There were three of them on the school run for years — jam-smeared fingers, guitars wedged in the car, the usual cheerful chaos of a busy family morning. But this September, the Prince and Princess of Wales are navigating a new chapter, and it begins with one very significant empty seat.

Prince George, 13, officially began his first day at Eton College on 8 September, stepping through the gates of one of the world's most storied schools in the institution's iconic black tailcoat, waistcoat, pinstriped trousers and stiff white collar. Alongside him were his parents, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales — but notably absent were his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

A Milestone Marked Without the Whole Gang

The Wales family has offered no official explanation for why Charlotte and Louis did not attend George's landmark first day, though the most likely reason is a practical one: the siblings were preparing for their own return to Lambrook School in Berkshire, where their new term was set to begin the following day. Princess Charlotte, 11, is now in Year 7, while Prince Louis, eight, has moved into Year 4.

A girl with long brown hair wearing a white polka dot dress with navy trim stands in front of a boy with short light brown hair wearing a light blue button-up shirt, both standing outdoors with a dark blurred background.

There may also have been a deliberate choice to keep the focus squarely on George. This was, after all, his moment — one that echoes his father's own arrival at Eton 31 years ago, and which the official photographs underscored with an almost uncanny father-son resemblance.

"What makes Eton unique is that its buildings are dotted right throughout the town. You're constantly wandering the streets alongside tourists and locals... It gives a young royal a tangible connection to ordinary, everyday life."

So said royal expert and Old Etonian Tom Sykes, speaking to HELLO!, offering a flavour of the world George is now entering. Founded in 1440, Eton has educated 20 British prime ministers and countless generations of aristocrats, actors, politicians and royals. Its students call their teachers "beaks," wear tailcoats to class, and belong to one of 25 boarding houses — each home to around 55 boys, selected through a careful process designed to create a balanced community. The annual fees are reported to be approximately £65,000.

The End of the Shared School Run

For William and Kate, the school run has always been something of a point of pride. Former royal butler Grant Harrold has noted that the couple's day-to-day life is far more grounded than many might expect, with both parents choosing to drive their children themselves rather than lean on staff. The royal working day starting at 10am has made this routine workable — and, by all accounts, wonderfully normal.

A family of five walks together on a school path, with two adults and three children in uniform attire.

Prince William himself painted a vivid picture of those morning dashes during a breakfast radio show appearance earlier this year, revealing the family's go-to car snack.

"There's a lot of jam sandwiches taken in the car usually. Louis will leave jam fingerprints throughout the car, which is really helpful."

Those jam fingerprints, it seems, will now be a strictly Charlotte-and-Louis affair. George's move to Eton as a boarder means his parents no longer need to factor him into the morning scramble — no more negotiating guitars into the back seat on his behalf, at any rate.

History, Heartache and High Hopes

The date of George's first day carried its own quiet weight. He arrived at Eton on the fourth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death and King Charles III's accession — a poignant coincidence, given that William was able to visit the late Queen at nearby Windsor Castle during his own years at the school.

The occasion inevitably raised the shadow of contrasting royal Eton experiences. William has spoken warmly of his time there, while Prince Harry's memoir Spare painted a rather bleaker picture: Harry wrote that the place was "heaven for brilliant boys" but "purgatory for one very unbrilliant boy" — and alleged that his brother told him to pretend they didn't know each other while on school grounds.

Two photos: teen boy in black Eton suit leaning against stone pillar; older teen in black jacket with Union Jack waistcoat outdoors.

William will be hoping, understandably, that his eldest son finds the experience closer to his own than Harry's. George arrived looking relaxed in the official portraits, and the school's proximity to the family's Windsor home should at least ensure that reunions with Charlotte and Louis — and those jam sandwiches — remain a regular fixture.

As second in line to the throne, everything George does will be viewed through a particular lens. But for now, he's simply a 13-year-old navigating his first week away from home, while his little brother leaves fingerprints on the back seat without him.