Prince William and Kate Middleton could use a “gentleman’s agreement” when Prince George starts Eton College in the fall â and it could face the ultimate test in the smartphone era.
Vanity Fair reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales could forge an agreement with the British press to limit intrusions into the life of their eldest son. Royal author and former broadcaster Simon Vigar said its the same approach that protected the early days of their romance at the University of St. Andrews.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
“Prince William and Princess Catherine are realistic enough to know that they cannot completely control the environment around Prince George,” Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Fox News Digital. “Most people have a camera in their pocket now, and one photograph can be online and around the world before the palace even knows it exists.”
“What they can do is establish very clear boundaries with the British press,” she said. “There is a huge difference between legitimate coverage carrying out public engagements and somebody photographing a teenager going about his public life at school. The palace cannot police every teenager with an iPhone, but the press can make a conscious decision not to create a market for those intrusive photographs.”
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.
WATCH: PRINCE GEORGE EARNED ETON COLLEGE SPOT WITH NO SPECIAL TREATMENT: EXPERT
Eton College, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, has educated generations of leaders, including 20 British prime ministers. George, who is second in line to the throne, will likely meet many of his future peers there.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the “new age” of smartphones and social media is one of the many reasons Eton College is chosen “among the elites.”
“Many classmates are from extremely wealthy and well-connected families,” she said. “Within this circle are unwritten rules of conduct. Throwing a pupil to the media risks being ostracized from the inner circles.”
Eton College is known for fiercely protecting its students from prying eyes, creating a world within its walls where they can simply be pupils.
“For Prince George and every high-profile teenager, everything could become international news within minutes,” royal broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.Â
“We’re in a better place,” she said. “Years ago, after Princess Diana’s death, I believe Prince William and Prince Harry forced positive change. The old paparazzi harassment was replaced with something somewhat controlled and truce-like.”
When William and Harry were in school, an informal agreement was reached between the palace and the British press: As long as the brothers were pursuing their studies, their privacy was to be respected, Vanity Fair reported.
According to the outlet, this media truce allowed William and Kate to quietly build their relationship outside the public eye when they were students.
William and Kate met in 2001 at the University of
