Prince William, Kate Middleton could seek 'gentleman's agreement' to protect Prince George at Eton: experts
Prince William and Kate Middleton could use a "gentleman's agreement" when Prince George starts Eton College in the fall — and it could face the ultimate test in the smartphone era.
Vanity Fair reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales could forge an agreement with the British press to limit intrusions into the life of their eldest son. Royal author and former broadcaster Simon Vigar said it’s the same approach that protected the early days of their romance at the University of St. Andrews.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
"Prince William and Princess Catherine are realistic enough to know that they cannot completely control the environment around Prince George," Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube's "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital. "Most people have a camera in their pocket now, and one photograph can be online and around the world before the palace even knows it exists."
"What they can do is establish very clear boundaries with the British press," she said. "There is a huge difference between legitimate coverage of Prince George carrying out public engagements and somebody photographing a teenager going about his public life at school. The palace cannot police every teenager with an iPhone, but the press can make a conscious decision not to create a market for those intrusive photographs."
In June, Kensington Palace announced that George, who turned 13 on July 22, will attend the prestigious boarding school where his father and uncle, Prince Harry, were educated.
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Eton College, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, has educated generations of leaders, including 20 British prime ministers. George, who is second in line to the throne, will likely meet many of his future peers there.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the "new age" of smartphones and social media is one of the many reasons Eton College is chosen "among the elites."
"Many classmates are from extremely wealthy and well-connected families," she said. "Within this circle are unwritten rules of conduct. Throwing a pupil to the media risks being ostracized from the inner circles."
Eton College is known for fiercely protecting its students from prying eyes, creating a world within its walls where they can simply be pupils.
"For Prince George and every high-profile teenager, everything could become international news within minutes," royal broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
"We're in a better place," she said. "Years ago, after Princess Diana's death, I believe Prince William and Prince Harry forced positive change. The old paparazzi harassment was replaced with something somewhat controlled and truce-like."
When William and Harry were in school, an informal agreement was reached between the palace and the British press: As long as the brothers were pursuing their studies, their privacy was to be respected, Vanity Fair reported.
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According to the outlet, this media truce allowed William and Kate to quietly build their relationship outside the public eye when they were students.
William and Kate met in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. They were close friends before they began dating more than a year later. Their romance remained a secret for nearly two years before becoming public. That level of discretion, Vanity Fair reported, was made possible, in part, by the informal agreement with the press.
Vigar told the outlet that William and Kate want to offer the same level of privacy to their three children. Their children's first romantic relationships as they grow older "are already the subject of careful consideration," according to Vanity Fair. If the press respects George's privacy while he's in school, it could set a precedent for his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to enjoy the same discretion.
"The 'gentleman's agreement' is more than necessary now," said Chard. "Prince William knows firsthand what privacy during school gave him. This handshake is perceived as a little fragile now and not necessary due to traditional paparazzi. Friends at school with their smartphones can become instant paparazzi."
"George will have mentors, both family and at school, to guide him through pitfalls. No one wants him to feel burdened at 13. He should have space to grow, to be with friends, to be pain-free at Eton."
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The Prince and Princess of Wales are also navigating what it's like to raise a teenager.
During the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, cycling champion Laura Kenny invited the couple to "come and give it a go" on a tandem bike, The Telegraph reported.
When Welsh TV presenter Gethin Jones asked the royal children if they would like to see their parents "on a tandem in the velodrome," George quickly said, "No."
"We embarrass you enough as it is," said William.
When the royal family received their own Welsh cycling outfits, William joked, "You know me, Lycra!"
"I won't whip the shorts out," the prince promised.
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that the privacy challenge could become more complicated when George starts dating.
"George understands why people are interested in him," said Schofield. "A teenage girlfriend may find herself facing international attention simply because she sat next to him or was photographed leaving the same place. But Prince William will remember exactly what Catherine experienced. Her family, her friendships, her background and, eventually, almost every aspect of her life became subjects of enormous public interest."
"I would expect William and Catherine to be fiercely protective when the day comes," said Schofield. "Especially while George and whoever he's dating are still minors. And I think the media has to exercise some common sense. A teenage romance involving Prince George is not automatically a royal courtship. Hopefully, we will all give him that space."
Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital it's also likely William will remind his eldest son not to cause "mischief" while at Eton.
"George has been very family friendly, so I don't envision major changes in the dynamics," said Turner. "He must remember William knows every trick in the book."
"Eton was also picked due to its proximity to their home at Windsor," Fordwich pointed out. "Prince William credits his afternoon teas with his beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sundays. It was just a short walk from Eton. George will likely stay close to both his parents and spend time with them."
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Schofield told Fox News Digital that the Prince and Princess of Wales are determined to let George enjoy his school years and make new friends in private, without the added pressures of royal life.
"Teenagers naturally want independence," said Schofield. "Prince George is going to want to make his own decisions and develop interests that have nothing to do with becoming king. At the same time, public curiosity about him is only going to increase.
"These years could be enormously important in shaping the king he eventually becomes. William and Catherine had introduced royal life gradually rather than overwhelming him with it. We've seen George at family engagements, but he has still been allowed to be a schoolboy first."
"The goal shouldn't be to manufacture the perfect future king at 13," she continued. "It should be to produce a confident, grounded adult who understands the institution but has also experienced enough of ordinary life to understand the people he will one day serve. Giving Prince George a genuine adolescence could ultimately be one of the best preparations for kingship William and Catherine can give him."