Prince George Begins Life At Eton — And He’s About To Discover The School’s Most Bizarre Royal Traditions

Prince George has officially begun the next chapter of his education at Eton College, following directly in the footsteps of his father Prince William and uncle Prince Harry.

But while the 13-year-old future king may already be familiar with the school’s name, his first days at the prestigious Windsor college will introduce him to a world filled with traditions, unusual terminology and rules unlike anything he has experienced before.

After moving on from Lambrook School, where he studied alongside Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, George is now expected to spend the next five years boarding at Eton.

And his first week is likely to involve far more than simply finding his way around the classrooms.

From Tailcoats To “Beaks”

George will have to become accustomed to Eton’s distinctive uniform, including its famous tailcoat and waistcoat.

He will also face the school’s mandatory “colours test” while learning an entirely new vocabulary.

Teachers are known as “beaks”, while the school’s sporting traditions have their own terminology. Cricketers and other sportsmen are referred to as “Dry Bobs”, rowers are “Wet Bobs”, while pupils who do not take part in the school’s 45 sports can jokingly be known as “Slack Bobs”.

Even the academic calendar has its own language.

George will be entering F Block, Eton’s term for Year 9, while an academic term is called a “half”. The three halves of the school year are known as Michaelmas, Lent and Summer.

Lessons are “divs”, exams are “trials” and school prefects are known as “Pops”.

George Will Follow A Royal Family Tradition

George’s arrival at Eton carries an obvious royal connection.

The young prince arrived with Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and is expected to sign the school’s centuries-old entrance book.

His father performed the same ritual in 1995, when a young William arrived at Eton with his parents and brother.

George will also be entering a boarding environment for the first time on a full-time basis.

While he experienced part-time boarding at Lambrook, Eton will mean spending longer periods away from the family home and living alongside fellow pupils during term time.

His house will be one of Eton’s 25 boarding houses, each home to around 50 boys from different year groups.

According to the school, these houses are designed as close communities where pupils live, study and develop together.

A Private Room And A Very Unusual Routine

George is expected to follow his father’s Eton legacy by living in Manor House.

Like every pupil, he will have his own room, with accommodation changing in size as students progress through the school.

He will be looked after by a House Master and Dame, while the traditional Eton system also includes a “boys maid” responsible for helping keep rooms tidy.

Mornings have their own tradition too.

“Chambers” gives pupils around 25 minutes to eat and spend time with their House Masters. Breakfast can be cooked, and former pupils have recalled that boys can even eat it while still wearing their dressing gowns.

Afternoon “messing” offers another opportunity for pupils to prepare snacks in the house kitchens.

On George’s first night, he will queue with other new pupils for a buffet-style dinner known as an “Eat-in”.

Even Punishments Have Their Own Names

Eton’s unusual vocabulary does not stop at lessons and meals.

Rule-breaking can result in being placed in “The Bill”, with a “praepostor” — a prefect — responsible for notifying the pupil.

There are also traditional punishments known as “Lines”, which involve copying out 100 hexameters of Latin poetry, while a “Georgic” involves copying 500.

Other chores can include practical tasks such as weeding a housemaster’s garden.

George will also be assigned an “uncle”, a pupil who acts as a mentor and helps him settle into Eton life.

He will have a “timelord” too, whose role is to help manage his diary and navigate the school’s famously demanding schedule.

The Royal Connection May Be More Important Than Ever

For George, however, there is one particularly reassuring element to the move.

Eton is only around 10 minutes from Forest Lodge, the Wales family’s home on the Windsor Estate, meaning the young prince will not be moving an enormous distance from his family.

Royal expert Jennie Bond described the transition as a major step, noting that George has so far had the security and comfort of living at home.

But she also highlighted the advantage of having a father who has experienced exactly the same transition.

William has previously spoken about the difficulties of deciding when his children should receive mobile phones. He said George might eventually have one with limited access when he moved to secondary school, while expressing concerns about unrestricted internet access.

That issue may now become even more relevant as George enters a new stage of independence.

Following William — But Making His Own Mark

Eton has educated an extraordinary list of notable figures, including 20 British prime ministers, as well as writers George Orwell and Ian Fleming, actors Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston, and adventurer Bear Grylls.

George’s uncle Harry also attended the school, where reports have described him as having mixed academic results but excelling in sport and later military training.

Now, the spotlight has turned to George.

He may be following the same path as his father and uncle, but Eton’s strange vocabulary, centuries-old customs and demanding boarding life will give the future king an entirely new experience of his own.

And if his first days are anything like those of the generations before him, learning the difference between a “Beak”, a “Dry Bob”, a “Pop” and a “timelord” will be only the beginning.