Prince George begins Eton education amid royal family tensions
Prince George has started at Eton College, following his father and uncle, while the King's letter reaffirming Harry and Meghan's non-working status adds to family tensions.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Prince George has begun his first day at Eton College, the exclusive Berkshire boarding school, arriving with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales. The 13 year old future king was greeted by the headmaster, Simon Henderson, and the Provost, Sir Nicholas Coleridge, as he starts Year 9, known as F Block at Eton. Fees at the school are more than £65,000 a year, paid privately by his parents. George will board in one of the school's 25 houses, with his own room, and will wear the distinctive Eton uniform, including a black tailcoat and white collar.
The choice of Eton follows family tradition: his father, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry, both attended. William has spoken fondly of his time there, saying he felt like any other pupil. George's parents visited several schools before choosing Eton, which is close to their home in Windsor. Their priority is protecting George's privacy. Media access was limited to a single camera and a few photographs released by Kensington Palace. A discreet police presence will be with him at school, and media access will be rare and carefully managed in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, the royal family is dealing with renewed tension over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. A letter from the King, sent via the Lord Chamberlain, reaffirmed that Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals and are to be treated as private citizens. The couple's spokesperson said they were surprised by the letter and had not been told in advance. The letter comes ahead of a meeting of the RAVEC committee, which is expected to decide on the couple's taxpayer-funded security. Harry's team suspect the letter was timed to influence that decision. The Sussexes have returned to the UK with their children, and the ongoing rift continues to overshadow the family's public moments.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince William and Prince Harry both attended Eton College. | · | · | ||||
| Eton College fees are £65,000 per year. | · | · | · | |||
| Prince George began attending Eton College as a boarder. | · | · | · | |||
| Media access to Prince George at Eton will be rare and carefully managed. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The RAVEC committee will reassess Harry and Meghan's security now they live in the UK. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Eton has 25 boarding houses, and Prince George will be placed in one of them. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Kensington Palace released photos of Prince George in his Eton uniform before his arrival. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince George met head teacher Simon Henderson and Provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge on arrival at Eton. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Daily Mirror reported that Prince Harry and the King have not spoken. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The King's letter was published with about an hour's notice to Harry and Meghan. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The royals were reported to be perplexed by Prince Harry's lack of contact. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the exclusivity and cost of Eton, the family tradition, and the ongoing Sussex controversy, with a critical tone about the elite nature of the school. They also highlighted the timing of the King's letter ahead of the security decision.
- “fees here are an eye-watering £65,000 a year”
- “Both Prince William and Prince Harry were pupils here.”
- “the letter that was sent yesterday by the Lord Chamberlain outlining and restating, if you like, the fact that now Meghan and Harry are living back in their UK, their roles haven't changed at all.”
BBC News provided detailed practical coverage of George's arrival, including the school's traditions and the strict media management. They also reported the Sussexes' surprise at the King's letter, balancing the two royal stories.
- “Prince George met the head teacher of Eton, Simon Henderson, and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, who is the Provost of Eton”
- “in year 9 in F Block there are no smartphones”
- “the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spokesperson has said they were surprised that the letter was there”
BBC ONE West emphasised the family connection and the emotional significance of the day, while also covering the Sussexes' reaction to the King's letter. Their report was warm and focused on the positive start for George.
- “It was a rainy start to life at Eton for Prince George”
- “Media access to George at school will be rare and carefully controlled”
- “the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said they were surprised by a formal letter from the king”
Channel 5 focused on the contrast between George's positive start and the ongoing Harry and Meghan drama, with a critical view of the Sussexes' return. They highlighted the security dispute and the King's clarification of their status.
- “Eton is a Spencer family tradition”
- “the dispute over withdrawing taxpayer funded security is also back in the headlines”
- “the king just making that very clear to councils and local police forces that whatever Harry and Meghan do it's out as private citizens”
ITV1 focused on the privacy arrangements for George, comparing the controlled media access to William's 1995 arrival, and reported the Sussexes' suspicion that the King's letter was timed to influence the security decision.
- “One single camera was permitted to film inside the school”
- “the suspicion, I think, at least in Prince Harry and Meghan's camp is that this letter was made public to try in some way to influence the decision that that Home Office Committee will make later this week about Harry's security.”
- “After today, William and Kate have asked that their 13-year-old is left alone and treated like any of the others”
GB News took a strongly opinionated and critical stance towards Harry and Meghan, focusing on the reported lack of contact with the King and contrasting it with George's positive start. They praised George as 'class' against the Sussexes' 'crass'.
- “Harry and King have not spoken”
- “the royals are said to be perplexed by his lack of contact”
- “class versus crass”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.