Eton insists the new 'no photography' signs dotted around its grounds have nothing to do with Prince George. That is a difficult claim to take at face value from a school that has just enrolled the son of a man who has spent two decades trying to keep his children out of the tabloids.
George begins in September, following in the footsteps of his father and uncle as he enters the school gates at the age of 13. Officially, this is stated to be a general privacy policy for all students, rather than a special arrangement for one individual. Perhaps this is true, but the timing of the announcement speaks volumes.
How Different Is George's Eton From William's?
When William was a student, Buckingham Palace arranged an agreement with Fleet Street: photographers were granted a limited number of scheduled photocalls in return for agreeing to leave him alone for the rest of the term. This arrangement worked because it depended on a small group of newspaper editors who could be reasoned with.
This type of arrangement is ineffective against an anonymous social media account with half a million followers. Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield noted that George's main challenge won't be academics or making friends, but rather navigating a school where all his classmates use TikTok—a situation William and Harry didn't face.
The Real Risk Isn't at the Gates
Almost every boy at Eton now carries a smartphone, and it takes only one photo or clip taken out of context to cause real damage to a teenager. This is what the signage addresses, not the photographers outside the school.
Every Eton boy has his own study-bedroom, so there are no dormitory concerns. However, exposure occurs in shared spaces such as dining halls, changing rooms, and common rooms, where a phone may briefly appear.
Banning iPhones While Issuing School iPads
This is where the policy starts to look less watertight. Every Year 9 boy who surrenders his smartphone is issued a school iPad to support his studies, along with a new brick phone.
That iPad still has a camera, Wi-Fi, and AirDrop. Taking away a smartphone while giving a device that performs most of the same functions is not a clean break as the policy suggests.
George's Nokia Won't Shield Him From Older Boys
Eton's brick phone rule only applies to the new intake. Older year groups remain under different, age-appropriate controls, which means George's basic handset only protects him from boys his own age.
Pupils in Years 10 to 13, some of whom will share his house and dining hall, are allowed to keep their smartphones. George will therefore be surrounded daily by older boys who are fully connected and skilled at making a video go viral rapidly.
The Value of Prince George Footage
None of this alters the underlying incentive. A single blurry clip of the future king mid-argument, or having a difficult day on the rugby pitch, carries significant value online. A teenager doesn't need to be paid to feel the allure of being the first to share it.
That is precisely the risk William is trying to minimise in his son's school life, not through a press agreement this time, but by implementing hardware restrictions that only apply to part of the school.
It remains to be seen whether the brick phone, 'no photography' signage, and the iPad-shaped gap in the plan will last for a full academic year.
