Prince William, Kate Middleton Plan Press Pact for Prince George's Eton Years

Prince William and Kate Middleton might need a quiet, gentleman's agreement with the British press just before Prince George hits Eton College this fall. That deal could face its hardest test yet in our current smartphone age. Vanity Fair reported that the couple plans to strike a pact limiting intrusions into their oldest son's life. Royal expert Simon Vigar notes they are using the exact same strategy that shielded their early romance at the University of St. Andrews. Fox News Digital tried reaching Kensington Palace for comment but got no immediate response.

Kinsey Schofield, who hosts YouTube's "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital that William and Catherine are realistic enough to admit they cannot fully control what happens around Prince George. She pointed out that most people carry a camera in their pocket now. One photo can be online and across the globe before the palace even knows it exists. What they can do is set very clear boundaries with the British press. Schofield said there is a massive difference between legitimate coverage of Prince George doing public duties and someone snapping shots of a teenager at school. The palace cannot police every teen with an iPhone, but the press can choose not to create a market for those intrusive images.

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. Eton College was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI and has trained generations of leaders, including 20 British prime ministers. As second in line to the throne, George will likely meet many future peers there. Hilary Fordwich, an expert on British royals, told Fox News Digital that the new age of smartphones and social media is one reason Eton remains chosen among the elites. She explained that many classmates come from extremely wealthy and well-connected families. Within this circle, there are unwritten rules of conduct. Throwing a pupil to the media risks being ostracized from inner circles.

Eton College is famous for fiercely protecting its students from prying eyes. It creates a world within walls where they can simply be pupils without outside interference. Helena Chard, a royal broadcaster and photographer, told Fox News Digital that everything could become international news in minutes for Prince George and every high-profile teenager. She added we are in a better place now. Years ago, after Princess Diana's death, she believes William and Harry forced positive change. The old paparazzi harassment was replaced with something somewhat controlled and truce-like.

When William and Harry were students, an informal agreement was reached between the palace and the British press. As long as the brothers pursued their studies, their privacy had to be respected, Vanity Fair reported. This media truce allowed William and Kate to quietly build their relationship outside the public eye while they were students. They met in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. They remained close friends before dating more than a year later. Their romance stayed secret for nearly two years before becoming public. That level of discretion was made possible, in part, by that informal agreement with the press. Simon Vigar told the outlet that William and Kate want to offer the same privacy to their three children. Their kids' first romantic relationships as they grow older are already the subject of careful consideration.

If reporters honor George's privacy while he attends school, that decision could pave the way for his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to enjoy similar 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 in an instant.

"We embarrass you enough as it is," said William regarding the tandem bike incident during the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, where Laura Kenny invited the couple to ride. When Gethin Jones asked the royal children if they wanted to see their parents "on a tandem in the velodrome," George quickly said, "No." The Prince and Princess of Wales are also navigating what it's like to raise a teenager. They received Welsh cycling outfits and William joked, "You know me, Lycra!" before promising he wouldn't whip the shorts out.

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. 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. 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.

William and Catherine are betting on something risky: letting their son, Prince George, actually grow up as a boy before he steps into his royal role. The plan is straightforward but bold. They want to raise a confident adult who knows the institution inside out yet has lived enough ordinary life to truly understand the people he will one day serve. Imagine a future king who hasn't just seen history through glass walls, but who has felt it on the streets. Giving Prince George a genuine adolescence could ultimately be one of the best preparations for kingship William and Catherine can give him.