Prince William, Princess Kate's son Prince George begins boarding school at Eton
A new chapter is beginning for Prince George, the future heir to the British throne, as he begins boarding school Tuesday at England's prestigious Eton College.
George, the eldest child of Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, will live alongside his classmates at Eton, which is located close to the Wales' family home in Windsor, outside of London.
George was photographed arriving at his new school on Tuesday, accompanied by William and Kate.
For the past four years, George, 13, has attended Lambrook School with his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.
Now George, whose grandfather is King Charles III, will be on his own at Eton, but he will be following in his family's footsteps.
Both George's father, William, and his uncle, Prince Harry, attended Eton, graduating in 2000 and 2003, respectively.
William's decision to send his eldest child to Eton appears to be a reflection of his positive experience at the school, according to ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy.
"It's interesting because William and Kate were happy to strike out with something new for their children's nurseries and primary schooling, but with Eton they went with what everyone saw as the traditional choice," Murphy said. "I think choosing Eton says a lot about how happy and safe William felt during his time there, and I think privacy and security were ultimately fundamental to their decision."
The all-boys boarding school is anticipated to be George's educational home for the next four years, until he turns 18.
The nearly $90,000 per year school 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."
George is only the second future king to attend the school after his father, William.
Murphy noted that George, however, is the first future monarch to attend a secondary school like Eton in the age of smartphones and social media, requiring even more privacy precautions than in the past.
"While you could look at that situation as being full of pitfalls, I think that the way that William and Kate have successfully protected their children's privacy so far bodes well for George's next phase of life," Murphy said. "Privacy and phone policies were a huge factor in their decision-making over George's school and they have also been really consistently clear that they believe he should be able to have an upbringing outside Palace walls without intrusion, repeatedly fighting for that to be the case when they feel lines have been crossed."
When William gave his first-ever interview for his 18th birthday in 2020, the future king spoke of the privacy that Eton afforded him.
"The media have left me alone while I have been at Eton for which I am grateful," William said, according to an article at the time in the U.K.'s The Guardian.
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