Prince George Will Have 'A Unique' Boarding Experience at Eton, Our Royal Experts Reveal
EXCLUSIVE: While Prince George will be a full-time boarder at Eton College now, his experience at the school might be "unique" to his peers according to our reporters.
THIS year will mark a pivotal shift for Prince William and Kate Middleton as their firstborn Prince George will become a 'full-time boarder' at Eton College.
However, the young royal won't be completely apart from his family despite boarding at the school. The Royal Observer's Associate Editor, Joshua Rom, and royal expert, Lydia Alty, discussed why George will likely have "less of a boarding" experience at Eton during a recent conversation.
Apart from being a world-class school with a star-studded alumni list, one of George’s benefits of studying at Eton is its proximity to his family home in Windsor. Just like his father met with his grandmother for tea, he can drop by Forest Lodge to spend quality time with his parents and siblings. "Prince William and Princess Catherine having that easy access, having that nearby location from Forest Lodge to here. If Prince George partakes in any sports, they'll be able to attend sporting fixtures and sporting matches as well," Rom mentioned.
Such an instance is completely possible given how devoted William and Middleton are to their three kids. "Their involvement in Prince George's life, despite the fact that he's now going to be a full-time boarder, well that's not really going to change anytime soon," the Associate Editor added.
Alty agreed with him, saying, “(George) will be going into Eton by himself individually, but obviously his parents will be very, very close by." She mentioned that this advantage was "very unique" compared to typical residential schools, where most children are boarded far away. "He will be literally down the road from his parents, so there's less of a boarding experience for him,” she further said.
Watch the full conversation here!
Alty further mentioned that parents are “increasingly part of the children's lives” at Eton. In fact, she stated that the school "regularly" involves them as they often visit to see their kids' theatre and sporting activities. “I think that's definitely something that the Prince and Princess will want to do as Prince George joins Eton and joins boarding school, because they will definitely still want to be a big, huge part of his life,” she circled back to Rom's earlier point.
Even though it has been decades since William was a student at Eton, he can surely be a great mentor to George as he navigates the hallowed halls. The young royal looked like the spitting image of his father in the infamous black tailcoat and pinstripe trousers. He seemingly even gave William a subtle nod by dressing in a baby-blue shirt and dark blue polka-dotted tie on Tuesday — the same color palette that the Prince of Wales had worn during his first day at Eton in 1995.
This term will mark the first time the 13-year-old will not attend the same school as his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The younger royals, who will continue their studies at Lambrook School, were notably absent from their elder brother’s arrival at Eton.
