Prince William and Princess Kate have confirmed that their eldest son, Prince George, will attend one of Britain’s most prestigious boarding schools, which costs around $80,000 a year.
“Kensington Palace can confirm that Prince George will attend Eton College from this September,” a palace spokesman said in a brief statement about the future king.
George, who turns 13 on July 22, currently attends Lambrook, a co-educational school near Windsor, where he has been an occasional boarder in preparation for the move. His younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, will remain there.
The choice of Eton, located just across the river from Windsor Castle—where the Wales family has made what sources describe as their “forever home”—has long been considered the frontrunner. The Daily Mail reported more than four years ago that George’s name had already been put down, with sources calling it the Prince and Princess of Wales’ “number one choice.” The decision was confirmed after George sat his common entrance exams earlier this year.
The school has deep roots in the family’s history. William attended Eton and thrived there, becoming a prefect and a member of its elite student body known as “Pop”—a distinction that came with the privilege of wearing a patterned waistcoat over the school’s traditional black tailcoat and bow tie.
He made lifelong friends there and would regularly walk to nearby Windsor Castle to have lunch with the late Queen Elizabeth.
His younger brother Prince Harry also attended, though his experience was markedly different. In his memoir, Harry described struggling to fit in, feeling singled out because of his background, and wrote about using cannabis while a student.
The choice of Eton was itself a departure from royal tradition when William attended. Both King Charles and the late Duke of Edinburgh had been sent to Gordonstoun, an austere school in the North East of Scotland. Philip thrived there; Charles did not. He reportedly called it “Colditz in kilts” after the notorious WWII prison camp and described being bullied mercilessly. Princess Diana had pushed strongly for Eton, in part because of its proximity to the family.
George first visited the school with his parents in 2023 and is understood to have returned several times since.
George will live on campus during term time, though pupils typically go home every two to three weeks. All boys are given their own room from day one, housed in small boarding houses of around 55 students, each overseen by a dedicated house master and dame.
Eton describes itself on its website as “a modern, forward-thinking school that embraces innovation and new opportunities to provide an outstanding, progressive and well-rounded education.” It consistently ranks among the top ten boarding schools in the country.
