Kate’s heart does a quiet crack as George steps through those gates — pride blazing, heartbreak humming underneath — the royal nest officially missing its first feather.
Watching your tween step up from primary to secondary school is a gut‑punch of pride and emotion, and even the stiffest upper lip wobbles as we wave off a new starter drowning adorably in an oversized uniform.
But all of that pales in comparison to the wave of angst Kate is said to be feeling over the decision to send Prince George to Eton, according to a royal expert.
George, 13, joins his fellow Year 9 newcomers for an introductory day at Eton, just outside Windsor, on Tuesday, September 8 — and Kate is already feeling a few tears prick at the thought of it, according to royal biographer Andrew Lownie.
Eton, a boys‑only boarding school, means her first‑born will have to stand on his own two feet — living apart from his parents and siblings for the first time — and as royal biographer Andrew Lownie puts it, “Catherine is both sad and excited at the prospect of her son becoming a man.”
William and Kate were reportedly wracked with indecision over sending George to Eton — the £65,673 (AUD $124,000)‑a‑year, world‑famous boarding school — but ultimately, William’s fond memories of his own time there tipped the scales. Even so, the choice still caught royal‑watchers off guard, says Andrew Lownie.
Other boarding schools in the mix included Marlborough College — Catherine’s old school — and Oundle, both co‑educational options that would have allowed Princess Charlotte to follow her brother later on. “I thought Marlborough might be chosen as it is less academic, co‑educational, and the security around the school is easier,” says Andrew Lownie.
Security is set to be a major worry for the Waleses, who’ve kept their children tightly shielded from public view except at official events.
Marlborough, tucked away in rural Wiltshire, would have offered a quieter, more contained setting, whereas Eton sits right on the town’s High Street — meaning anyone passing by could spot young George as he moves between buildings. It echoes history too: a beaming 13‑year‑old William was photographed on the street on his own first day at Eton in 1995.
The British press will follow Palace guidance and leave George alone while he’s at school, and fellow pupils will be expected to give their royal classmate privacy.
Eton also enforces a no‑smartphone rule for Year 9, issuing old‑fashioned Nokia brick phones with no internet access. But beyond that, there’s little William and Kate can do if members of the public spot George with their smartphones — though he will always have protection officers close by.
Lots of mums across the country are feeling the same — that bittersweet mix of pride, nerves and the ache of watching their little ones take a big step away from them.
George is boarding there, which means William and Kate won’t see him again until half‑term — a reality plenty of mums across the country are feeling just as sharply.
The very best of good wishes — and plenty of luck and fun — to Prince George as he begins his new chapter at college.
He still looks a little overwhelmed at 13 — and who wouldn’t, starting at a huge boarding school. But that doesn’t mean he’s being pushed into the “family business”; it’s just the next step in his education, like any other child finding their feet.
Of course he’s the future king — that’s the path he was born into — but at 13 it’s still just a destiny on the horizon, not a job. Right now he’s simply a boy starting boarding school, finding his feet, and growing into whatever that future will eventually ask of him.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 