Let’s be honest: While being in the spotlight around the clock might not be everyone’s cup of tea, being a royal does come with its fair share of perks. And we’re not just talking about living in fancy palaces. It also means you can have pretty much anything you want. Or so we thought.
Apparently, the life of a royal is not always what it seems. Yes, Prince William could famously order ice cream whenever he fancied just by pressing a button when he was with his grandma (better known as Queen Elizabeth II to us commoners). But for others, including William’s eldest son, restrictions are part of the deal.
It turns out that Prince George will have to follow some very strict rules when he starts at Eton, his new boarding school, this September. And these rules include not having one thing that’s pretty much standard for any other boy his age today—your own kids included.
So what item is banned by George’s new school? Scroll down to find out!
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What is Eton, exactly?
Eton is one the most prestigious private boarding schools in the U.K. Located in Windsor, just a mile from Windsor Castle and about a 15-minute drive from Forest Lodge, where Kate, William and their kids have been living since 2025, Eton was founded by King Henry VI in 1440.
Originally, the school was established to educate 70 boys from disadvantaged backgrounds. Throughout the centuries, however, it has made a name for itself as the alma mater of royals and future politicians as well as world-famous actors, musicians, poets and scientists.
William and Harry both went to Eton, along with 20 former British prime ministers, including Boris Johnson and David Cameron. Actors Hugh Laurie, Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne and writers George Orwell and James Bond creator Ian Fleming also attended.
Despite the impressive alumni list—and the equally impressive fees of £65,673 ($88,700) per year—you don’t necessarily have to be wealthy to get into the elite school. According to its website, Eton currently teaches roughly 1,350 boys aged 13 to 18, and 18% of them received financial support during the 2023–2024 school year. Just under 100 students did not pay any fees at all.
What’s the one thing Prince George won’t be allowed to have there?
A smartphone.
Eton bans first-year students from having phones with internet access, according to the Telegraph. Instead, the students are given “brick phones,” similar to those old-school phones we all had back in the day, that can only send and receive text messages and calls. They’re mainly meant for students to stay in touch with their families during their time at the boarding school.
There are no exceptions to the rule, not even for George, the future king. The no-phone policy was implemented to protect the students, according to the college website. But the rule is also quite on trend, considering more and more people are longing for a digital detox these days (even though we’re not quite sure that includes a bunch of teenage boys).
Are students allowed any sort of online access?
Yes. Not having a smartphone doesn’t mean that Eton’s students are cut off from the outside world. Wi-Fi is available throughout the buildings, and there are desktop computers in the school’s library. Every student also receives an iPad at the beginning of the academic year.
That being said, there are still restrictions in place: The school’s network is filtered and monitored, and every pupil is required to attend lectures on e-safety and sign an Acceptable Use Agreement that governs their online activity at school.
Does Prince George have a phone?
Believe it or not, no. In an episode of The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy, William confirmed that none of his kids have phones, saying that he and Kate were “very strict” about it. Yet, when visiting Brazil for the Earthshot Prize in 2025, he admitted he’d consider rethinking his own rule.
“It is really hard. Our children don’t have phones,” the Prince of Wales said, before adding that George will “maybe … have one with limited access” once he’s moved onto secondary school. William explained that he and Kate wanted to protect their kids from “seeing things on the internet that they shouldn’t,” but also acknowledged that they wouldn’t be able to shield them forever.
So a brick phone might be just the right compromise to start.
What else can George expect at Eton?
George’s new school prides itself on combining academics with tons of extracurricular activities, such as sports, drama and music. So who knows? The teenage royal, who plays hockey just like his mom, might soon be the new captain of a sports team. There are also more than 80 societies at Eton that he can join, ranging from the Environment Society to the Social Impact Society, plus a variety of sports and entrepreneurship groups.
Eton’s students live in 24 different boarding houses, each containing roughly 55 pupils and led by a house master. So while George’s school might be just a stone’s throw from his family home, he will still be required to sleep on-site like every other student. This will be quite a change for the teenage prince, we reckon. His former alma mater, Lambrook School in Berkshire, was a day school, meaning he spent the day there but went home to his parents in the evening.
That being said, as the third in line to the throne, George is used to change and heightened responsibility. Let’s remember for a second the morbid rule that kicked in when he turned 12.
What have William and Harry said about their time at Eton?
William is the most senior royal to date to have attended Eton. It was Princess Diana who decided to send him there in 1995. The move was surprisingly controversial, since both William’s father, Charles, and his grandfather, Prince Philip, had attended a boarding school in Gordonstoun, Scotland, and William was expected to follow in their footsteps.
However, it seems the young prince had a great time at his Windsor school, where he could enjoy a degree of normalcy. When William left Eton at the age of 18, he said in an interview, “I’ve really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student.”
His brother, Harry, seems to have more mixed memories. In his book Spare, he called his first days at the boarding school a “profound shock.” He struggled to fit in with the other students, and he was upset that William avoided hanging out with him. But it wasn’t all bad for Harry. He did enjoy Eton’s sports programs, and he even took part in a Shakespearean play.
Sources:
- Eton College
- Spare by Prince Harry
- The Reluctant Traveler
- Telegraph: “Why Prince George is the best-prepared teenage heir in history”
- BBC: “Prince George to attend Eton College from September”
- BBC: “Eton set to give ‘brick’ phones to first years”
- Marie Claire: “William and Kate will be thrilled about one convenience Prince George won’t be allowed to have at Eton College”
- Town & Country: “Prince William broke with royal tradition to attend Eton”
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