Prince George will attend Eton College later this year, following in the footsteps of his father Prince William, Kensington Palace says.

George, 12, who appeared with his family at the Trooping the Colour ceremony last weekend, will be a pupil at the school that educated William and his brother Prince Harry and 20 British prime ministers.

“Kensington Palace can confirm that Prince George will attend Eton College from this September,” a palace spokesperson said on Tuesday (British time).

The young prince is a student at Lambrook School, a private prep school in Berkshire, where he boards. It is also attended by his younger siblings Princess Charlotte, 11, and eight-year-old Prince Louis.

Prince William’s 12-year-old son George will go to Eton but it is uncertain if he will board. Photo: AAP

William and wife Kate were reportedly spotted touring Eton with their eldest son in 2023, fuelling speculation the school was high on their list of places to send George.

In recent days, there had been reports the prince and princess were due to announce which institution would be entrusted with educating George when the new British school year starts in September.

It is not known if George will board at Eton. But the school is only a few kilometres from the Waleses’ Forest Lodge home at Windsor.

The media was allowed to record William’s first day at Eton with his parents Charles and Diana, the then-prince and princess of Wales, and brother Harry, with the family pictured as the new pupil signed in on September 6, 1995.

Five years later when aged 18, William was interviewed about his time at the school and reportedly said: “I’ve really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student.”

Prince William leads his classmates to lessons on his first day at Eton School in 1995. Photo: AAP

Eton College is one of the world’s most famous and prestigious schools and has a reputation for instilling self-reliance and leadership as students have to fulfil many non-academic tasks themselves.

Admission is rigorous, with the boys going through stringent tests and parents pay an annual fee of £63,298 ($A120,000) for a school whose name is likely to be more influential than the academic qualifications gained by pupils.

Its roll call of famous past students includes actors Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Eddie Redmayne, many British PMs including David Cameron, writers George Orwell and Ian Fleming, and adventurer Bear Grylls.

The King went to Gordonstoun, a school in the Scottish Highlands that was also attended by his father the late Duke of Edinburgh. He once told biographer Jonathan Dimbleby his time there was “a prison sentence” – but said it had instilled self-discipline and a sense of responsibility.

-AAP