The Prince and Princess of Wales were seen accompanying their young son Prince George on a visit to Eton.
Prince William and wife Kate walked with the nine-year-old in the grounds of the boarding school, which educates boys aged between 13 and 18.
The visit has sparked speculation that Prince George, who turns 10 next month, will follow in the footsteps of his father, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry, who both boarded at Eton College.
On its website, Eton is described as a “modern, forward-thinking school that embraces innovation and new opportunities to provide an outstanding, progressive and well-rounded education”.
Prince George currently attends private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire, along with his siblings, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, aged five.
Outdoorsy and nurturing prep school Lambrook, where fees are costing Prince William and Princess Kate more than £53,000 ($68,000) a year, has been described by parents as “magical”.
Year 8 leavers join schools such as Eton, Wellington College, Marlborough College, where Princess Kate went, and Charterhouse among others.
Prince George – in pictures
Prince George and Princess Charlotte began their school days happily at private day school Thomas’s Battersea – a busy, cosmopolitan establishment in south London – with Prince George starting in 2017 and his sister in 2019.
Their father Prince William and uncle Prince Harry boarded at Eton for five years.
Prince William’s first day began with a photocall with his separated parents joining him in a show of solidarity, with Prince Harry also taking part.
The 13-year-old smiled broadly as he was greeted by scores of photographers.
A three-tier scaffolding stage was erected opposite Manor House where Prince William was to live as a boarder, to allow the press a one-off view of the new Etonian.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’s grandfather the king had a difficult time at secondary school as a teenager.
King Charles III was sent to Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, following in the footsteps of his father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, but was picked on and described his days there as “a prison sentence”.
King Charles did admit, however, that the school instilled him with self-discipline and a sense of responsibility.
