George at Eton, Harry and Meghan's Royal Status

Prince George begins his first day at Eton College, following in his father's footsteps. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan grapple with their status as non-working members of the Royal Family, having stepped down to pursue independent ventures. It was a day of ups and downs for the Royal Family as, on the one hand, Prince George started his first day at prestigious Eton College but, on the other, Prince Harry and Meghan grappled with their status as non-working members of the Royal Family. The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Catherine, Princess of Wales, left, and Prince William, right, walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George, as he arrives for his first day at Eton College, in Eton, west of London, England, on Tuesday. started his first day at the 600-year-old school Tuesday morning, following in his father's footsteps. The trio appeared relaxed as they dropped off George, King Charles's 13-year-old grandson and second in line to the throne. "Welcome, good luck and enjoy," said headteacher Simon Henderson, shaking hands with George before ushering everyone inside to the school where George will be boarding. Later, George was photographed grinning in his new school uniform: a black tailcoat, waistcoat and a white collar. Prince George begins his first day at Eton College in Windsor, Berkshire, in this photo taken Tuesday and provided by Kensington Palace. Eton is the alma mater for many of ​the ⁠country's elite, including Prince William and Prince Harry, and has educated 20 British prime ministers, including Boris Johnson and David Cameron, as well as actors Hugh Laurie, Damian ⁠Lewis ​and Tom Hiddleston. , George's time at Eton will likely see him somewhat shielded from media and public attention. Prince William has previously spoken about much he enjoyed being "just another student" at the school. The late Diana, Princess of Wales, left, Eton housemaster Dr. Andrew Gailey, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles are pictured on Prince William's first day at Eton College on Sept. 6, 1995. Charles confirmed Monday they will remain non-working royals. The news, which came in the form of a letter from Buckingham Palace sent to senior British officials, said that after ​Harry and Meghan stepped down from official royal duties in 2020, they "are no longer working members ​of the Royal Family. "Associated Press reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were surprised by the way Buckingham Palace released the letter. It caught the couple off guard when it was released to the media on Monday in part because they were given little time to review or comment on its contents, a person familiar with the discussions told AP. They were "a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance," their representative said in a statement on Tuesday, asThe couple's representatives received a copy of the letter just one hour and 12 minutes before it was released to news outlets, the person said. That left them with little time to respond because they were unable to reach Harry, who was in a meeting, until just two minutes before the letter was released, the person added. Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 when they moved to North America to make their own living, turning to ventures such as deals with Netflix and Spotify. At the time, Queen Elizabeth made clear that the couple could not be part-time royals. Charles reiterated that position after he became King in 2022. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are moving back to the United Kingdom with their children, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The couple will remain non-working royals and live as private citizens. "I would call it a right royal knees-up, actually, because Harry's just been back a couple of weeks now and we're seeing how it's all going for him," Larman said. "This is basically the King saying: 'You're back, I'm delighted on a paternal level that you're back. But, as head of a firm, I'm making it very, very clear that you are not back in the Royal Family. "reported over the weekend, Harry and Meghan's return to the U.K. set off shockwaves because it seems so counterintuitive and contradictory to everything that they have said since they left. Prince Harry, right, and Meghan walk along the boardwalk during a visit to Bondi Beach, Australia, on April 17. "It's really sending out a message — a warning shot across their bows, you could say. What they're emphasizing is that nothing has changed as far as they're concerned," Dampier said. "Now that they've come back and might start turning up to various charity events or doing commercial activities, it's got to be absolutely clear to everyone that they are doing it as private individuals and not as royals. 'on her As Ever Instagram account, in which she relaxes on a lawn with the couple's black lab, Pula. "Long weekend plans," notes the caption. Natalie Stechyson has been a writer and editor at CBC News since 2021. She covers stories on social trends, families, gender, human interest, as well as general news. She's worked as a journalist since 2009, with stints at the Globe and Mail and Postmedia News, among others. Before joining CBC News, she was the parents editor at HuffPost Canada, where she won a silver Canadian Online Publishing Award for her work on pregnancy loss. You can reach her at natalie.stechyson@cbc.ca.