'I was terrified': What can Prince George expect on his first day at Eton?
Old Etonians share what it is like to start at the prestigious Prep school, where George has now begun
Prince George is set to tour Eton's vast grounds and learn some of the college's lingo after starting as a boarder on Tuesday, and Old Etonians have said he may well be terrified.
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The 13-year-old eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales followed in his father's footsteps by enrolling in the prestigious prep school this week.
Having been impressed with the facilities and scale of the boys-only secondary school, Prince George was confirmed earlier this year to have chosen Eton, having left Lambrook School, where Princess Charlotte and Prince Louie still study.
George is the second in line to the throne, but Eton is well used to having royalty on its campus, and has also been the secondary school of 20 British Prime Ministers.
Here is what the Prince can expect on his first day and beyond.
Where is Eton?
Eton College is in the village of Eton in Berkshire, which is not far from Slough, home of data centres, and Windsor, the occasional home of the Royals.
The Waleses live in Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, which is not far from Eton, yet Prince George will be boarding at the college.
Lambrook school, where he previously studied, is also nearby.
How much does Eton cost?
Eton charges £21,891 per term, or £65,673 for three terms.
What will George do at Eton?
Prince George will have his own bedroom at Eton but will go home every two or three weeks, and also have much longer holidays than those attending state schools.
Eton is split into 25 boarding houses and 55 pupils attend each house.
What happens on the first day at Eton?
Like his father, William, and his uncle, Harry, Prince George will likely sign in to the school alongside his parents on his first day and then say his goodbyes.
An old Etonian told the Telegraph: “I had a lot of adrenaline. My heart was going crazy. I was terrified."
There will be a:
- Tour of the school and its many pitches,
- Tea party from their housemaster and dame,
- Chance to bed themselves down and set up their rooms.
An old boy told the Telegraph that the tea party is particularly bearing. “It’s the first time where people can eye each other up and see what the other nine are like,” he said.
What is life at Eton like?
Eton has a rigid structure, with alarms blaring from 7.15am, and breakfast served before a 10-minute morning service at either the Lower Chapel (for the first two years) or the Eton Chapel (for older boys).
Boys call their lessons "divs" and have five of these, all 40 minutes long, split by an elevenses of cheese on toast, with two hours of sport following - first years getting a choice of football or rugby. In the late afternoon is extra work and then dinner.
Another tradition is the Eton Wall Game, a version of mob football that has been played against the famous curved school walls since the 1760s.
What facilities does Eton have?
Eton is well known for its sporting facilities and has:
- Six indoor courts,
- Eight squash courts,
- Climbing wall,
- Swimming pool,
- Indoor basketball court,
- 38 football and rugby pitches,
- 19 cricket pitches,
- 56 tennis courts,
- A nine-hole golf course,
- Rowing at Lake Dorney
Which famous people have studied at Eton?
Twenty former British prime ministers have studied at Eton, including contemporaries Boris Johnson and David Cameron.
Actors Eddie Redmayne, Dominic West, Damian Lewis, Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston all studied there, as did the writers George Orwell and Ian Fleming.
Despite the two hours of football a day, however, there is scant evidence of an Old Etonian having made it to the Premier League.
Why has Prince George gone to Eton?
Both Prince William and Harry are said to have had a good experience at Eton, unlike Prince Charles, who is said not to have enjoyed Gordonstoun School.
And because of Eton's history and prestige, George will be able to be treated like a normal boy and will be able to enjoy the sporting facilities as well as appreciate the academic opportunities.
"He made so many friends that have stayed with him," a source said.
"[For George, like William] there will be no special treatment: he’ll just be a normal boy.”