Prince George is poised to begin his education at Eton College, his father Prince William's alma mater, this fall. However, according to royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, the young royal's experience is likely to be more challenging than his father's due to the significant impact of social media on adolescence and altered security landscapes.
"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," Schofield told Page Six. She noted that Prince William and his brother Prince Harry attended Eton before the rise of social media, a luxury Prince George will not have.
Schofield explained that the security concerns for the future king extend beyond physical protection. "It’s protecting his privacy in an age where something can go viral in seconds," she stated. The threat landscape has evolved dramatically since William's time, with digital exposure, drones, and the rapid spread of information complicating security measures. Schofield anticipates that Prince George's security will be more sophisticated, even if largely invisible, with efforts made to ensure his peers do not constantly feel they are alongside a future monarch.
"When Prince William attended Eton, his protection officers dressed in plain clothes and blended into the background," Schofield recalled. "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."
The royal household has long aimed to strike a balance between protecting an heir and allowing them the freedom to develop confidence. Schofield believes Prince William understands this necessity and will want George to have a sense of normalcy at school. Prince George, who turns 13 on July 22, previously attended Lambrook School with his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Prince William attended Eton from 1995 to 2000. Schofield suggested that William's own experience at the boarding school gives George an advantage, as his father is familiar with the social dynamics, academic expectations, and potential pressure points. "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.