EXCLUSIVE: Prince George will be enrolling at Eton College, and there’s a reason behind it.
Prince George is going to Eton College (Image: Getty)
Prince George will attend Eton College this autumn, following in the footsteps of his father, Prince William, and there is a reason behind the decision, royal sources have claimed. George, 12, who made an appearance with his family at the Trooping the Colour ceremony at the weekend, will be a pupil at the school which educated William and his brother, Prince Harry.
Founded in 1440 by Henry VI, Eton – whose motto “Floreat Etona” (Let Eton Flourish) adorns its coat of arms – is one of Britain’s oldest and most exclusive public schools and has educated 20 prime ministers and generations of British and foreign royalty. Royal insiders said that while the decision for George to go to the prestigious boys’ school was taken in January, the Prince and Princess of Wales wanted to “wait a little longer” before it was officially announced. Various schools had been “competing” to be the academic option for the second-in-line to the throne.
Prince William is an Old Etonian (Image: Getty)
The Wales family had also been considering Marlborough College, the Wiltshire co-educational boarding school where Princess Catherine excelled.
But Eton’s close proximity to the family home in Windsor appears to have been the deciding factor.
A source told the Daily Express: “The decision wasn’t just about George, they had to factor in Charlotte and Louis as well.
“But ultimately they wanted him to stay near the family.”
They added: “William is thrilled that his son wanted to follow in his footsteps. He’s incredibly proud.”
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said on Tuesday: “Kensington Palace can confirm that Prince George will attend Eton College from this September.”
Prince Harry at Eton (Image: Getty)
The young prince is currently studying at Lambrook School, the private prep school in Berkshire, where he boards and it is also attended by his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Aside from the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, other notable Old Etonians include David Cameron and Boris Johnson – who were contemporaries – as well as actors Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie.
The late Queen even took history lessons at Eton from tutor Henry Marten, who was later knighted on the college steps by King George VI.
The boarding school, whose annual fees exceed £63,000, is renowned for its academic excellence, with dozens of pupils securing places at Oxford and Cambridge each year.
Last year, almost all of Eton’s pupils scored grades 7-9 in their GCSEs, while more than three-quarters of the college’s A-Level cohort secured an A or A*.
