A school rule that echoes William's concerns
George now attends the boarding school previously attended by his father, Prince William, 44, and his uncle, Prince Harry, 42. He is the eldest son of William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44.
Before George's move, William discussed the family's approach to phones in a November 2025 interview with Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck in Rio de Janeiro. None of his three children had mobile phones at the time, he said. Denying George one was "getting to the point where it's becoming a little bit of a tense issue," according to BBC News.
William distinguished between a basic handset and one with full internet access. He said George might receive a phone without internet access when he moved to secondary school, adding that he was comfortable with a "brick phone" for calls and texts.
Eton's rules make the same distinction. According to Merkur, first-year pupils are banned from using smartphones and instead receive basic phones without internet access. They can use those devices only for calls and text messages outside school hours.
Founded by King Henry VI in 1440, Eton has educated around 20 British prime ministers. New pupils also have to pass the "Colours Test," which requires them to memorize the school's 25 houses and buildings.
How the family handles difficult conversations
Phones were not the only parenting subject William addressed in the Brazil interview. Discussing difficult family matters, including Catherine's and King Charles' cancer diagnoses, he said he and Catherine chose to "communicate a lot more" with their children.
"Most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn't work," he said. Catherine had revealed in January that she was in remission from cancer.
Earthshot and climate discussions in Brazil
William's interview with Huck came during his visit to Brazil for the 2025 Earthshot Prize. The fifth edition of the awards was the first held in Brazil, with the ceremony taking place in Rio de Janeiro on November 5, 2025.
The winners included a tropical forest restoration project and a global ocean treaty initiative. Officials also announced that William would be made an honorary citizen of Rio, known as a carioca.
On the same trip, William attended the COP30 climate summit in Belém. Speaking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, he described reassuring his children that their future "is going to be as bright as futures gone by." He said young people needed to see climate "solutions" to counter "climate anxiety."
