Prince Archie Could Follow Prince George to Eton as Expert Says Harry’s Son Is Already at ‘Critical’ Age for Prestigious School

Prince Archie may eventually follow both his father Prince Harry and cousin Prince George through the gates of Eton College if the Sussex family makes Britain its permanent home, according to royal commentators.

The seven-year-old recently moved back to the UK with Harry, Meghan Markle and his younger sister Princess Lilibet after the family spent six years living in the United States.

Archie and Lilibet have now reportedly been enrolled at a British school, although its identity has not been disclosed. They are believed to be attending as day pupils at a school close to the Sussexes’ privately rented home outside London.

With Archie reaching an important stage in his education, attention is already turning to where he could study in the years ahead.

And according to British Vogue writer Plum Sykes, the timing could prove significant if Harry and Meghan are considering Eton for their son.

Archie is entering a ‘critical’ stage for Eton

Speaking on The Royalist podcast, hosted by her brother Tom Sykes, Plum argued that seven or eight is an important age for families hoping eventually to send their sons to Eton.

“He’s coming up to that critical prep school age, which is seven, eight,” she said of Archie.

“That’s when you get in the pipeline for, drum roll please, Eton.”

According to Plum, choosing the appropriate preparatory school can be an important part of that path.

“You have got to go to the correct feeder school for Eton,” she said, before pointing to Harry’s own connection with the famous institution.

“Harry went to Eton.”

She went even further in predicting where Archie could eventually end up.

“I cannot imagine that there would be any other school they would rather send their son to than Eton.”

There has been no confirmation from Harry or Meghan that Eton is part of their plans for Archie.

Could Archie’s education have influenced the UK move?

Harry, 41, has reportedly been determined for his children to experience a British education.

That has prompted speculation that Archie’s age may have been one factor behind the timing of the family’s return.

At seven, he is entering the stage when decisions about preparatory education could influence his options later.

If Harry and Meghan do intend to remain in Britain permanently, their current choice of school could therefore become particularly important.

The school attended by Archie and Lilibet has deliberately been kept private.

Reports suggest it is located reasonably close to the family’s new home, which is also being kept out of the public eye for security reasons.

What is known is that the Sussexes are living outside London.

Tom Sykes predicts Archie ‘probably will end up at Eton’

Royal commentator Tom Sykes also believes Eton could ultimately be the obvious destination for Harry’s son.

“I think that he probably will end up at Eton,” he said.

His reasoning was not based solely on royal tradition.

Sykes argued that the school is particularly well equipped to deal with pupils who arrive with unusual security requirements.

“It’s one of the few schools that can handle the kind of security implications, since every other kid there is a billionaire’s kid,” he said.

“So it’s incredibly well guarded. It’s incredibly secure.”

For Archie, security would inevitably be a major consideration when choosing a school.

As the grandson of King Charles and son of one of the world’s most recognizable royal couples, his circumstances are considerably different from those of most British schoolchildren.

Prince George is preparing for Eton himself

The speculation surrounding Archie comes as his cousin Prince George prepares to begin his own education at Eton.

George is expected to start at the prestigious school in a matter of days and become a boarder.

His arrival continues a strong connection between Eton and the current generation of the Royal Family.

Prince William attended the school and has spoken positively about his years there.

Harry also studied at Eton, although his reflections on that period of his life have been more complicated.

If Archie eventually attends, he would therefore be following a path already taken by his father and uncle — as well as his older cousin.

Eton would connect Archie to Harry’s own childhood

Sending Archie to Eton could carry considerable personal significance for Harry.

The Duke of Sussex has spent much of his adult life discussing the complicated realities of growing up within the Royal Family.

His own education was part of that experience.

A decision to send his son to the same school would therefore represent an interesting continuation of royal tradition, particularly after Harry and Meghan spent years building a very different life for their children in California.

But it would also raise questions about how much of Harry’s own upbringing he wants Archie to experience.

Harry has reportedly wanted his children to have a British childhood, and returning to the UK has already made that considerably more possible.

Education could become one of the clearest signs of just how permanent that return is intended to be.

Archie and George could eventually share an Eton connection

There is a six-year age difference between George and Archie, meaning the cousins would be at very different stages of their education.

Still, Eton could eventually become another connection between two branches of the Royal Family whose children have spent much of their early lives separated by the Atlantic.

For now, Archie is only beginning his British education.

There has been no official announcement about his future secondary school, and any suggestion that he will attend Eton remains speculation.

But at seven years old, experts believe he has reached the age when the groundwork for such a decision could begin.

And if Harry and Meghan remain in Britain long term, Archie could eventually find himself following a remarkably familiar path — first taken by his father, then Prince George, and perhaps one day by him.