Reportedly, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a hush-hush prospective visit to the £63,000-per-year school ahead of the Easter Holidays in 2025. ‘It’s the talk of the school, and of the parents,’ a source told Richard Eden at the time. Little wonder: is there any faster way to climb the social power index than getting your youngster invited to birthday parties with the future king at Kensington Palace?
Given his happy memories of his own school days, it is completely understandable that Prince William would want his eldest son to enjoy the same experience – and now, we won’t have long for Prince George to don that famous uniform of pinstripe trousers and black tailcoat.
Eton College: the Tatler Schools Guide 2026 verdict
Editor: Tori Cadogan
Eton receives about five applications per place, and admissions come with a range of prestigious scholarships: 14 King’s Scholars are chosen in the summer of Year 8; and 12 Orwell Awards go to candidates for whom an education here would be transformational. Well, Henry VI did found the school in 1440 with the aim of providing free learning to boys with the same aim in mind; and it works hard to broaden its reach. Last year, the Eton Connect programme coordinated visits to its museums and collections by more than 5,000 state pupils. The motto here is Floreat Etona, and indeed, one of the school’s strengths lies in the sheer diversity of opportunities offered to help its boys bloom. From football, rugby and cricket to Eton’s very own Wall and Field Games, there are always sports to play; and with a major revamp underway, the facilities will soon include a new swimming pool and glass-backed squash courts, as well as renovated courts for fives and rackets. Then there’s the dynamic societies programme, which regularly includes talks by distinguished speakers (prime ministers, Nobel laureates, CEOs – you name it). As you would expect, drama and music here are really impressive; recently, talented students won the BBC Young Musician of the Year and the BBC Young Composer competitions. As head Simon Henderson tells Tatler, ‘Boys here spend at least 50 per cent of their free time, if not more, doing things that are not academic, which is absolutely deliberate and by design,’ because this mature approach engenders ‘self discovery, self-discipline, communication, teamwork, collaboration and, most importantly, fun.’