Kensington Palace announced Tuesday that Prince George will attend Eton College from September. The future king is 12. Eton costs £63,298 a year, which is approximately $85,000, and has educated 20 British prime ministers. The statement ran to one sentence. “Kensington Palace can confirm that Prince George will attend Eton College from this September.” This is the level of detail the palace felt was necessary to describe where the second in line to the throne will spend the next five years of his life.
Eton has a particular history with this branch of the family. William went there. William thrived there, became a prefect, joined the elite society of boys allowed to wear patterned waistcoats, and regularly walked to Windsor Castle to have lunch with the Queen. His brother Harry also went. Harry described it rather differently in his memoir. He wrote about struggling to fit in, feeling isolated, and using cannabis on the grounds of one of Britain’s most prestigious institutions, which is the kind of brand association that Eton’s marketing department has probably decided to live with.
Kate apparently spent years trying to steer George toward Marlborough College, her own alma mater, which is co-educational. The argument was sound: George, Charlotte, and eventually Louis could all attend together, the siblings could support each other, and the school would break the all-male Eton mold. A source told the Mail on Sunday there was a “smugness” at Eton for months, the feeling that the decision was already made and they were just waiting to announce it. The smugness was apparently justified. Marlborough got the visit. Eton got the enrollment.
The detail that Harry’s rep had to issue a formal denial that young Archie, age six, had been registered at Eton tells you something about the family’s orbit. The rumor existed. The denial was necessary. Archie lives in California. He was not going to Eton. His spokesperson had to say so out loud anyway.
George will board at Eton, living 3.5 miles from his family home during term time, which is either a healthy separation or a very expensive way to arrange for your son to sleep nearby. He will leave the school at 18. He will presumably become king at some point after that. The school’s website describes itself as “a modern, forward-thinking school.” It has been there since 1440.
When the family announces a child’s enrollment in the world’s most established institution, they describe it as modern and forward-thinking. Who exactly are they trying to convince?
Sources
GB News: Kensington Palace confirms Prince George school decision
GB News: Prince George school decision opens royals up to years of further speculation
