Prince George arrived at Eton College on Monday for his first day of school, joined by his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, who were photographed smiling alongside their eldest son as he began his education at the Windsor, Berkshire County institution his father once attended.
The date carries its own significance: it falls four years to the day since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, George’s great-grandmother. British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital the moment marks “a new successful chapter for the future heir to the throne,” adding that “his great-grandmother would be tickled pink.”
Chard described the scene as George “beamed to cameras fully aware of the drill” during what she called “a brief photo-call, picture release and a hope that his education will take place away from public eyes.” She noted that Simon Henderson welcomed the young prince to Eton, telling him, “Welcome. Good Luck. Enjoy it.”
Chard also addressed concerns about privacy among George’s peers, suggesting his fellow students are unlikely to turn into informal paparazzi. “His friends could be the new paparazzi with their phones at the ready. However, my hunch is his peers are of similar high profile ilk, unfazed by celebrity and royalty,” she said.
A Family Tradition Continues
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich said George’s enrollment at Eton reflects continuity within the family. “Just as Prince William attended Eton it will provide stability, continuity and given family tradition has proven well for Prince William, it certainly is the best choice given the challenges of raising the future king,” Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
Fordwich predicted the heavy media attention surrounding George’s first day will fade in the weeks ahead. “While there was extensive coverage of Prince William’s first day, Prince George’s is expected to be more modest with a limited press pool,” she said. She also pointed out that Adelaide Cottage, the family’s residence, sits close to the school on the Windsor estate — much as William once visited Queen Elizabeth II for tea while a student there — meaning George may have similar opportunities for family visits.
“Importantly, being amongst pupils of his ilk he’ll be focused on academics, athletics and relatively normal school-boy adolescent life rather than isolated as previous generations were in the confines of a palace with tutors,” Fordwich said. She added that, unlike when William attended during the turbulent final years of Charles and Diana’s marriage, George benefits from a more stable family situation. “Luckily, given the family stability, he won’t be subject to the intense media scrutiny his grandparents went through given the state of their marriage when Prince William attended,” she said.
Protecting a Childhood
Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Fox News Digital that William and Middleton have deliberately worked to give George a normal upbringing ahead of his future role. “I think Prince William and Catherine have been incredibly thoughtful in allowing Prince George to be a child before he has to be a king,” she said, noting the couple has “surrounded him with routine, family, sports, and school rather than constantly reminding him of his future responsibility.”
“Eton is a significant new chapter, but I suspect their priority remains the same,” Schofield continued. “George should understand who he is without allowing that title to become his entire identity. They cannot give him a completely ordinary childhood, but they can give him a childhood, and I think they have worked very hard to protect that.”
Schofield said Eton’s student body, drawn heavily from prominent and well-connected families, may allow George a degree of anonymity he wouldn’t find elsewhere — though not complete anonymity. “Prince George will never truly be ‘just another student,’ because everyone knows who he is and what his future holds,” she said. “Eton is probably one of the few environments where being privileged, prominent or from a recognizable family is not necessarily unusual. The novelty of having a prince in the classroom eventually wears off when everyone has homework due the next morning.”
Schofield argued that environment could prove valuable. “He needs people around him who will challenge and compete with him. He doesn’t need everyone he meets treating him like a future king,” she said.
She added that the school experience should teach George skills he will rely on for the rest of his life. “Prince George will learn independence. He will learn how to navigate different personalities without his parents beside him. He will learn discipline, competition, friendship, and hopefully how to judge character,” Schofield said. “For a future king, that last one is especially important. Prince George will spend his entire adult life surrounded by people who know exactly who he is before he walks into a room. Learning to distinguish genuine friendship from fascination with his position is something Prince William has had to navigate his entire life. Eton could be an important training ground for that without anyone formally calling it royal training.”
