Prince William and Kate Middleton Back Eton’s Phone Ban for George
Eton College bans smartphones for first-year students, and Prince George, 13, now falls under the rule. Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly pleased, and William has said before that his children have no phones. Here is what the school and royal watchers say.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly welcoming Eton College's smartphone ban for first-year students, a rule that covers their eldest son, Prince George, who started at the school on September 8, 2026.
George is 13. He began at the boarding school in September, where first-year pupils may not use smartphones.
What the rule says
Year 9 students at Eton are issued basic "brick phones" with no internet access. Outside school hours, they can use them only for calls and texts to their parents.
Eton said the ban is meant "to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools." The school also reportedly tightened limits on first-year students' school-issued iPads in September 2026, after parents raised concerns about gaming and web browsing.
Eton College and Kensington Palace were asked for comment.
William's own words
The prince has said where he stands. In 2025, he told actor Eugene Levy on the Apple TV+ series "The Reluctant Traveler" that "none of our children have any phones, which we're very strict about."
That year, he also spoke to Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck at the Earthshot Prize events in Brazil. William said it had been "really hard" to protect his children from the harms of social media.
He went further on what he expected for George. "I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access," he said, adding that the issue had become "a little bit of a, like, tense issue."
William said the family explains its reasons to the children. "I think it's the internet access I have a problem with," he said. "I think children can access too much stuff they don't need to see online." A phone with text messages, the old "brick phone," was "fine," he added.
Royal watchers weigh in
Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner said there had been rumors of battles between the couple and George over a smartphone with internet access. Usage could get George into trouble, Turner said. It could also expose him to views of the royal family, good and bad, which might worry him.
Turner added that more schools now ban smartphones on school days. In his words, "parents want age-appropriate locks on internet technology."
British broadcaster Helena Chard called Eton's policy "music to Prince William and Princess Catherine's ears." She said the couple restrict smart devices to protect their children from internet safety risks.
