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Inside Eton College, the exclusive boarding school that's been called 'the nursery of England's gentlemen' and that counts Boris Johnson, Prince William and Eddie Redmayne among its graduates
Inside Eton College, the exclusive boarding school that's been called 'the nursery of England's gentlemen' and that counts Boris Johnson, Prince William and Eddie Redmayne among its graduates
Eton College is one of the most prestigious high schools in the world.
The exclusive boarding school, located outside London, near Windsor, is home to about 1,300 students, according to its website. Prince William, Prince Harry, Tom Hiddleston, and Eddie Redmayne are among its best-known alumni.
In addition to actors and royals, the school is also known for educating several future Prime Ministers, including David Cameron and incoming prime minister Boris Johnson.
Eton is an all-boys school located outside London near the town of Windsor, according to the school's website. It was originally intended to educate poor boys before they went on to Cambridge University.
It is one of England's nine original fee-paying independent schools, according to The New York Times.
Before being accepted, students go through a two-part application process that begins three years before they enroll.
Only boys between ages 13 and 18 attend Eton. The application process begins at age 10, when prospective students take an online test before taking an in-person test and being interviewed at Eton, according to the school's website.
The application to enter Eton in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 is closed for everyone except applicants to two specific scholarships, according to the school's website.
Once accepted, a student's parents will then have to pay an acceptance fee on top of the school's annual £40,000 ($US 52,000) fee, Business Insider previously reported.
Eton students live in one of the 25 houses on campus.
Each house is home to about 50 students of every age, according to Eton's website. The houses are run by a professional housemaster who supervises the boys, and a hired dame who supervises the house's full-time staff. Some of the houses employ private chefs to feed their residents, while others send their students to the school's dining hall.
Every student has a private room, according to Eton's website.
Eton's daily uniform consists of a black tailcoat, white tie, waistcoat, and striped pants, according to BBC. A top hat is added for special occasions.
Eton plans out students' entire day, beginning with Chapel at 8:35 a.m.
Eton students wake up at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays, according to the school's website. They then go to breakfast and are given 20 minutes to prepare for the day before Chapel. Afterward, students attend five classes before dinner at 7:40 p.m. Each house has evening prayers at 8:20 p.m. and everyone is in bed by 9:30 p.m.
Life at Eton is governed by traditions, including the wall game.
Eton has accomplished rowing, soccer and cricket teams, but the wall game is Eton's best-known extracurricular, according to the BBC.
BBC describes the game as "in effect a cross between a group fist fight and football." Players try to kick the ball down a narrow strip of grass next to one of the college's walls to score, according to the school's website.
Eton students are known for their powerful connections.
A group of 11 Eton students traveled to Russia to meet with President Putin in 2016, Business Insider previously reported. The students planned the trip on their own with no help from the school, Eton said in a statement to The Telegraph.
Fifteen members of the British royal family have attended Eton, including Prince William and Prince Harry, according to the BBC.
Royals like the princes typically live in Eton's Manor House, INSIDER previously reported.
Eton has also educated royals from Belgium, Romania, Ethiopia, Thailand and Nepal, according to the school's website.
Incoming Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be the fifth Eton graduate to become Prime Minister since World War II.
Prime Ministers David Cameron, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Macmillan, and Anthony Eden also attended Eton.
Eton has educated a total of 21 Prime Ministers in its history, according to the BBC.
Royals and future politicians are not the only famous graduates to come out of Eton. Actors Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne are also 'Old Etonians.'
Redmayne played on the same rugby team as Prince William at Eton, according to People Magazine.
"I always felt a bit sorry for him because basically any school you played, all they wanted to do was tackle Prince William and they could say, 'I tackled Prince William,'" Redmayne said, according to People. "So if you were standing next to Prince William, like I was, it was actually quite easy and quite fun."
Hiddleston graduated from Eton one year before Prince William and Redmayne, according to the school's website.
Prince Harry and Meghan are considering not sending their son Archie to Eton, Business Insider previously reported.
