Prince George's first day at Eton: King-in-waiting poses in his new school uniform after arriving with proud Prince and Princess of Wales by his side.

Prince George's first day at Eton: King-in-waiting poses in his new school uniform after arriving with proud Prince and Princess of Wales by his side.

Prince George has posed for a portrait in his new school uniform after arriving for his first day at Eton College accompanied by his proud parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

He walked in as both a king-in-waiting and a nervous 13-year-old about to embark on a thrilling new chapter of his life.

The second in line to the throne wore a shirt and tie, a dark blazer and chinos with brown suede shoes. He and his parents strode briskly through Eton College's historic quadrangle – known to pupils as School Yard – in the heavy rain.

The family emerged from the arch beneath Lupton's Tower, the 16th-century gatehouse clock tower, and walked across the cobbled Yard.

The Waleses paused level with a bronze statue of Henry VI, the school's founder, which sits in the centre of the quadrangle, to shake hands with Simon Henderson, the headmaster of Eton College, and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the school's provost, who serves as the chair of the governing body.

Prince William was smartly dressed in a dark suit, while Catherine wore an elegant green flowing dress and heels and carried a large umbrella.

William was the first to shake hands with the headmaster, then George, as the princess slightly hung back.

'George welcome, good luck, enjoy,' Mr Henderson smiled. He then shook hands with Catherine before the provost introduced himself and they exchanged a few pleasantries.

While there were clearly nerves on both sides, there were also smiles all round – although the heavy rain drowned out the sound of their conversation.

Catherine gazed at her eldest son proudly before Mr Henderson invited the family to get out of the rain.

The princess was seen placing a protective arm on her son's back as the door was shut behind them. 

The Yard is the oldest part of the school alongside College Chapel, where pupils attend services three times a week.

After the welcome, George, William and Catherine were shown into the fourth-form passage in the original school building, which is understood to house the world's oldest classroom.

Like other families, the couple will help George settle into his new bedroom. Pupils from other years will return to Eton when the school starts tomorrow.

Following the brief photocall and the picture release, it is William and Catherine's fervent wish that George's education will take place away from public view.

Signs have been posted around Windsor warning the public not to photograph the pupils when they are moving around the sprawling campus of school buildings between lessons.

Kensington Palace announced in June that their eldest child would be attending the Windsor boarding school where fees cost more than £65,000 per year.

It seems hard to believe that the self-assured young man in front of us was, only a few years ago, being introduced to the world by William and Catherine on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington – or pictured tousle-haired, his back-pack almost as big as him, on his first day at nursery.

The photocall had been arranged for 11am, half an hour or so before the rest of his fellow 'F Blockers' – Eton shorthand for Year 9 students – arrived. 

It is the only time during the next five years George is likely to get any special treatment, and the decision was more about protecting the privacy of the other students.

All new pupils arrive in their own clothes before changing into Eton's distinctive and historic uniform including black tailcoat, waistcoat and white tunic shirt.

Kensington Palace is set to release a photograph of that separately.

The prince and princess have made clear how grateful they are for the way the media and public have allowed all their three children to grow up and enjoy their education away from the spotlight, in return for regular pictorial updates and occasional public appearances, and hope this will continue for George as he moves through his senior school years.

Henry VI established the school in 1440, naming it 'Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'.

Alongside fee-paying students, provision was made for 70 'King's scholars' to receive free lodging and tuition. The tradition continues today with the school offering bursaries to pupils from less well-off backgrounds.

The young prince's arrival at the exclusive public school varied markedly from his father's first day on September 6, 1995.

Then, William, sporting a grey tweed jacket over matching smart trousers and a navy patterned tie, was photographed arriving at his boarding house in front of a large group of the world's media and signing the register.

Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet

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