How Prince George’s freedoms may change now he’s a teenager
It’s official: Prince George is a teenager. The second in line to the British throne has turned 13 ahead of his September start at Eton, where things may have changed a little since his dad’s day
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Birthday boy Prince George will shortly begin his education at Prince William’s old school, Eton College*, but the young royal – who turned 13 on July 22 – could find quite a different experience awaits him, at least according to one royal expert.
“The biggest challenge won’t be academics or making friends. It’ll be balancing Prince George’s privacy with the reality that every classmate has TikTok,” royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told the New York Post, in an exclusive published ahead of George’s milestone* birthday.
“William and (his brother) Harry attended before social media transformed adolescence,” Ms Schofield said. “George won’t have that luxury.”
The hurdle with George’s security wasn’t just about “physical protection” anymore, according to Ms Schofield.
“It’s protecting his privacy in an age where something can go viral in seconds,” she said.
The author and commentator said safety concerns had “changed dramatically” since William was a student.
“The risks today aren’t just about someone physically approaching the future king,” Ms Schofield said.
She said that digital exposure, drones, social media and the speed at which information spreads all complicated the security picture.
“That means Prince George’s protection will almost certainly be more sophisticated, even if it’s designed to remain largely invisible,” she said, adding that William and Catherine’s eldest son’s security would likely be “robust* behind the scenes”.
“But I suspect every effort will be made to ensure his peers aren’t constantly reminded they’re standing next to a future king,” she said.
“When Prince William attended Eton, his protection officers dressed in plain clothes and blended into the background.”
“That philosophy of being seen as little as possible is probably even more important today, because teenagers are already growing up under the microscope of social media,” she said.
Ms Schofield suggested that the royal household had spent decades trying to strike the “impossible balance” between “protecting an heir to the throne” and “allowing him enough freedom to develop confidence.”
“Prince William understands that confidence comes from navigating the world, making friends, and solving problems independently. George’s security will exist to facilitate that, not prevent it,” she said.
Schofield believes William wants George to have a “sense of normalcy” at school.
Fortunately for George, his dad is an Eton grad.
“If there’s one advantage George has that William didn’t, it’s that his father has already lived this exact experience,” Schofield said. “William knows where the pressure points are. He understands the social dynamics, the academic expectations and the emotional challenges.”
“I suspect William has spent years thinking about what worked, what didn’t, and how to give his son as much independence as possible while still protecting him,” she added.
George is expected to start classes at Eton in September after the European summer.
He previously attended Lambrook School with his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight.
William, 44, attended Eton from 1995 to 2000. He then took a gap year before attending Scotland’s oldest university, the University of St Andrews in Scotland, graduating in June 2005 with a Master of Arts in geography.
It was at St Andrews that William met Art History student Kate Middleton, now the future queen, whom he married in 2011.
Kids News has approached Eton College for comment.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- Eton College: a prestigious boarding school for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI
- milestone: an important event in the development or history of something or in someone’s life
- robust: strong and unlikely to break or fail
EXTRA READING
Big Prince George news confirmed
QUICK QUIZ
- How old did Prince George turn on Wednesday 22 July?
- Where will he be starting school in September?
- When did his father Prince William attend the same school?
- Where did Prince George’s parents meet?
- Prince George is in what position in line to the British throne?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What could Eton do?
What steps do you think that Eton College could take to help protect Prince George’s privacy, while helping him feel like he is just “one of the boys”? Write a list of rules or procedures that they could put in place.
Time: allow at least 15 minutes for this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Civics and Citizenship, Personal Social Capability
2. Extension
Do you think that someone like Prince George could ever have a normal childhood, school life or teenage years? Write paragraphs explaining your opinion on this.
Time: allow at least 20 minutes for this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there for Prince George’s 13th birthday celebrations.
Create a conversation between two people from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.