Prince George starts first day at tony Eton College

Second in line for British throne begin tenure at prestigious boarding school amid latest Harry, Meghan fracas

Published Sep 08, 2026  •  2 minute read

Catherine, Princess of Wales (left) and William, Prince of Wales (right) walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George, as he arrives for his first day at Eton College, in Eton, west of London, Tuesday. Photo by Getty Images

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It was all smiles for the working members of the Royal Family on Tuesday morning as Prince George started his first day at the prestigious Eton College.

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Prince George, 13, grandson of King Charles III and second in line to the throne, was accompanied by his parents William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, to the 600-year-old boarding school, his father’s alma mater.

High society school

Eton is the premier school for the British elite and considered the traditional option for boys of the upper class. Its graduates include William and Prince Harry, Twenty British prime ministers including Boris Johnson and David Cameron and actors such as Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Dominic West and Damian Lewis. Tuition fees at the all-boys school cost somewhere north of $120,000 per year. Boys enter at age 13, are looked after by residential staff headed by a house master, and graduate at age 18.

As per the BBC, George is unlikely to get any sort of preferential treatment at Eton. William had spoken in the past about how he was able to go about as an ordinary student and enjoy privacy.

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The other royals

Prince George’s first day of school comes amid the latest brouhaha concerning Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, following their recent return to the U.K. from California. The couple just hit back Tuesday at a letter sent on behalf of the King saying despite their return, they would not be considered working royals, would not be allowed to use the official titles His and Her Royal Highness or permitted to carry out official engagements as representatives of the Royal Family. The letter added that any queries about the situation, particularly those about public funding for the couple, should be directed to Buckingham Palace.

A spokesperson for the couple said on Tuesday that Harry and Meghan were “a little surprised to not have been told about this in advance,” per the BBC.

Staff for Harry and Meghan received the King’s letter at 1:59 p.m. GMT and they sent back questions 20 minutes later, about whether the guidance had already been circulated, saying they wanted to inform the couple and get clarification on some other matters, sources close to the couple told the outlet. It reported that by the time the team was able to get in touch with Harry, they were told the letter had been sent out.

The couple moved back to the U.K. last month with their children Archie, 7, and Lillibet, 5, after living more than six years in Montecito, Calif. The King was reportedly only made aware of the move four days before the news went public. The family arrived two weeks later.

— with files from Dennette Wilford

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