Prince George is set to begin his education at Eton College, Prince William’s alma mater, but the young royal, who turns 13 on July 22, is likely to face a much more difficult experience than his father, royal experts say.
“The biggest challenge isn’t schoolwork or making friends; it’s balancing Prince George’s privacy with the reality that all of his classmates have TikTok,” royal commentator Kinsey Schofield exclusively told Page Six on Tuesday.
“William and[his younger brother]Harry were in attendance before social media changed adolescence,” she continued. “George won’t have that luxury.”
Schofield explained that George’s safety hurdle is no longer just about “physical protection.”
“This protects his privacy in an age where anything can go viral in seconds,” she says.
The author of “R is for Revenge Dress” believes the threat landscape has “dramatically changed” since William was a student.
“The risk today is not just about someone getting physically close to the future king,” Schofield said. “Digital exposure, drones, social media and the speed of information dissemination all complicate the security situation.
“So Prince George’s protection will almost certainly be more sophisticated,” she continued, “even if it is designed to be largely invisible.”
Mr Schofield said security for Prince William and Duchess Kate’s eldest son would be “strong behind the scenes”.
“But I think every effort will be made not to constantly remind his companions that they are standing next to the future king,” she said. “When Prince William attended Eton, guardian officers wore civilian clothes and blended into the background.”
“The philosophy of being as invisible as possible is perhaps even more important today, as teenagers are already growing up under the microscope of social media,” she added.
Schofield claimed the royal family has spent decades trying to strike an “impossible balance” between “protecting the heir to the throne” and “giving him enough freedom to develop self-confidence.”
“Prince William understands that traveling the world, making friends and solving problems independently builds self-confidence. George’s security exists to facilitate, not hinder, that,” she said.
Schofield said William wanted George to have a “sense of normalcy” at school.
Fortunately for George, he is in an advantageous position as his father is an Eton graduate.
“If George has an advantage that William doesn’t have, it’s that his father has already been through this exact experience,” Schofield said. “William knows where the pressure is. He understands social dynamics, academic expectations, and emotional challenges.”
“I think Prince William has spent years thinking about what worked, what didn’t work, and how he can protect his son while giving him as much independence as possible,” she added.
George, who will officially become a teenager when he celebrates his 13th birthday on Wednesday, will start classes at Eton this fall.
He previously attended Lambrook School with his younger brothers Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.
William, 44, attended Eton School from 1995 to 2000. He then took a gap year to attend the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, graduating in June 2005 with a master’s degree in geography.
It was in St Andrews that Prince William met his future wife Kate Middleton, and they married in 2011, with whom they have children George, Charlotte and Louis.
