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Prince George has been adjusting to life at Eton College over the past few weeks after beginning his studies at the prestigious boarding school earlier this month.
The 13-year-old arrived at Eton on 8 September with his parents, Prince William and Princess Kate, by his side. Since then, George will have been familiarising himself with his new surroundings and getting to know his fellow pupils.
Along with adapting to his new routine, the young royal must also follow Eton’s established rules and traditions, including a new regulation introduced this year.
Being on time is taken particularly seriously. Pupils who are late for lessons or chapel can be required to get up early and record their names in a “tardy book” maintained by administrative staff.
The school also has a distinctive system for dealing with work that falls below expectations. If a teacher, traditionally referred to at Eton as a “beak”, is dissatisfied with a pupil’s work, the top of the page can physically be torn off.
Receiving too many of these “rips” can lead to a more formal monitoring process. The pupil may be issued with a “white ticket”, which records their academic performance each day and, in more serious cases, can ultimately lead to a meeting with the Headmaster.
This year, Eton has placed particular emphasis on how pupils use the iPads provided by the school, following concerns raised by parents about the amount of time their children spend looking at screens.
The issue has prompted increased attention to device use amid fears that excessive screen time could potentially lead to addictive habits among students.
The new rulе at Eton
Eton has introduced updated digital guidelines for parents of boys beginning their first year at the school, a group that now includes Prince George.
Under the new rules, pupils are restricted to using a “specially designed safe browser” on their school-issued iPads. Through the browser, they can access only a “white list” of websites that have received approval from their teachers.
The tighter controls come after parents raised concerns in 2024 that some pupils were using their iPads to play games or browse the internet during lessons and at times when they were expected to be completing homework.
iPads have formed part of everyday learning at Eton since 2019, with every boy receiving a school-issued device when he begins his first year.
Further restrictions on technology were introduced in 2024, when new pupils began receiving basic Nokia “brick” phones instead, as smartphones are not permitted for first-year students.
However, concerns about Eton’s approach to digital devices continued to grow. In December 2024, more than 100 parents joined together to send a letter to the school’s provost, Sir Nicholas Coleridge, and members of the leadership team.
In the letter, the parents raised concerns about the school’s policies governing pupils’ use of devices and their access to the internet.
Schoоl brings in tighter restrictiоns
Following the concerns raised by parents, Eton moved to strengthen its rules around technology. During the summer, deputy head Mike Grenier contacted families of incoming first-year pupils to explain the stricter measures that would be introduced.
According to The Telegraph, Grenier told parents that boys would continue to receive school-issued iPads for their studies. However, the devices would be restricted to a specially designated network known as Eton-Learning.
Beginning in October, first-year pupils will be permitted to browse online only through a “specially designed safe browser”. Their internet access will be limited to a “white list” of websites approved by their teachers, traditionally known at Eton as “beaks”.
The school is also maintaining its ban on first-year boys keeping their devices overnight. This year, however, the evening restrictions have been tightened further, with pupils required to surrender their iPads half an hour earlier on Saturdays.
During the 2024-25 academic year, first-year students could keep their devices until 9.30pm on Saturday evenings, while the deadline on other nights was 9pm. Under the revised policy, 9pm now applies every night of the week.
The boys are then able to retrieve their devices from 7am the following morning.
Good nеws for William and Kate
The tighter restrictions at Eton are likely to align closely with Prince William and Princess Kate’s own approach to technology at home.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have previously spoken about placing limits on the amount of screen time their children are allowed. They have also revealed that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis do not have their own mobile phones.
Kate has previously expressed her concerns about the effect digital devices can have on personal relationships, addressing the subject in an essay entitled The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World.
The Princess collaborated on the piece with Professor Robert Waldinger of Harvard Medical School, highlighting how technology can interfere with meaningful face-to-face interaction.
“While digital devices promise to keep us connected, they frequently do the opposite,” Kate wrote.
She continued: “When we check our phones during conversations, scroll through social media during family dinners, or respond to e-mails while playing with our children, we’re not just being distracted, we are withdrawing the basic form of love that human connection requires.”
William cоnfirms no phone rule for their childrеn
Prince William has also spoken openly about the family’s rules surrounding technology during an appearance with actor Eugene Levy on the Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler.
Discussing the boundaries he and Kate have established for their three children, William revealed that mobile phones remain firmly off limits.
“None of our children have any phones, which we’re very strict about,” the Prince of Wales said.
Although William and Kate have their own mobile phones, the couple are seldom photographed using their devices while carrying out public engagements.
William has acknowledged that excessive phone use is not an issue confined to younger generations. During a visit to the OnSide Youth Zone in Hammersmith and Fulham, he spoke with a young person who admitted spending too much time scrolling on their phone.
“The grown-ups are guilty of it too. We have got to be better at it, our phones, too. We spend ages on our phones,” William said.
The Prince has also discussed the challenges of managing gaming and screen use within his own family. During a 2022 visit to BAFTA’s headquarters in London, he revealed that he and Kate were already keeping a close eye on their children’s habits.
“At the moment it’s trying to regulate the gaming…monitoring screen time. Got to be careful of that. They’re fascinated by it. George particularly. He’s more interested in it. The other two are a bit too small at the moment but they love the films. I adore film and gaming as well.”
Hоw George, Charlotte, and Louis аvoid screen timе
William has also shared how George, Charlotte and Louis spend their time away from digital devices, with sport and outdoor activities forming an important part of both their home and school routines.
Speaking about his youngest son and daughter’s enthusiasm for the trampoline, William said: “Louis loves the trampoline, so he’s obsessed with trampolining and actually Charlotte does a lot as well. As far as I can tell they just end up jumping up and down on the trampoline, beating each other up, most of the time. Apparently, there is an art to it.”
The Prince went on to reveal the other sports his children enjoy, adding: “Charlotte does her netball as well and her ballet and so keeping them busy with sports and being outdoors is really important… George loves his football and his hockey.”
William and Kate’s rules around technology do not mean screens are completely forbidden, and there have been occasions when their children have been allowed to use devices, particularly while travelling.
One such moment came during the summer of 2022, when Kate was reportedly spotted aboard a commercial flight to Scotland with Princess Charlotte, who was seven at the time, and Prince Louis.
A fellow passenger later shared their experience on TikTok, revealing: “On a flight to Scotland, Kate Middleton, both kids, nanny and security 2 rows in front of me. Could get a private jet or helicopter but keeping it simple, flying economy. She even got up halfway through the flight to get her daughter’s iPad. And yes, she was stunning, even gave me a smile while looking back at row behind her to talk to her son.”
