakable black tailcoat, matching waistcoat, pinstriped trousers and stiff white collar.

It is his first full-time boarding experience

George had been attending Lambrook since 2022 alongside Charlotte, 11, and Louis, 8.

His younger siblings will remain there.

William has previously revealed that George had already experienced some boarding at Lambrook, meaning sleeping away from home will not be completely unfamiliar.

Eton, however, represents his first move into full-time boarding.

Even so, he will not be particularly far from his family.

George will still be close to home

The Prince and Princess of Wales moved their family from London to Windsor in 2022.

Eton sits nearby, making it relatively easy for George to return home and spend time with his parents and siblings.

William enjoyed a similarly useful proximity during his own school years.

He has previously recalled visiting Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at nearby Windsor Castle for tea, cake and conversation while he was an Eton student.

That closeness helped make Eton more than just a school for William — and it may offer George a similar balance between independence and family life.

George is following a path William started in 1995

William began at Eton in 1995.

At the time, the choice represented a break from an older royal pattern.

King Charles and Prince Philip had both attended Gordonstoun in Scotland, a school known for its demanding routine and strict discipline.

William and Prince Harry instead went to Eton.

According to biographer Simon Vigar, that shift was “very much a Diana decision.”

Princess Diana’s own family had strong ties to the school: her father and brother both attended.

Eton was also much closer to home than Gordonstoun, where Charles had famously been unhappy.

Diana’s decision is still influencing George decades later

William’s years at Eton became particularly important following Diana’s death in 1997.

He was only 15 at the time.

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith has described the school as “a much-needed haven for William.”

That history gives George’s first day an extra layer of meaning.

Although Diana never knew her eldest grandson, a schooling decision she helped make for William is now influencing George’s path almost three decades later.

George reportedly wanted Eton himself

William and Kate spent considerable time researching options for their eldest child.

But the final decision was not simply imposed on him.

A source close to the family previously told PEOPLE that George had long wanted to attend the same school as his father.

“George has always wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps,” the source said.

That desire made Eton both a family choice and George’s own.

The school comes with centuries of tradition

Eton was founded by King Henry VI in 1440.

It has educated generations of political and public figures, including 20 British prime ministers.

Fees are around $80,000 per year.

Its traditions remain highly visible, particularly the distinctive uniform George was photographed wearing on his first day.

But the school also includes modern facilities, including plans for a major indoor sports complex with features such as a dojo, golf simulator and rifle range.

George will therefore be entering an institution that combines centuries-old ritual with a modern boarding-school environment.

His first day comes after a difficult period for the family

George reaches this milestone after several years in which his public role has gradually become more visible.

He has appeared at Wimbledon, joined his family on the Buckingham Palace balcony and increasingly taken part in major royal occasions.

Friends and observers have described him as thoughtful and serious, traits often associated with William at the same age.

But George’s childhood has also included difficult family experiences.

In 2024, he and his siblings supported Kate during her cancer treatment.

Bedell Smith believes that experience may have had a lasting impact on him.

“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,” she said.

“For George, it had to be a maturing experience that has given him an extra measure of empathy.”

A royal tradition, but a very personal milestone

George’s arrival at Eton is easy to view through the lens of royal history.

His father went there.

His uncle went there.

Princess Diana helped establish the family’s connection to the school.

But for George, the moment is also far more ordinary and personal.

At 13, he is leaving the school he shared with his younger siblings, beginning full-time boarding and entering a new stage of independence.

William and Kate were there to walk him through the gates.

Then, just as William once had to do, George began the next chapter on his own.