Prince George is set to follow in his father's footsteps when he attends Eton College later this year, but not every member of the Royal Family thrived at the prestigious school.
Prince George's Eton Confirmation
Prince George is confirmed to attend the prestigious Eton College when the new school year begins in September, following in his father's footsteps. The eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who is turning 13 in July, is currently in his final term at Lambrook School, which he has attended since September 2022.
When he returns to class following the summer holidays, the second-in-line to the throne will step up for his secondary education at the £63,000-a-year all-boys school, which is just a 12-minute drive from the Wales' family home of Forest Lodge on the Windsor estate.
A statement on behalf of William and Kate said: "Kensington Palace can confirm that Prince George will attend Eton College from September." The statement did not confirm if George will board at the college or not.
Prince William's Success at Eton
George is following a long line of royals who have attended the elite school, including his father and uncle, Prince William and Prince Harry. William, who attended Eton from 1995 to 2000 where he boarded at Manor House, thrived at the school.
When he was interviewed at age 18, the future king spoke of how much he enjoyed his time there. "I've really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student," he said in June 2000.
William would often use his free Sunday afternoons while at the school to travel the short distance to Windsor Castle to have tea with his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. During his time there, he also became prefect and joined several sports teams, including the water polo team, his house football team and swimming team.
When he left, he had gained 12 GCSEs and three A-levels, with an A in Geography, B in History of Art and a C in Biology, earning him a place at St Andrew's University, where he met his future wife.
Prince Harry's Struggles
As for William's brother Prince Harry, however, he had a very different experience at the college. He has spoken openly about not enjoying his time at Eton when he attended between 1998 and 2003.
During a recent interview with TIME after being named one of the outlet's 100 most influential people in sports, the Duke of Sussex said that playing sports like rugby, football, cricket, and polo prevented him from dropping out of school altogether.
"Sport held me together," Harry said. "I was one of those kids at school who did not enjoy classroom work. If it wasn't for the sports field, and the amount of sports that were on offer, there's no way I would have stayed in school."
Writing in his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry added that he found it challenging to settle in at the boarding school, calling it "a profound shock" and adding that upon his arrival, saying: "I didn't even know how to get dressed in the morning. I was in way, way over my head."
"Sport, I decided, would be my thing at Eton," he added. Speaking of his brother, Harry said: "Willy told me to pretend I didn't know him. For the last two years, he explained, Eton had been his sanctuary. No kid brother tagging along, pestering him with questions, pushing up on his social circle."
A former classmate of Harry's told The Cut: "William was very integrated. He was a Pop, so he was like a homecoming king-type. I think Harry probably had it harder finding his way."
Royal Tradition and Other Notable Attendees
As well as William and Harry, George joins a long list of royal men who have attended Eton, including Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Prince Michael of Kent, as well as Princess Diana's brother and father. 20 British prime ministers also attended the elite school, as well as countless celebrities including Eddie Redmayne, Dominic West, Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston.
The announcement of George's attendance at Eton comes after months of speculation about which school George, who appeared at Trooping the Colour on Saturday, would be attending for his secondary education. Other front-runners were believed to have been his mother's former school of Marlborough College, while William and Kate were also said to have recently been spotted touring Oundle School in Northamptonshire.
