Eton College has welcomed Prince George as its newest student, and his first official portraits from the school have caused royal fans to do a double take.
Tuesday, September 8, marked the start of a new chapter for the 13-year-old, who arrived at the renowned Berkshire boarding school with Prince William and Kate Middleton by his side. The Wales family’s longtime photographer, Matt Porteous, captured the moment, and Kensington Palace has since shared the images.
What George Wore for the Portraits
The pictures show George dressed in Eton’s standard uniform, which includes a black tailcoat, matching black waistcoat, pinstriped trousers, and a crisp white shirt finished with the school’s distinctive stiff, detached collar. That historic outfit is what “School Dress” represents.
A photograph shows the young prince leaning against a stone pillar in Eton’s schoolyard, near the Lower School. The exact spot was also used for Prince William’s 18th birthday portraits.
The sequence of arrivals at the school places George after both his father and his uncle.
- Prince William began at Eton in 1995, also at 13, making George’s arrival an especially significant royal milestone.
- William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, later followed him to the school in 1998.
- George is now the latest to arrive, beginning his first day on Tuesday, September 8.
Fans See William — and Someone Else
The discussion soon turned to comparing the father and son, with many viewers noticing William in the young prince.
“A touching full circle moment for Prince William as he walks his son into the same school he attended 31 years ago. For George, it is the beginning of a new chapter,” one person wrote.
Another user commented, “Father and Son in their Eton uniform,” while a third added, “Like father, like son! The resemblance is incredible, even nearly 30 years apart.”
A single remark was made, which stated, “Just from the pictures of them walking, he has his father’s mouth and mannerisms and his mother’s face and his father’s hair… He’s literally both his parents perfectly mixed.”
“They really look alike, actually. The only difference is the eye color,” another person added.
Not everybody spotted William. A number of royal fans instead remarked on how much the young prince looks like Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer and the younger brother of George’s late grandmother, Princess Diana.
“He’s a copy of his uncle Charles Spencer with a bit of Middleton in his smile,” one commenter wrote.
Another user commented, “No! he looks like Princess Diana’s brother.”
“He’s got Spencer family written all over him,” a third person said.
A second person expressed the same idea, “Striking resemblance to his uncle, Diana’s brother… Definitely Spencer trait.”.
“He’s got Spencer family written all over him.”
How the First Day Unfolded
Prince William and Princess Kate were at George’s side when he started school on a rainy Tuesday morning. The family arrived together, with George first wearing a dark blazer, chinos, a light blue shirt, navy tie, and brown suede shoes. He then changed into Eton’s formal school dress.
Simon Henderson, the headmaster at Eton, and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the Provost, both welcomed the young man as he settled into his new school environment. He is 13 years old. The school sits fairly near the Wales family’s Windsor home.
Eton is set to become George’s boarding school, offering the customary residential setting for which the institution is known. He will spend his secondary-school years there, with the school educating boys from 13 through 18.
Eton’s Cost and Royal History
Before extra charges, Eton states its standard three-term fee for the 2026/27 academic year stands at around £65,673, which works out to approximately $89,000 annually.
The school expects George to be there for five years, following a royal custom that has been around for many centuries.
The school was created by King Henry VI in 1440, which means it has had a royal link for nearly six hundred years. He set up Eton as a royal educational foundation close to Windsor, with the aim of offering schooling and lodging to impoverished students.
For many centuries, Eton has trained notable individuals from generation to generation, among whom several members of the British royal family number.
Why William’s Choice of Eton Mattered
The choice William made to study at 1995 stood out for a specific reason: he became the first future British monarch to go there. It marked a break from the older royal custom of attending Gordonstoun, which had educated King Charles III and Prince Philip.
George is now at Eton, just as his father, Prince William, and his uncle, Prince Harry, were before him.
Social media users tracked the passing years by comparing images, including a post from Queen Esther (@XOQueenEsther) who drew attention to how George’s first day of school in 2017 compared with his arrival at Eton now.
The original post contained a single line of text, which was: “Look at Prince George now! From that tiny four-year-old starting his first day of school in 2017 to a very grown-up 13-year-old arriving at Eton today. 🥹”.
“How have the years gone by so quickly? It honestly feels like yesterday that we saw little Prince George holding his dad’s…” the post continued.
George’s story has only just started, according to the passage. Those who follow the monarchy closely, however, can see the echoes of what came before.
Source: boredpanda.com