Inside Prince George’s Eton Era: Boarding Rules, Brick Phones and Weekends at Windsor

Prince George is about to enter a very different kind of school life — one that will place him just across the River Thames from Windsor Castle, give him his own room in a boarding house and potentially hand him a phone that looks more like a relic than a modern smartphone.

The 13-year-old future King is due to begin at Eton College on September 8, following in the footsteps of his father, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry. Kensington Palace confirmed in June that George would attend the prestigious all-boys boarding school from September.

For George, Eton will represent both a continuation of royal tradition and a new level of independence. His father once described enjoying the chance to experience Eton “as just another student,” and now George is preparing to make the same journey for himself.

A boarding school remarkably close to home

One of Eton’s most striking features for the Wales family is its location.

The school sits directly across the River Thames from Windsor Castle, making it unusually close to the Waleses’ current home at Forest Lodge. George therefore will not be living hundreds of miles away from his family despite becoming a full-time boarder.

That proximity could make family visits easier, particularly at weekends.

Eton’s own boarding information says that boys generally return home every two or three weeks, while parents and guardians are also able to visit the school for sporting, musical and dramatic events. The school also allows boys to take advantage of designated weekend leave.

For George, the arrangement could offer an unusual balance: the independence of boarding school life while remaining close enough to Windsor for regular family contact.

The Good Schools’ Guide managing editor Melanie Sanderson previously told HELLO! that Eton’s proximity to Windsor was one of the reasons the school made sense for the Wales family, noting that boys can sometimes return home for Sunday lunch or Saturday evening after sporting commitments.

There is also a royal family connection to the area that stretches back decades. Robert Jobson has previously suggested that George’s relationship with his grandfather, King Charles, could echo Prince William’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth II during William’s own Eton years, when he regularly visited his grandmother for tea at Windsor.

George will have his own room

Although George will be close to home, Eton is still a genuine boarding school experience.

There are no day pupils or weekly boarders at Eton. Boys live in one of the school’s boarding houses, and each has his own room from the beginning. Eton currently says its boarding houses accommodate approximately 55 boys, with around 11 boys in each year-group block.

For George, having a room to himself is not a special royal privilege. It is simply how Eton operates.

The school says giving every boy his own private space is intended to encourage independence and self-discipline. Boarding is described by Eton as being central to the school experience, with the boarding houses forming the heart of students’ social and pastoral lives.

George already has some experience of boarding. In May, Prince William revealed that his eldest son had spent the previous night boarding. His former school, Lambrook, offered weekly and flexi-boarding for pupils between the ages of seven and 13.

Eton, however, will take that experience considerably further.

The surprising question of George’s first phone

Perhaps one of the most unusual adjustments for George could involve something far smaller than a boarding house: his mobile phone.

Prince William and Catherine have been notably strict about smartphones for their children. In a November 2025 conversation with Brazilian broadcaster Luciano Huck, William said that none of his children had phones at that point.

But he suggested that could change when George moved to secondary school.

William explained that George might eventually receive a phone without internet access, saying his concern was not simply the device itself but what children can encounter online. He described a basic “brick phone” capable of calls and texts as something he would be comfortable with.

The timing is particularly interesting because Eton had already introduced a similar approach.

In 2024, the school announced that incoming Year 9 pupils would no longer use smartphones. Instead, their SIM cards could be transferred to school-issued Nokia handsets capable of making calls and sending texts, while smartphones were kept at home.

That means George’s move to Eton could neatly coincide with the kind of phone arrangement his father had already been considering for him.

A demanding academic environment

Life at Eton will not be defined only by royal connections and boarding traditions.

The school offers a broad academic programme covering 28 subjects, including nine Modern and Classical Languages. Eton says it encourages pupils to aspire to academic excellence while also developing independent learning habits and a genuine enjoyment of their studies.

Students are taught by subject specialists, while Eton’s House Master and Tutor system provides individual oversight of each boy’s progress.

The school also places considerable emphasis on work completed within the boarding houses, requiring pupils to manage their own time and balance academic responsibilities with their other activities.

For George, that combination of academic expectations and personal responsibility will form a significant part of his transition from prep school to secondary education.

More than a famous name

Eton’s reputation is another part of what awaits him.

The school has educated generations of prominent figures, including Prince William, Prince Harry and a long list of political, cultural and artistic figures. George’s godfather, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, is also an Eton alumnus and previously described attending the school as a privilege, highlighting its societies, arts opportunities and extracurricular activities.

Eton’s current programme extends well beyond traditional classroom subjects. Its academic enrichment includes societies, lectures, competitive sports, creative pursuits and cultural activities.

The school’s current fee for the 2026/27 academic year is £21,891 per half term, or three terms each academic year, before additional extras.

Following William — but making his own path

Perhaps the most significant part of George’s Eton years will be the opportunity to experience life away from the constant attention surrounding his future role.

William has spoken positively about his own time at Eton, particularly the freedom he felt to move around the school without being treated differently simply because he was royal.

That sense of normality could prove especially valuable for George.

Former Wellington College and Brighton College headmaster Sir Anthony Seldon previously argued that the future King needed an environment where he could learn, make friends and make mistakes away from the public gaze. He described Eton as particularly well placed to provide that experience because of its familiarity with educating an heir to the throne.

George will therefore enter Eton carrying an extraordinary family legacy — but the school’s structure is designed to give him responsibilities shared by the boys around him.

He will board. He will manage his own room. He will follow a demanding academic programme. He may communicate with his family using a basic phone rather than a smartphone. And, when the school calendar allows, he may still be close enough to Windsor to return home for time with his family.

His Eton story may echo his father’s in many ways. But on September 8, it will begin as George’s own chapter.