Prince George’s Upcoming Move to Eton Is ‘Nerve-Racking’ for Prince William and Princess Kate

Prince George is preparing to leave home for the first time as he gets ready to start classes at Eton, the prestigious boarding school near Windsor. While the milestone is an exciting one, a source exclusively tells In Touch that it’s already amping up some anxiety for the future king and his parents.

“This is a massive step for George,” the source says. “He’s hardly spent a night away from home, and now he’ll be living at Eton for most of the term.”

Even though Eton is less than 10 miles from where Prince William and Princess Kate, both 44, live at Forest Lodge, the source says George’s impending move is still rattling some nerves.

“It’s just down the road, so home won’t be far away, but it’s still pretty daunting,” the source explains. “William and Kate have been doing their best to prepare him, but the pressure on him is immense. He has so much to live up to.”

According to the source, George, who just turned 13 on Wednesday, July 22, is already well aware of the attention that comes with being second in line to the throne, and Eton will come with a brand new set of social hurdles.

“You could see at Wimbledon that he’s still quite nervous in the spotlight, and school is only going to bring a whole new level of attention because every boy there will know exactly who he is,” the source shares. “There’s a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders and that’s only going to grow as he gets older.”

The source adds that William and Kate are also experiencing some mixed emotions of their own as they get ready to watch George take the next step toward adulthood.

“It’s nerve-racking for William and Kate. They can’t help but worry about how he will cope with it all,” the source notes. “It’s also a huge milestone for them — their first child is leaving home. It’s a big reminder of how quickly it’s all going by. Before they know it, they’ll be empty nesters.”

As In Touch previously reported, George has been taking steps to prepare for his transition to Eton. Royal author Robert Jobson told the the Daily Mail on July 18 that the young prince had previously asked his parents if he could “board weekly” at Lambrook School, where he studied until this year.

“They agreed,” Jobson explained. “It helped him grow, to be part of a collective.”

With his time at Lambrook complete, George will begin his classes at Eton in September.