Pince William, Kate react as George gets phone
Prince george has got a basic ‘brick phone’ with no internet access at the prestigious boarding school, the move attracted reaction from Prince William and Princess Kate.
The Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly lauded Eton College’s smartphone ban, especially for their eldest son.
The 13-year-old was enrolled at the school in September, where first-year Etonians are reportedly banned from using smartphones.
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Instead, year 9 students like George are issued basic “brick phones” to communicate with their parents to calls and texts outside school hours.
Eton College said the decision to ban smartphones for first-year students is intended “to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools.”
Eton reportedly tightened restrictions on first-year students’ school-issued iPads in September 2026, following parental concerns about gaming and internet browsing.
In 2025, William 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 same year, William, in an interview, said “Our children don’t have phones.”
He explained at the time. “I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access. And to be honest, it’s getting to a point where it’s become a little bit of a, like, tense issue.”
“But I think he understands why,” William continued. “We communicate why we don’t think it’s right. And again, I think it’s the internet access I have a problem with. I think children can access too much stuff they don’t need to see online, and so having a phone and text message, the old sort of ‘brick phone’ as they call them, I think that’s fine.”
“It has been rumored that William and Kate were having battles with George over having a smartphone with internet access,” royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
“Usage could get him into trouble but also allow him access to views on the royal family, good and bad, which may worry him.”
“It is now becoming more common practice for schools to ban smartphone usage during school days, and parents want age-appropriate locks on internet technology,” Turner added.
British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Eton’s smartphone policy is “music to Prince William and Princess Catherine’s ears.”
“Prince William and Princess Catherine restrict smart devices to protect their children from internet safety risks,” she explained.
“A healthy rule of accessing only ‘brick phones’ at Eton only enables essential communication and calls and texts at home. The couple take great comfort in knowing that Prince George will not be wasting his time gaming, ‘doom-scrolling,’ or accessing inappropriate online content.”
