Prince George will attend Eton College starting in September, Kensington Palace announced Tuesday. The decision ends months of public speculation about where the second in line to the throne would go after finishing at Lambrook School in Berkshire.
George follows his father, the Prince of Wales, who also attended the private school in Berkshire. Annual fees at Eton run around £63,000, a figure that now includes VAT added by the government to private school fees.
Eton accepts pupils at age 13. Prince George turns 13 next month.
The school was founded in the 15th century and counts 20 British prime ministers among its former students. More recent alumni in politics include Lord David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. Prince George's uncle, Prince Harry, and great uncle, Earl Spencer, both attended the school as well.
Among the schools previously discussed as possibilities was Marlborough College, where his mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales, had studied. Eton was described as the more traditional choice.
As a boarder, George will live in one of the school's 25 boarding houses, each housing approximately 55 pupils and overseen by a house master and residential staff. The school gives each boy a private single room.
Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of the Good Schools Guide, said Eton has "spectacular facilities and spacious grounds." She wrote that "despite its ancient buildings, it is a modern school with a progressive outlook." On George specifically, she said his parents, "with an unrivalled choice of schools available to them, have decided that an Eton education represents the best preparation for life as a modern working royal."
Prince William, interviewed at age 18 after completing his own time at Eton, said in June 2000 that "I've really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student."
Prince George was seen publicly over the weekend at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London with his parents and siblings.
