Prince George has officially begun his Eton College journey, stepping out alongside his parents for the major milestone as royal fans marvelled at just how much he now resembles his father.
The 13-year-old prince braved the drizzly British weather alongside Prince William and Princess Catherine, both 44, as he arrived at his new school on Tuesday.
Following in his father’s footsteps, George will board at the prestigious school, where fees are more than £63,000 ($118,000) per year.
Footage showed the Waleses smiling as they passed a bronze statue of Henry VI, the school’s founder, in the centre of a quadrangle, before shaking hands with Simon Henderson, the headmaster, and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the provost of Eton, who serves as chair of its governing body.
“Welcome,” Mr Henderson told George.
“Good luck. Enjoy it.”
The family were then shown into the fourth-form passage in the original school building, home to what is understood to be the world’s oldest classroom.
Like other parents, William and Catherine were expected to help their eldest son settle into his new bedroom, which comes with a single bed, desk and shelves.
His accommodation will become more spacious as he progresses through the school, with pupils from other year groups returning on Wednesday for the start of the Michaelmas term.
After the brief photocall, George changed out of his casual clothes and into his new school uniform before official pictures were taken by photographer Matt Porteous, a family favourite who has photographed the Wales children several times before.
The portraits were then released by the Prince and Princess of Wales on social media, with the caption: “George’s first day at Eton”.
But it was George’s increasingly grown-up appearance that quickly stole the spotlight, with royal watchers stunned by both his height and his remarkable resemblance to William at the same age.
William began his own Eton journey on September 12, 1995, when he was accompanied by his parents, the then-prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, as well as his younger brother Prince Harry.
“Wow wow, all of a sudden, George is his father’s double!” one fan said, while another wrote: “Look at his height, he is only 13 and nearly the same height as his parents!”
Others could hardly believe how quickly the young prince had grown up.
“Still can’t believe it! We just watched him leave the hospital with mama after being born! All the best to the future King!” one fan penned.
“These pictures are so beautiful! Prince George isn’t a baby anymore and he is looking more and more like his dad, I wish him all the best at Eton! I’m sure he will have a great time there,” another said.
While William and Catherine allowed cameras to capture the milestone, the couple are determined for their son’s education to otherwise unfold away from the public gaze.
Signs have been posted around Windsor warning the public not to photograph pupils as they move around the sprawling campus.
George, who is second in line to the throne, previously attended Lambrook School near Windsor alongside his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The milestone came on the same day George’s younger cousins, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, reportedly began school in the UK following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to Britain.
It remains unclear which school the Sussex children are attending, with their parents understood to be particularly concerned about security surrounding the daily school run.
The Sussexes, who are believed to be living in the Cotswolds, currently fund their own security after stepping down as working members of the Royal Family in 2020.
A friend of theirs told the Telegraph that the school run “is absolutely the biggest area of concern. It creates the most dangers”.
Harry and Meghan have reportedly sought to keep details of their children’s schooling private amid those security concerns.
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