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Prince William and Kate Middleton have reportedly given the green light to Eton College’s smartphone ban, particularly for their eldest son, Prince George.
The 13-year-old began his studies at the prestigious boarding school in September, where first-year Etonians are not allowed to use a smartphone, according to The Telegraph. Instead, 9th graders like George are given basic “brick phones” with no internet access, limiting communication with their parents to calls and texts outside of school hours.
Eton College said the decision to ban smartphones for first-year students aims to “balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools”. Eton is reported to have tightened restrictions on school-issued iPads to first-year pupils in September 2026, following concerns from parents over gaming and internet browsing.
PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON COULD ASK FOR ‘GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT’ TO PROTECT PRINCE GEORGE AT ETON: EXPERTS
Catherine, Princess of Wales (left) and Prince William, Prince of Wales (right) walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George of Wales (center), as he arrives for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026, in Berkshire, England. (Adrian Dennis – WPA Swimming Pool/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has contacted Eton College and Kensington Palace for comment.
In 2025, William told actor Eugene Levy in the Apple TV+ series “The Reluctant Traveler” that “none of our kids have phones, which we’re very strict about.”
Prince George arrives for his first day at Eton College in Eton, west London, on September 8, 2026. Prince William and Catherine accompany him as Principal Simon Henderson and Provost Nicholas Coleridge greet the family. (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The same year, William told Brazilian television host Luciano Huck at the Earthshot Prize 2025 events in Brazil that it had been “really difficult” to protect his children from the harm of social media.
WATCH: PRINCE GEORGE’S FUTURE AT ETON COLLEGE COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT: EXPERT
“Our children don’t have phones,” he explained at the time. “I think when George gets to high school, he might have a phone with no internet access. And to be honest, it’s getting to the point where it’s become a bit of a tense issue.”
“But I think he understands why,” William continued. “We’re communicating why we don’t think it’s right. And again, I think it’s the Internet access that I have a problem with. I think kids can access too many things that they don’t need to see online, and so having a phone and texting, the old sort of ‘brick phone’ as they call it, I think it’s good.”
A view of Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, June 1962. (File photos/Getty Images)
“Rumor has it that William and Kate were arguing with George over having a smartphone with internet access,” royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. “Using it could get him in trouble but also allow him to access opinions about the royal family, good and bad, which could worry him.”
Kate Middleton and Prince George at Eton College. (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“It is now increasingly common for schools to ban smartphone use during school days, and parents want internet technology to be age-locked,” Turner added.
British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Eton’s smartphone policy was “music to the ears of Prince William and Princess Catherine.”
Eton College Chapel is the main place of worship for students of Eton College, a famous English boys’ school. (Mark Kerrison/In images via Getty Images)
“Prince William and Princess Catherine limit smart devices to protect their children from internet safety risks,” she explained. “A healthy rule of accessing only ‘physical phones’ at Eton only allows essential communications, calls and texts at home. The couple takes great comfort in knowing that Prince George will not waste his time gaming, ‘doom scrolling’ or accessing inappropriate online content.”
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The Prince and Princess of Wales, seen here on the Isle of Mull in western Scotland on April 30, 2025, have agreed that their eldest child, Prince George, will attend Eton College. (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
“Prince George never owned a smartphone,” Chard continued. “He will be more than happy with a brick phone. As Princess Catherine shared, smartphones can create an emotional disconnect. Prince George has years of access to smartphones ahead of him and he certainly won’t live without them!”
Eton College, a world-renowned all-boys boarding school, was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It welcomes students aged 13 to 18. About 1,350 students attend Eton, where they live in 25 boarding houses, each housing about 55 students, according to the school’s website. People magazine reported that tuition was around $80,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year.
A view of Eton College founded by King Henry VI. (File photos/Getty Images)
William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, attended Eton, making them both “old Etonians.” Princess Diana’s father, John Spencer, and her brother, Charles Spencer, also attended the school, as did Queen Elizabeth II’s cousins, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent.
Prince William enrolls on his first day at Eton College, September 6, 1995. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage)
Hugo Vickers, author of “Behind Closed Doors” and fellow “Old Etonian,” told Fox News Digital that Eton College’s use of “brick phones” is “reasonable.” Vickers has written several books about the British royal family.
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“Behind Closed Doors: The Tragic and Untold Story of the Duchess of Windsor” by Hugo Vickers is available now. (Pegasus Books)
“In my day, most of our communication was done by writing a letter home,” he said with a smile.
Prince William stands at Eton College in Eton, UK, wearing a waistcoat as a member of society’s elite group called ‘Pops’. (Tim Graham/Photo Library via Getty Images)
“And there were about, if I remember correctly, about four pay phones set up in different places around the school. On a Sunday morning, if you wanted to call your parents, you had to go there, and then you had to wait in line while other people were there. It seems very archaic now. And sometimes you never got into the pay phone because it was time to go to chapel or something.”
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Eton College students from the Mound Stand react to Harrow students during a cricket match between Eton and Harrow at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, England on May 10, 2024. (Philip Brown/Getty Images)
“So I think communicating with parents is a whole new concept,” Vickers continued. “Basic communication with parents is good, but of course, to fully enjoy school it’s probably best not to have connections to things from around the world via the internet.”
Melanie Sanderson, editor of the Good Schools Guide, told People magazine that Eton College’s telephone decision “has been very well received by parents”.
A young Prince Harry is seen here at Eton College. (Tim Graham/Getty Images)
“And boys are so busy they don’t have time to sit on their bed and scroll through TikTok,” she said.
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Prince George of Wales is reportedly proud to follow in his father’s footsteps. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
George was recently on “long leave” from Eton, a 16-day break which ended on November 8. The royal family lives at Forest Lodge in Windsor. When George returns to Eton, the school’s restrictions on first-year pupils’ smartphones could provide some additional privacy, although older pupils and their parents may still have access to the devices.
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The boys go to classes at Eton College, date unknown. (Christophe Furlong/Getty Images)
“I know that when George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis… if one of them were to play a match at a neighboring school, the principal would send a message saying… ‘Please, no photos, no posts,'” Vickers said.
“And the parents would respect that because they’re all well-behaved. … We’ve never seen any pictures of them at other schools. Nothing’s ever leaked because people respect William and Catherine a lot.”
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