WHEN Prince George enters the gates of Eton College today, he won’t just be starting a new school year but stepping into a special centuries-old micro-society.
With a price tag of £65,000 a year, Eton has its own traditions that would seem completely alien to other 13-year-olds around Britain – as one former pupil explains.
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Founded by King Henry VI in 1440, the Berkshire-based school is undeniably an arena of immense privilege – and was also attended by George’s father Prince William and his uncle Prince Harry too.
Despite Eton’s hallowed halls producing 20 British Prime Ministers and famous faces like Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne – future heir Prince George will carry a weight no classmate fully shares.
A former pupil likened joining the full-time boarding school to Harry Potter starting at Hogwarts, and stated: “New boys take a while to understand it.”
Instead of the future heir joining Year Nine, as it is known around the country, it is called F Block at Eton.
The unusual terminology extends to the terms – or three “halfs” – which are known as Michaelmas, Lent and Summer.
Editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward told The Sun: “Luckily George will have some friends from Lambrook in the same house as him. so some ready-made friends to share the bewildering rules and traditions of Eton.
“He will be well cared for as it won’t serve the school well if George hates it.
Boys enter into one of the school’s 25 houses that have names such as Angelo’s, Manor, Baldwin’s Bec and Farrer.
And forget crowded dormitories, each boy gets his own bedroom consisting of a single bed, desk and shelves.
The school’s website states: “Boys thus have their own private space and are required to organise themselves and to develop self-discipline in meeting tasks and deadlines.”
As the boys age, they gain the privilege of bigger rooms each year, and if Prince George is made a house captain, he could move into what has been described as a “palatial suite”.
The former pupil said he observed these extravagant rooms kitted out with everything from sofas, coffee machines and golf putting greens.
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Prince George will be able to decorate his bedroom wall with posters – William reportedly opted for Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer, while Harry went for Halle Berry.
Each of the 25 houses is presided over by a “dame” or matron-like figure, who will pop in to check up on George and his fellow F-blockers.
The eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales will also be looked after by an “uncle” and a “timelord” – both from the same house in older years.
It is the job of the “uncle” to instruct George on how to properly wear his school uniform – which is one of the most recognised in the world.
Boys wear black morning suits with pinstripe trousers and a 19th-century-style turndown collar.
Uniforms are fitted by the high street’s tailors – and his “uncle” will teach him about front studs, back studs and detachable collars.
Meanwhile, his “timelord” helps him make the most of Eton life and will hand George a piece of paper that he must fill with extracurricular activities.
These can include auditioning for a play, beagling – hunting with hounds – or rifle shooting on the school’s range.
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Speaking of Prince George, Ingrid added: “Young boys from posh families don’t care who he is – he is fair game.
“There are two groups – those boys who suck up to him because of who he is and those who will ignore him because of who he is.
“It will all be very difficult until he finds his feet and learns the Eton jargon which I am sure his father will have been teaching him already.”
Thankfully the tradition of hazing or “fagging” has been abolished.
Historically, younger boys acted as personal servants to senior boys, which could involve cleaning boots, making toast, and running errands.
While Prince George will no longer be living with his siblings Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, he will be able to hang out with fellow pupils in the school’s cafe – Tudor’s – which is open in the afternoons.
One aspect of Eton life that soon becomes second nature to pupils is the steady stream of tourists in the Windsor area, who snap photos of the boys in uniform as they emerge from the chapel.
While Prince George has grown up as one of the most photographed children in Britain – he’ll have to navigate the pressures of attending lessons with more cameras around.
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Ingrid shared: “George is not a shrinking violet and is well aware of who he is.
“Also he will have his police protection with him, which is no disadvantage as he will know them well.”
Lessons not only take place during the week but also Saturday mornings too – and are dotted around the vast 1,600-acre town campus.
Of course, the facilities are second to none, with 19 cricket pitches, three theatres, a library that houses over 150,000 books, and a rowing lake that was used for the 2012 Olympics.
One of the highlights of Eton life though is Tap, the school’s own pub where 16-year-olds can order two pints of beer or cider up to three times a week – something the 13-year-old prince can look forward to.
If Prince George is in an “eat-in” house, he will tuck into a buffet dinner in their dining room, whereas other houses have pupils going to the Bekynton canteen for meals.
A perk of the “eat-in” houses is that they are described by former pupils as being the most “tight-knit” as they eat, and socialise with the same group each day.
Prince William and Princess Kate are known for preferring a stream-lined staff at their eight-bedroom Forest Lodge, nearby in the Windsor Estate.
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At Eton, George will have a “boy’s maid” to wake him up at 7.30am and clean his room – with them able to go on strike if he is overly messy.
While cooked breakfasts can be eaten in dressing gowns, the future king is required to wear full uniform for others meals – with lunch starting and ending with Latin graces.
What he will tuck into depends on how he conducts himself at Eton, with full English breakfasts provided on a Sunday if he has made 10.30am chapel.
If he is made one of the Eton’s King’s Scholars – the 14 top academic pupils in each year who have their own house, College – the menu is said to be far superior.
The former pupil recalls crayfish salads, salmon roe, confit duck legs and swordfish risottos being served.
While George will have the opportunity to study Japanese, ancient Greek, Russian, Latin, and fine art at GCSE, it is the unique Eton slang he will soon become au fait with.
The nickname of “chief” is given to cool kids, while lessons are “divs”, teachers are “beaks” and a “chippy” is someone who does not respect the school’s strict year-group hierarchy.
Of course, “examination results matter” – as is clearly stated on the Eton website – and punishments called “rips” are dished out for incomplete, or poor-quality schoolwork.
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When a “beak” (teacher) deems a piece of written work unacceptably poor, they are said to literally tear the top corner of the paper in front of the student.
This will be the first time that George has boarded full-time.
His previous school, Lambrook, where Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis both attend, offers weekly and flexi-boarding for students ages seven to 13, and George had stayed over on occasion.
Speaking to Amanda Holden on Heart Radio, Prince William previously joked: “Charlotte and Louis, because George is boarding last night, Charlotte and Louis, if you’re listening, make sure you’re on time, please, make sure you’re not fighting over who listens to what, this morning.”
While George may not be home to visit Prince William and Princess Kate for up to three weeks, he will be given a phone to keep in touch.
Eton has banned smartphones for first-year students, but “brick” phones are permitted.
Speaking to broadcaster Luciano Huck in November 2025, the Prince of Wales said: “I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he will have a phone then that has no internet access.
“And to be honest, it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming a little bit of a tense issue.
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“But I think he understands why. We communicate why we don’t think it’s right. And again, I think it’s the internet access I have a problem with.
“I think children can access too much stuff they don’t need to see online, and so having a phone and text message, the old sort of ‘brick phone’ as they call them, I think that’s fine.”
For Prince William, his time at the boarding school was invaluable and he gushed that he “really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student”.
Now, it’s George’s turn.
Ingrid shared: “There are so many things particular to the school that boys are inclined to sink or swim.
“Love it or loathe it – I think George will be in the former category.”