Prince George Begins School At Eton College—Leaving Princess Charlotte And Prince Louis Behind At Lambrook School

Prince George has officially entered his boarding-school era-and the future king suddenly looks remarkably grown up.

The 13-year-old arrived at Eton College on September 8 with his parents, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, beside him. Official photographs showed George wearing Eton's famously formal uniform of a black tailcoat, waistcoat, pinstriped trousers and stiff white collar.

The outfit alone made the royal teenager look ready for palace duties, but the occasion also produced unavoidable comparisons with William. George's father entered Eton in 1995 at the same age, while Prince Harry followed him three years later.

George's enrollment ends years of speculation over whether William's alma mater or Catherine's former school, Marlborough College, would win the royal family's approval. Eton ultimately prevailed, reportedly costing the Waleses approximately £65,000 a year.

The move brings a significant change to family life. George previously attended Lambrook School alongside Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, but his younger siblings will remain there while he begins boarding at Eton. The school's proximity to Windsor should at least make family reunions considerably easier.

William and Catherine personally accompanied their eldest son as he met Eton headmaster Simon Henderson and provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge. George appeared relaxed in the official portraits, despite beginning life at a school known for its formidable traditions, demanding academics and extraordinary list of former pupils.

Founded in 1440, Eton has educated 20 British prime ministers as well as generations of aristocrats, politicians, actors and members of the royal family. Its students famously call their teachers "beaks," wear tailcoats to class and belong to one of the school's distinctive boarding houses.

The timing carried an emotional royal connection. George began at Eton on the fourth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death and King Charles III's accession. The late Queen was based at nearby Windsor Castle, where William was able to visit her during his own Eton years.

For George, however, this is more than another first day of school. As second in line to the throne, his education will inevitably be viewed as part of his preparation for the Crown. The palace may want him treated like any other pupil, but there is nothing ordinary about arriving at school knowing that one day you could be king.