Prince George might’ve hoped for slightly better weather for his first day at Eton College but the rain didn’t look to have dampened his spirits. The thirteen-year-old was accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 8th September as he arrived wearing a smart suit and tie ready for his next chapter.
We shouldn’t be surprised that this pivotal moment played out in front of the cameras. The Wales kids are used to their milestones being marked publicly and many fans will have been excited to see George as he prepares for the start of term.
He’s following in Prince William’s footsteps at Eton and the choice of school was seen as inevitable by many. However, royal expert Emily Andrews believes the key reason for William and Kate picking it was something rather surprising.
(Image credit: Photo by Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Back when it was first announced George was heading to Eton, Emily claimed to woman&home that “one of the deciding factors was that Eton is all boys”. This seems totally at odds with their approach up to now, as the Prince and Princess of Wales have consistently sent their children to co-educational schools like Lambrook.
It’s often been said that they’ve been very modern by choosing to have Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis educated together.
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Eton College is a return to the royal mould and Emily alleged that “in the world of smartphones and social media” George being at an all-boys school “gives any nascent teenage angst a little more protection”.
The future King and Queen are strict about their kids not having mobiles and are concerned about how smartphone use can lead to disconnection and isolation.
(Image credit: Photo by Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
They might end up relaxing their rule now George is living away from home, though it’s interesting that they could’ve partly picked Eton to protect their son’s emotional wellbeing and minimise “angst”. Protection in the more traditional sense is incredibly important too and it’s likely that the media will take a similar stance as they did with Princes William and Harry.
While they were at school their privacy was respected in return for occasional, official pictures. Like his dad and uncle, George will also be boarding just a short distance from his family. Prince William famously used to go for tea with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle during his time at Eton and the Waleses live close by at Forest Lodge.
Emily Andrews thinks that this was another huge factor that made Prince William and Kate pick the Berkshire boarding school.
Knowing his mum and dad aren’t too far away might make the “big transition” for George a little less daunting as although he’s been boarding at Lambrook during the week, this will be his first time permanently living away from his parents and siblings.
He looked confident and happy as he arrived and will soon be kept busy when term officially starts on 9th September. The sweet pictures of Kate, William and George together at Eton will inevitably become one of the iconic snapshots of the 13-year-old’s life and could be one of the rare times we see him publicly during this new chapter.
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