Kensington Palace has confirmed that Prince George is to attend Eton College from September. The announcement settles months of speculation about where the young prince, who is in line to the throne, would continue his education, and places him at one of the best-known schools in the country.
In going to Eton, Prince George will be following directly in the footsteps of his father. The Prince of Wales, William, also attended the school, and the decision keeps the family link to Eton intact across another generation of the royal family.
Eton is a school with a long and prominent history. It was founded in 1420 by King Henry VI, and over the centuries it has educated a number of British prime ministers, among them Harold Macmillan, David Cameron and Boris Johnson. That record has helped cement its reputation as one of the most traditional and high-profile schools in Britain.
Attending the school comes at a considerable cost. The basic annual fees at Eton College are more than 63,000 pounds a year, a figure that underlines the school's status and the kind of education that George will receive there once he begins in the autumn.
According to reporting on the decision, the Prince and Princess of Wales took time over the choice and looked at a number of different options before settling on Eton. There had been a good deal of speculation about which school George might go to, with several possibilities discussed publicly in the lead-up to the confirmation.
One of the schools that had been mentioned was Marlborough College, which is where George's mother, Catherine, was a pupil. In the end, William and Catherine opted for the more traditional choice of Eton. It is understood that at least one interview would have been conducted as part of the process before a place was confirmed.