A royal expert has explained how Princess Catherine is likely to be feeling as the family settles into life without Prince George at home. The teenage royal began his journey at Eton College last month, the same school his father, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry, attended in the 2000s.
George, who is the eldest of Catherine and William's three children, currently boards at Eton, as did his father and uncle. The couple still have their two younger children, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, at home in Windsor with them.
Expert says transition has been 'big' for family
Speaking to OK!, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said that Catherine will likely be finding it difficult without George living with them. She told the publication: "This must have been such a big transition period for the family as a whole. George will inevitably feel more independent after his first few weeks at Eton, and I’m sure his siblings will have had a fair bit of adjustment to make as the family dynamics change.
"Mind you, in this digital age, it's all so different to the time when children went away to boarding school, and there was nothing except the odd letter or phone call, if it was allowed. I expect George and his family have been having video chats as he settles into life as a full-time boarder, so they won't have felt so cut off. But, even so, they have always been such a close-knit family, so it must have been strange to have an empty chair and an empty bedroom.
"I'm sure that must be especially emotional for Catherine after the past few years, when she has sometimes had to prioritise her health and recovery."
First day at Eton
The Prince and Princess of Wales were by George’s side as he arrived at the Berkshire school for his first day last month. William and Catherine travelled with their eldest son for the short distance from their home in Forest Lodge, Windsor Great Park, to the renowned private school.
Eton's headmaster, Simon Henderson, and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the school’s Provost, who serves as the chair of the governing body greeted the trio in the quadrangle. "Welcome," Henderson told him. "Good luck. Enjoy it."
After shaking hands, the group headed into the fourth-form passage in the original school building, which is believed to house the world’s oldest classroom. Alongside standard academic subjects, George’s first week at the school likely involved mastering the iconic tailcoat-and-waistcoat uniform and passing the mandatory "colours test".
Phone rule welcomed by parents
In addition to these, George will likely have to follow one major rule during his time at the school: using a basic "brick" phone for calls and texts, with no internet access. Speaking to PEOPLE, Melanie Sanderson, managing editor at The Good Schools Guide, said that the rule will likely have been "welcomed" by parents of students at the school, including Catherine and William.
She said: "The phone decision was very much welcomed by parents, and the boys are so busy, they don’t have time to be sat on their beds, scrolling TikTok."
William previously stated that none of his children currently had phones, although his eldest son would likely have one after joining secondary school. He told Brazilian television host Luciano Huck from the Domingão show last year: "When George moves onto secondary school, maybe he'll have one with limited access."
After the brief photocall on George's first day, it is William and Catherine's wish that his education will take place away from public view. According to the school's website, Eton's Autumn half-term runs from October 23 to November 8.
