The teen is following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and uncle in joining the private boarding school which costs more than £66,000 a year to attend.
Prince George has this week started at Eton College, and joined the prestigious school yesterday, strolling up alongside his mother and father, William and Kate. The teen is following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and uncle in joining the private boarding school which costs more than £66,000 a year to attend.
Eton is a school for boys aged 13 to 18 in Berkshire. It was founded in 1440 and is the largest boarding school in England. As well as Royal links going way back, many a celebrity has also passed through the gates, including David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Eddie Redmayne.
Prince George arrived at Eton College, was greeted at the school’s historic Lupton’s Tower by Headmaster Simon Henderson and Provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge.
But what is expected to greet him in the following days as he begins his new life? Here is all we know:
Learning the lingo
Prestigious from the start, the posh college has its very own language.
Forget all you know about the school system, here the college has its own words, which Prince George will need to pick up quickly – though it is likely he has had some prep from family in the lead up to him joining.
Teachers are known as Beaks, housemistresses known as Dames, and terms known as Halves. Students who play land sports are known as Dry Bobs, while those doing water sports are called Wet Bobs.
There is also a House system, where small Houses, with no more than 55 boys in each, enable the House Master and the Dame to get to know boys very well and “tailor their support to meet boys’ individual needs.”
Boys wake up by 7:30am, dress in their traditional uniform of black tailcoats and pin-striped trousers, and head to breakfast in their respective boarding houses.
The school will then have a morning chapel services or whole-school assemblies before classes begin.
Learning
Prince George, like all of Eton’s students, will be given an individual tutor who oversees his academic progress and who is readily available should any issues arrive.
Classes take place over six days – Monday to Saturday – but some days are more academically gruelling than others.
It is reported students attend up to seven 40-minute lessons per day with Eton operating across a vast, town-sized campus.
Tuesday and Thursdays are half days, to lessen the load.
Academically there 28 subjects on offer, including nine Modern and Classical languages and sport incudes tennis, rugby, football, rowing and fencing.
Sleep
Joining in Year 9, George will be in his own bedroom, with a single bed, desk and shelves. All students have their own space, with rooms getting bigger as they progress through the school.
Rooms typically feature a bed, a study desk for coursework, and space for personal items and pinboards but while bedrooms are private, bathroom and common social areas within the boarding houses are shared with other boys in the house.
Food
While attending, George can expect a wide choice of ordinary-seeming meals with the likes of burgers, curries, homemade flapjacks, and cereal on offer.
As he progresses, he could see even more luxurious plates. Academically successful students are treated to dishes like confit duck legs, salmon roe, and swordfish risotto.
There is also Tudor’s, a cafe open to students during the afternoon. The mid-morning snack is known as ‘Chambers’, when pupils can grab biscuits, iced buns, and burgers in their boarding house. They can also use free time to go to a local shop.
The school’s caterer, Sodexo, says it delivers “food excellence at scale, anywhere”, and “pride themselves in making everything from scratch, starting with fresh bread every day”. Thursday’s evening meal is a ‘themed night’, with examples including Greek food.