00:00Prince George has hit a major new milestone, officially starting at Eton College this morning.
00:05He arrived with the Prince and Princess of Wales and wore a dark blue jacket and tie,
00:09smiling broadly as he shook hands with the headmaster, Simon Henderson and Provost Nicholas Coleridge.
00:15It was a poignant moment for his parents.
00:17Just over 13 years ago, William gingerly strapped George's baby seat into the back of his car
00:21to take him home for the first time.
00:24Today, he and Catherine waived their firstborn off to boarding school.
00:28He'll be free to visit them in less than a fortnight, but even so, it marks the end of an
00:32era for the Wales family.
00:34Now, for William, this is a familiar path.
00:36Almost 31 years ago to the day, he signed Eton's register in front of the cameras,
00:40watched on by his parents, Charles and Diana, and brother Harry.
00:44Ever protective of his own family, William has learned from his experience.
00:48The media presence for George was limited to just two reporters, one cameraman and one photographer,
00:53a far less daunting prospect for a new pupil than the 300 members of the press that watched him enter
00:59his living quarters in 1995.
01:02George's boarding house, meanwhile, has been kept off limits.
01:05William Catherine hoped that after sharing a glimpse of George's big day,
01:09he'll now be left alone to enjoy school without intrusion.
01:12For William, Eton became a haven during some of the most challenging periods of his childhood,
01:17and he's confident that it will provide the same supportive and nurturing environment for George,
01:22one that will also equip him for future public life.
01:26Today's new start has added poignancy, falling as it does on the fourth anniversary of the late Queen's death.
01:32William has many fond memories of visiting her and Prince Philip just across the Thames at Windsor Castle while he
01:38was a student here.
01:39The Wales family dynamic may have changed forever today, but George is still only a few miles from home,
01:46so while this is a big step towards independence, he'll have plenty of opportunities to return to the family fold.
