The Prince and Princess of Wales have finally confirmed which school Prince George will be attending from September and despite speculation for months that the couple would break with tradition, he's following in his dad's footsteps.
On 16th June, just under a month before George bids a bittersweet farewell to Lambrook School, Kensington Palace announced that the future King will be starting at Eton College in the autumn.
Both Prince William and Prince Harry attended the prestigious Windsor boarding school and it exclusively admits boys aged 13-18. It's only around a twenty minute drive from William and Kate's family home, Forest Lodge, which might have been a significant factor in their decision.
I can't say I was surprised to hear that Eton would have the honour of educating Prince George, even though there have been countless reports of the Waleses visiting other schools. For many people, Marlborough College was a strong contender as it was both Kate's former school and a co-educational option.
So far, the Prince and Princess of Wales have forged their own path with their children and George, Charlotte and Louis have all been educated together which was rather rare for members of the Royal Family.
Now for the first time Prince George will break away and although Prince Louis will likely join him when he's older, William and Kate will have to choose a separate school for Charlotte when she's 13. In my mind it was always inevitable that George would tread a similar path to his dad.
Eton College has already educated one future King and has shown it can provide a safe, secure learning environment for someone so high up in the royal line of succession. When trips home are permitted, George can get home very easily to see the rest of the family and this might make the transition from his small prep school to Eton a bit less daunting.
Although he's been boarding a bit already at Lambrook - something Prince William recently confirmed during a visit to Cornwall - living completely away from home at a young age is a lot to get to grips with. The move to his new school won't just affect George, but his whole family too.
Royal author Robert Jobson previously told Hello! it will be an "emotional time" when the young royal "spread[s] his wings".
He went on, "William used to go to visit the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor while he was at Eton College, but that has to be organised. You can't just pop home when you want to."
"They are such a tight family unit; George will be missed," Robert declared. "It will be like having an empty seat at the table."
However, he's in good hands and Prince William reportedly said around his 18th birthday that he "really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student". He also expressed gratitude for how the media generally left him alone whilst he was a pupil. Hopefully Prince George will have a similar outlook after his five years there.
