Princess Kate’s Boarding School Fears Come True as Palace Announces Prince George Will Attend Eton College

It’s official: Prince George is trading in his days at Lambrook School for the storied halls of one of Britain’s most prestigious institutions.

Kensington Palace announced on Tuesday, June 16, that George, 12, will begin attending Eton College in Berkshire this September, per the BBC. The historic private school — founded in the 15th century and attended by 20 British prime ministers — charges fees of around £63,000 (or about $85,000) a year. George will turn 13 next month, meeting the school’s standard entry age.

The announcement ends months of speculation about where the future king would continue his education after Lambrook, where he has studied alongside his sister Princess Charlotte, 10, and brother Prince Louis, 8. Among the schools previously discussed was Marlborough College, where his mother Princess Kate, 44, received her own education. In the end, a more traditional path won out.

It is, in many ways, a deeply familiar one for the Wales family. George’s father, Prince William, 43, attended Eton, as did his uncle Prince Harry and great uncle Earl Spencer.

As In Touch previously reported, Kate long had reservations about sending George away to boarding school, with a source telling the publication that William “finally won” the years-long debate between the couple.

“Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernize the monarchy,” the source told In Touch in 2023. “Plus, she’ll miss George desperately. She and William argued about it for years, but he has finally won.”

For Kate, the anxiety is personal. According to the earlier In Touch report, she was “horribly bullied at her first boarding school, and can’t bear the thought of George suffering through that.” The source added that despite her reservations, she ultimately came around — in part because George himself wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.

There is at least one silver lining for the royal family. Eton is only a nine-minute drive from the family’s home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. The school also provides each boy with a private single room across its 25 boarding houses.

Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of the Good Schools Guide, described Eton to the BBC as having “spectacular facilities and spacious grounds,” adding that “despite its ancient buildings, it is a modern school with a progressive outlook.”

As second in line to the throne, George faces a future unlike any of his classmates. Per the outlet, Sanderson explained that William and Kate have “decided that an Eton education represents the best preparation for life as a modern working royal.”