Prince George’s New School Takes Steps to Protect His Privacy Ahead of His Arrival

Prince George is preparing for an important new stage in his education, and his future school is already taking measures to ensure that the young royal can begin his studies with as much privacy as possible.

The 13-year-old prince is expected to start attending Eton College in early September. Ahead of his arrival, the prestigious all-boys’ boarding school has reportedly installed new signs carrying a simple but unmistakable two-word warning: “No Photography.”

The notices have reportedly been placed on fences outside the school to discourage members of the public and the media from taking pictures of students. While the rule applies to pupils generally, its timing has naturally attracted attention because George, the eldest child of Prince William and Princess Kate, will soon become one of Eton’s most recognizable students.

As second in line to the British throne, George has attracted media attention since birth. His parents, however, have consistently attempted to give him and his siblings as ordinary and private an upbringing as their royal circumstances allow.

His move to Eton will present a new challenge in maintaining that balance.

Eton Prepares for Increased Attention

Prince George’s first days at Eton are likely to attract significant public interest. The situation will be familiar to his father, who began attending the same school in 1995.

When William arrived at Eton, intense media interest surrounded the young prince. However, an arrangement was reportedly reached between the royal family and the press.

Under that understanding, journalists and photographers would be given access to certain organized opportunities involving William. In return, the media would generally respect his privacy during everyday school life.

A similar arrangement could potentially be introduced for George.

Such an agreement would allow the public to see occasional official images marking important moments while preventing photographers from constantly following the prince around school.

William has previously spoken positively about his experience at Eton, particularly because he was able to feel relatively normal there.

Despite his royal status, he appreciated having the opportunity to live and study much like other pupils.

His son could now be given a similar chance.

George Will Have His Own Room

Like other students at Eton, George is expected to have his own room while attending the boarding school.

That represents a major adjustment for the young prince, who has spent his childhood living closely with his parents, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

William and Kate have also reportedly considered how George will communicate with the family while he is away.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have indicated that they are reluctant to give their eldest son a smartphone at this stage. Instead, George could receive a basic mobile phone that allows him to call and message his parents without providing the wider internet and social-media access associated with modern smartphones.

The decision reflects William and Kate’s broader approach to raising their children in an era very different from the one in which William grew up.

Technology and social media have made privacy increasingly difficult, particularly for someone as famous as the future king.

Another Media Agreement Could Protect George

There has also been speculation that William and Kate could seek a new “gentleman’s agreement” with the British media.

William benefited from a similar arrangement when he attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

When William and Prince Harry were young adults, there was reportedly an understanding that their privacy should be respected while they were pursuing their education.

For William, this proved especially important.

He met Kate Middleton at St. Andrews in 2001, when both were first-year students. The relative privacy surrounding William’s university life allowed their relationship to develop largely outside the intense media spotlight.

The couple reportedly dated for a considerable period before their romance became public knowledge.

Without the agreement, William and Kate might have faced photographers and reporters from the earliest stages of their relationship.

Instead, they were able to experience something closer to ordinary university life.

William Remembers Intense Media Attention

William has repeatedly discussed how difficult media attention could be during his childhood.

During an October 2025 appearance on Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler, he spoke to Eugene Levy about his memories of growing up while journalists and photographers followed almost every development involving his family.

The media interest surrounding the marriage of his parents, then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana, was particularly intense.

Charles and Diana separated when William was only 10 years old, meaning he experienced the consequences of enormous public scrutiny from a very young age.

Those experiences have strongly influenced the way William approaches parenthood.

He understands personally what it means to grow up knowing that photographers may be waiting outside and that private family events can become international headlines.

As a result, protecting George, Charlotte and Louis from excessive attention has become an important priority for both William and Kate.

The Agreement Was Rarely Broken

The privacy arrangement surrounding William’s education was generally respected.

One notable exception occurred shortly after he began studying at St. Andrews in 2001.

A film crew associated with Ardent Productions, a television company owned by William’s uncle Prince Edward, reportedly arrived at the university and attempted to film the young royal.

The incident happened only two days after William began university.

Once the crew’s actions were discovered, they were reportedly ordered to leave immediately.

The episode demonstrated how seriously the palace and university treated William’s right to privacy during his education.

A similar level of protection could now be considered necessary for George.

Following in His Father’s Footsteps

George’s decision to attend Eton also carries considerable family significance.

According to a source close to the family, the young prince has long wanted to follow the educational path taken by his father.

Eton is one of Britain’s most famous schools.

Founded by King Henry VI in 1440, the institution has educated generations of prominent figures in British public life.

Both Prince William and Prince Harry attended the school, as did numerous politicians and members of Britain’s elite. Twenty British prime ministers have also been educated there.

The privilege comes with a substantial price tag, with attendance reportedly costing approximately $80,000 per year.

Despite George’s position, reports have suggested that he was not simply guaranteed admission because of his royal background and was expected to participate in the application process like other candidates.

For William, the decision to send George to Eton is informed by his own generally positive experience there.

George Faced Paparazzi Attention as a Toddler

William and Kate’s concern about privacy did not begin with George’s teenage years.

When he was still a toddler, the couple became increasingly alarmed by the behavior of some photographers attempting to obtain unauthorized pictures of him.

Reports described particularly aggressive efforts by paparazzi, including an incident in which photographers allegedly created a hiding place inside the trunk of a vehicle to secretly capture images.

The situation became serious enough that William and Kate, who were then known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, issued a strongly worded public statement.

The statement described several examples of paparazzi behavior involving the young prince and warned that some methods were becoming increasingly dangerous.

George was only two years old at the time.

The intervention appears to have had an impact.

Since then, George and his younger siblings have generally been able to grow up with considerable privacy despite their royal status.

A Carefully Managed Introduction to Royal Life

William and Kate have not completely removed their children from public life.

George, Charlotte and Louis regularly appear at major royal occasions, including Trooping the Colour and the royal family’s traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham.

However, their appearances are carefully controlled rather than constant.

Former royal press secretary Ailsa Anderson has said that William and Kate have been cautious about placing too much pressure on their children.

Instead of immediately exposing them to the full responsibilities and attention associated with royal life, George and his siblings have been gradually introduced to public duties.

That approach has reportedly helped George develop confidence at his own pace.

Eton will now become another important environment in which he can continue developing his independence.

Five Important Years Ahead for the Future King

George will enter Eton at 13 and is expected to remain there until he is 18.

Those five years will take him from early adolescence to the beginning of adulthood and could play a major role in shaping the person he becomes.

Royal biographer Russell Myers has pointed out that although William enjoyed his time at Eton, both he and Kate recognize that their children are growing up in a very different environment.

Smartphones, social media and instant online publishing mean George will face challenges that did not exist when his father entered Eton in the 1990s.

That makes the school’s emphasis on privacy particularly significant.

The newly installed “No Photography” signs may contain only two words, but their message is clear.

Prince George may be a future king and one of the most recognizable teenagers in Britain, but when he walks through Eton’s gates, those responsible for his upbringing appear determined to give him something his father valued decades earlier: the opportunity to be treated, as much as possible, like any other student.