Prince George has begun his first day at Eton College with the reassuring presence of his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, by his side.

Kate placed a hand on the 13-year-old’s back as the family greeted senior staff and when they arrived at the school on Tuesday (local time.

“Welcome, good luck, enjoy it,” Eton headmaster Simon Henderson told the future king.

Prince George follows in the footsteps of his father and uncle, who both studied at Eton. Photo: AAP

The prince and princess travelled with their son the short distance from their home in Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, to the renowned private school, which has educated a string of British prime ministers and Hollywood stars.

The young prince is following in the footsteps of father Prince William and uncle the Duke of Sussex, who both attended the college. The school is just across the Thames from Windsor Castle in the town of Eton.

George and his parents arrived in School Yard, the Berkshire institution’s historic quadrangle overlooked by Lupton’s Tower, a Tudor landmark. At its centre is a statue of King Henry VI, who founded Eton in 1440.

Heavy rain had been falling all morning but only Kate sheltered under an umbrella as the trio walked across the square towards Henderson and the provost, Sir Nicholas Coleridge.

William carried a folded umbrella, while George stood between his parents.

The group chatted for a few moments. When one of them mentioned the rain, Sir Nicholas – whose role is similar to a school’s chair of governors – “typical”.

“If it rains, it rains for ages,” William said, to laughter.

The group then walked through a doorway into one of the oldest parts of Eton, with Kate was seen to put her hand on her son’s back.

Beyond academic learning and sporting activities, boys-only Eton has a reputation for instilling self-reliance and leadership as students have to fulfil many non-academic tasks themselves.

Admission is rigorous, with students taking stringent tests. But parents pay an annual fee of £63,298 ($A118,738) for a school whose name is likely to be more influential than the pupils’ academic qualifications.

William was an Eton pupil for five years from 1995. He was a house captain and prefect before leaving to study at St Andrews University.

Prince Harry joined the school three years after his brother.

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

George turned 13 in July and has spent part of the summer in Scotland with his family enjoying a break from studies after leaving Lambrook School, a private prep school in Berkshire. He was at Lambrook with siblings Princess Charlotte, 11, and eight-year-old Prince Louis.

The prince will have to get used to his new life at Eton over coming weeks. Pupils call teachers “beaks” and live in one of 25 boarding houses led by a house master and dame who provide pastoral care and support.

George arrived wearing smart casual clothes — dark trousers, a jacket, shirt and tie — and later changed into “school dress”, a uniform standardised in the 1960s of a black tailcoat, waistcoat and pinstriped trousers, with a stiff white collar.

William and Harry were allowed to complete their time at Eton without media intrusion and William and Kate will hope George receives the same courtesy.

Other new intakes arrived later in the morning after the prince and his parents. Some will have brought their possessions in traditional boarding school trunks.