See Prince George and Prince William on Their First Days at Eton College, 31 Years Apart
Prince George is following in his father’s footsteps 31 years after Charles and Diana accompanied a 13-year-old William to Eton
Prince George is following in his dad Prince William’s footsteps at Eton College, 31 years later.
George, 13, stepped out for his first day at Eton College on Sept. 8, echoing his father’s own arrival at the prestigious all-boys boarding school at the same age in 1995.
Just as Prince William and Kate Middleton accompanied George for his big day, Princess Diana and then-Prince Charles were both by William’s side when he started at Eton three decades ago. Despite having separated three years earlier, Diana and Charles came together for their eldest son’s milestone moment.
Prince Harry, then 10, also joined the family for William’s first day and would later follow his older brother to Eton. George’s younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, were not present for their big brother’s first day at Eton, and they will remain at Lambrook School.
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Both William and George arrived at Eton wearing a suit and tie. However, it wasn’t long before photos were released showing each of the princes in the school’s distinct uniform, which consists of a black tailcoat, matching waistcoat, pinstriped trousers and a stiff white collar.
Prince William’s first day also included a memorable Eton tradition: signing the school’s official pupil register. In 1995, Diana and Charles stood behind their 13-year-old son as he sat down and signed his name in the book, creating one of the enduring images from William’s arrival at Eton.
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Before William, senior male members of the British royal family — including his father, King Charles, and grandfather, Prince Philip — traditionally attended Gordonstoun in the Scottish Highlands, known for its strict discipline and rigorous demands on students.
William broke with that precedent when he went to Eton, with Prince Harry later following him there. Simon Vigar, author of the biography The Four Wives of Windsor, recently told PEOPLE that the choice was “very much a [Princess] Diana decision.”
“Her brother and father went there, and of course, it was much closer to home than Gordonstoun, where Charles wasn’t happy anyway,” Vigar says.
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Prince William went on to enjoy his years at Eton, forming close friendships that remain part of his life today. The school also became an important refuge after Princess Diana’s death in 1997, when William was just 15.
“Eton was a much-needed haven for William,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith recently told PEOPLE.
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Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton costs about $80,000 a year and has educated generations of leaders, including 20 prime ministers, as well as several members of the extended royal family.
Queen Elizabeth’s first cousins the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent all attended Eton, while Prince Michael’s son, Lord Frederick Windsor, overlapped with Prince William during his time there.
The Eton connection extends to Princess Margaret’s family as well: her grandsons Samuel Chatto and Arthur Chatto both attended the school.
