Prince George started at Eton College, following in his dad's and uncle's footsteps. See inside the elite boarding school.

Prince George arrived at Eton College on September 8, 2026. Eton College is an exclusive boarding school sometimes called "the nursery of England's gentlemen." Prince George arrived for his first day at Eton on September 8, 2026. The school's elite alumni include Prince William, Tom Hiddleston, and Eddie Redmayne. Prince George is officially an Eton student. On Tuesday, Prince William and Kate Middleton's eldest son arrived at Eton College, an elite boarding school often called "the nursery of England's gentlemen." The prestigious boarding school outside London educates around 1,350 boys aged 13-18 each year, according to its website. Its alumni include members of the royal family, including Prince William and Prince Harry, actor Tom Hiddleston, author George Orwell, and former prime minister Boris Johnson. George, who is second in line to the British throne, is now among their ranks and may be brushing elbows with future British powerhouses. Keep reading to take a look inside Eton College. Eton was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Eton is an all-boys school located outside London, near Windsor. It was originally intended to educate poor boys before they went on to Cambridge University. It is one of England's nine original fee-paying independent schools, according to The New York Times. William and Kate moved to Adelaide Cottage at Windsor Castle in 2022, which is about a mile from Eton. They enrolled George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at the nearby Lambrook School at the time, though they may have already been considering how a home base at Windsor could be beneficial if George enrolled at Eton. Before being accepted, students go through a two-part application process that begins three years before they enroll. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh Only boys aged 13 to 18 attend Eton. The application process begins when a prospective student is in year 5 of primary school, at age 10, three years before they would actually attend Eton. Students hoping to start at Eton in 2029 need to register by August 31, 2026, the Eton website states. George would have begun his application process in 2023. After a student registers, the application process occurs in two stages, as outlined on the school's website. First, hopeful applicants take an online assessment. "Successful boys" then come to Eton for an individual interview and an additional online test taken at the school. Four to six weeks later, applicants will find out if they have been accepted, waitlisted, or rejected. Once accepted, a student's parents will have to pay an acceptance fee in addition to the school's annual fee of £65,673 (or about $87,824). The school offers financial aid and scholarships to some students, but most pay their own tuition in full. Eton students live in one of the 25 houses on campus. /Corbis via Getty Images About 55 students of all ages, with 11 from each age group, live in each house at Eton, according to the school's website. Each student has their own room from the time they arrive. The houses are run by the House Master and Dame, who oversee the house's full-time staff and care for the students. Some of the houses employ private chefs to feed their residents, while others send their students to the school's dining hall. Each student also has a personal tutor to support his academic growth. Students wear Eton's traditional uniform. Prince Harry Plays With Rosie And Jenny, The Dogs Owned By Andrew Gailey - The Housemaster Of Manor House At Eton. Eton refers to its uniform as its "school dress" on its website. The uniform consists of a black tailcoat, white tie, waistcoat, and striped pants. Students add a top hat to that look for special occasions. Eton plans out students' entire day, beginning with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. ETON, ENGLAND - MAY 26: Boys make their way to classes across the historic cobbled School Yard of Eton College on May 26, 2008 in Eton, England. An icon amongst private schools, since its founding in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton has educated 18 British Prime Ministers, as well as prominent authors, artists and members of royal families from around the world. The school caters for some 1300 pupils divided into 25 houses each one overseen by a housemaster chosen from the senior ranks of the staff which number around 160. Christopher Furlong / Getty Images Eton students' days follow a strict schedule, starting with a Chapel service or Assembly, the school's website notes. Afterward, students attend three classes, which they call "schools" or colloquially "divs." They have a 25-minute midmorning break called "Chambers" in their rooms where they can have a snack or connect with a teacher, called "masters" at the school. Lunch is called "boys' dinner," and they have extracurriculars, including sports and the school's "Societies Programmes," as well as afternoon tea once their lessons are finished. Life at Eton is governed by traditions, including the wall game. The Oppidans team huddle during the Eton Wall Game at Eton college in Eton. Reuters/Eddie Keogh Eton has accomplished rowing, soccer, and cricket teams, but the wall game is Eton's best-known extracurricular. The school describes the game as "resembling elements of both football and rugby, despite at times looking like no other imaginable game." Players try to kick the ball down a narrow strip of grass next to one of the college's walls to score. Eton students are known for their powerful connections. Russia's president Vladimir Putin (3rd L) talks to students of Eton College (United Kingdom) during a meeting in the Kremlin. Mikhail Klimentyev\TASS via Getty Images For instance, a group of 11 Eton students traveled to Russia in 2016 to meet with President Vladimir Putin. The students planned the trip on their own with no help from the school, Eton said in a statement to The Telegraph. Fifteen members of the British royal family have attended Eton, including Prince William and Prince Harry. AP Royals like the princes typically live in Eton's Manor House, though Kensington Palace has not announced if George will live in the same house when he arrives at the school. Eton's website says the school has also educated royals from Belgium, Romania, Ethiopia, Thailand, and Nepal. Boris Johnson was the fifth Eton graduate to become prime minister since World War II. Reuters Prime ministers David Cameron, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Macmillan, and Anthony Eden also attended Eton. In total, Eton has educated 20 prime ministers. Royals and future politicians are not the only famous graduates of Eton. David M. Benett/ for Audi In addition to the prime ministers, Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne are also "Old Etonians." Redmayne even played on the same rugby team as Prince William at Eton, People reported. "I always felt a bit sorry for him because basically any school you played, all they wanted to do was tackle Prince William, and they could say, 'I tackled Prince William,'" Redmayne told People. "So if you were standing next to Prince William, like I was, it was actually quite easy and quite fun." Hiddleston graduated from Eton one year before Prince William and Redmayne, according to the school's website. Kensington Palace announced George would be attending Eton in June 2026. Prince George at the Commonwealth Games in August 2026. Max Mumby/ Kensington Palace announced his attendance in June 2026, but his application process would have been underway for years before the news was made public. Indeed, George was first spotted touring Eton in April 2023 with his parents, three years before he enrolled, People reported at the time. On September 8, 2026, George arrived at Eton with his parents for his first day of school. Kate Middleton, Prince George, and Prince William arrive at Eton College in September 2026. Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images George officially began school on September 8, 2026. He was photographed arriving at Eton with the Prince and Princess of Wales. All three were grinning, and photos captured George greeting Eton's headmaster, Simon Henderson, and provost, Nicholas Coleridge. Similar photos were taken of William with Princess Diana, King Charles, and Prince Harry on his first day at Eton in September 1995, creating a full-circle moment for the future king. Kensington Palace released portraits of Prince George in his Eton uniform to mark his first day. Prince George on his first day at Eton in September 2026. Matt Porteous / Kensington Palace Kensington Palace did not release a statement about George's first day of school, but it did share portraits of the young prince to mark the occasion. Read the original article on Business Insider

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