Short answer: Yes. Prince George showed up for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026. He’d just turned 13. And he’s boarding there full-time. He’s not going home each night, even though his family lives close by. Why? Eton doesn’t have day students. Never has. So once the palace confirmed his spot, boarding was already decided. The real question was how the day itself would go. Now we know.
- Prince George is boarding full-time at Eton — there’s no day-student option, so proximity to home never mattered.
- He started September 8, 2026, at age 13, walked in by both William and Kate.
- He’s following the exact path his father (1995) and uncle Harry (1998) took at the same school.
- Fees run about £65,000 a year, with the same tailcoat-and-white-collar uniform Eton’s used for generations.
- His first day coincidentally fell exactly four years after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
What Happened That Morning
Prince William and Kate walked George through Eton’s gates. It was raining, so they carried umbrellas. George wore a jacket and tie, not the school’s full uniform yet. He shook hands with head master Simon Henderson, who welcomed him and told him to have fun. Provost Nicholas Coleridge was there too.
Here’s a detail that stood out. September 8 is the same day Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022. So George’s first day landed exactly four years after his great-grandmother’s death.
Also Read: Prince Harry and King Charles Reunion: What Actually Happened at Highgrove
Why Boarding Was Never Really In Doubt
Eton has 25 boarding houses. Each one holds about 55 boys. Every boy gets his own room. No shared dorms, no day students. That’s just how the school runs.
So it didn’t matter that George’s family lives just a short drive away, at Forest Lodge in Windsor. Eton only offers one option. Once the palace picked the school back in June 2026, boarding came with it. There was no other way in.
Same School, Same Family, Different Decade
George isn’t the first Wales boy to walk through those gates. His dad, William, started at Eton in September 1995. He came with his parents and his little brother, Harry, and press cameras caught the whole thing. Harry started there himself in 1998. Even further back, the boys’ great-uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, went to Eton too.
The school’s alumni list is long. Twenty British prime ministers studied there, Boris Johnson and Robert Walpole among them. So did actors like Eddie Redmayne, Dominic West, Damian Lewis, and Tom Hiddleston.
Also Read: Buckingham Palace Uncovered: Fascinating Facts Every Visitor Should Know
How George Ended Up Here
Before Eton, George went to Lambrook School in Berkshire, with his siblings Charlotte and Louis. Before that, he started school at Thomas’s Battersea in London back in 2017, at age four.
Picking a secondary school took a while. Through 2025 and early 2026, people wondered if Kate might push for Marlborough College instead. That’s her old school, and it’s co-ed, unlike Eton. Reports said the couple toured a few schools first. And true to form, they didn’t confirm anything until close to the end. Kensington Palace made it official in mid-June 2026, just three months before George started.
The Fees. The Uniform.
Eton costs around £65,000 a year right now. Students still wear one of Britain’s most recognizable uniforms: a black tailcoat, pinstriped trousers, and a stiff white collar. It’s barely changed since Victorian times.
Prefects get to wear a wing collar and a white bow tie. Top students can also join “Pops,” the school’s elected social club, and wear a bright silk waistcoat. William was a Pop back in his day. There’s even a photo of him in a Union Jack waistcoat.
Too soon to say if George gets there too. Right now, he’s just one of the new boys, finding his way around a school his dad knew inside out thirty years ago.
Also Read: Is Queen Camilla’s Absence Linked to the King’s Decision Not to Move Into Buckingham Palace?
Why People Keep Searching This
Most searches on this topic boil down to three questions. Does George really live at school full-time? How does this compare to William’s first day? What does the uniform look like now? All three have solid answers, backed by real reporting. That’s why the BBC, People, and New Zealand’s 1News all had this covered within hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Prince George live at Eton full-time, or go home at night?
Full-time. Eton has no day students. Every boy, George included, lives on campus, in his own room.
How old is Prince George?
He’s 13. He turned 13 on July 22, 2026, about six weeks before starting at Eton.
Did his parents walk him in on day one?
Yes. William and Kate both went with him. Head master Simon Henderson and provost Nicholas Coleridge met them at the gates.
Did William and Harry go to Eton too?
Yes. William started in 1995. Harry followed in 1998.
How much does Eton cost a year?
About £65,000, as of 2026.
Is the start date significant?
Yes. September 8, 2026, is exactly four years after Queen Elizabeth II died.
Sources & References
- 1News (NZ) — “Prince George starts at prestigious Eton College,”
- Sky News — “Prince George to attend Eton College from September, Kensington Palace confirms,”
- HELLO! Magazine — “Prince George is the image of Prince William from his Eton school days” (resemblance, boarding status, uniform)
- Express & Star — “Prince George to study at Eton from September,” June 2026 (William’s 1995 arrival, his later quote about school life)
