Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton marked a major milestone with their son Prince George as he started the school year at Eton College.
The royal couple were seen dropping off their 13-year-old for his first day at the all-boys school in Windsor, England, on Tuesday, September 8. William, 44, dressed smartly for the occasion, wearing a dark suit and blue tie. George was the spitting image of his father as the trio strolled through the courtyard.
Kate, for her part, looked dazzling in an emerald green dress and beamed with pride on her son’s big day.
Simon Henderson, the school’s headmaster, and provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge were on hand to greet George and his parents.
Henderson reportedly welcomed the new student and told him, “Good luck. Enjoy it.”
William previously attended the boarding school from 1995 to 2000. In a scene mirroring the one captured by photographers on Tuesday, William was dropped off by his father, King Charles III, and late mother Princess Diana on his first day.
William and Kate, 44, have been hands-on parents while raising George and his siblings: Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.
Years before George began his Eton journey, a source exclusively told Us that Kate and William were “open” to sending their son to a boarding school someday.
“They’d never force George to go unless he wants to and they feel it’s right,” the insider told Us in 2021, adding that the decision would be one they made “as a family.”
According to a separate source, William was already preparing George for his future as a royal leader.
“William’s already explained his future role to him, and he loves learning about his family in history classes,” the insider explained. “William tries not to overwhelm him with too much information, but George is aware that there’s a lot more to being king than how the role is portrayed in Disney movies and children’s books.”
More recently, royal historian Marlene Koenig told Us that George is “undoubtedly aware” of what lies ahead for him as second in line to the throne behind his father.
Reflecting on George’s role as a train bearer in grandfather Charles’ coronation in 2023, Koenig added, “The coronation provided the young prince with the knowledge that he, too, would one day be crowned in a coronation ceremony.”
