Prince William and Kate Middleton could turn to a strategy from their own past as Prince George prepares for one of the biggest transitions of his young life.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are reportedly considering reviving a version of the media agreement that helped protect William from intense press attention during his school and university years, including the period when his friendship with Kate developed into a romance.
© Getty ImagesAccording to Vanity Fair, the couple could seek a new 'Gentleman's Agreement,' an informal understanding with the British press designed to limit intrusion into George's private life as he begins at Eton College in September.
For William and Kate, the arrangement would have a particularly personal significance. Similar protections gave William considerably more privacy while he was growing up and later helped create an environment in which he and Kate could get to know each other at the University of St Andrews without every moment of their relationship playing out in the press.
The press pact that protected Prince William
William has firsthand experience with attempts to draw a boundary between royal life and a young prince's education.
© Max Mumby/IndigoWhen he began attending Eton in 1995, the British media largely respected restrictions surrounding his private life at school. The Press Complaints Commission also issued specific guidance concerning coverage of William and Prince Harry, emphasizing that the young royals were entitled to privacy while receiving their education.
The approach proved remarkably effective. In 1999, the Press Complaints Commission noted that virtually no unauthorized photographs of William and Harry at Eton had appeared in British newspapers and that paparazzi had largely disappeared from outside the school.
© Antony JonesThe expectation of privacy followed William into his university years. When he enrolled at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001, an informal understanding with the British media helped give the future king space to experience university life away from constant scrutiny.
It was there that he met Kate. The pair became friends before their relationship eventually turned romantic, with their early years together unfolding with a degree of privacy that would become increasingly difficult once their relationship became public.
© Pool/Tim Graham Picture LibraryThe Palace took that understanding seriously. In 2004, The Sun was temporarily excluded from official royal photo opportunities after publishing paparazzi photographs of William and Kate on a skiing holiday, which the Palace viewed as a breach of the media agreement surrounding William's private life.
More than two decades later, William and Kate could seek similar boundaries for their eldest son.
Protecting George as he grows up
Royal broadcaster and author Simon Vigar told Vanity Fair that a renewed understanding with the press could help protect George not only at school, but as he begins navigating the friendships and relationships that come with his teenage years.
© Euan CherryGeorge turned 13 on July 22, making the question of how his privacy will be handled increasingly important as the second in line to the throne grows older.
The concern could eventually extend beyond George. According to Vigar, William and Kate will also have to consider how to protect Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as they grow up, particularly when the royal siblings eventually begin forming romantic relationships of their own.
© WireImageIt's an issue William understands from personal experience. His adolescence attracted enormous public attention, but the boundaries surrounding his education gave him periods of relative normality during some of his most formative years.
Now, he and Kate may want George to have the same opportunity.
Prince George is following his father's path
George's move to Eton also represents a major family milestone. The prestigious all-boys boarding school has a particularly strong connection to William, who began studying there in 1995. Prince Harry followed him in 1998.
© PA ImagesGeorge reportedly completed the school's required entrance assessments without receiving special treatment before securing his place.
His decision to attend Eton means he will follow the educational path established by his father rather than that of his grandfather King Charles III and great-grandfather Prince Philip, who both attended Gordonstoun in Scotland.
© Max Mumby/IndigoEton also has connections to Princess Diana's side of the family. Her father, John Spencer, and her brother, Charles Spencer, both attended the school.
For George, however, following his father's footsteps could mean more than attending the same historic school.
If William and Kate succeed in establishing similar boundaries with the British media, their eldest son could also inherit something his father once benefited from. The freedom to experience some of the most formative years of his life without every friendship, outing or future romance becoming public property.
