Prince George is as tall as his parents as they drop him off for his first day at Eton College

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales were beaming as they walked their eldest son into his first day of high school on Tuesday.

Prince George, 13, was almost as tall as both of his parents as he arrived at Eton College in a suit and blue tie, with the future king looking every inch his father’s doppelgänger.

The rain lifted almost as if on cue, with the Prince of Wales taking down the umbrella that had been sheltering himself and George as they walked into the courtyard of his former school.

The trio were greeted by Eton headmaster Simon Henderson and chief academic officer Nicholas Coleridge with handshakes.

Prince George looked a mix of nerves and excitement as he walked into the 15th century site, smiling and chatting away with his parents.

William and Kate had arranged a controlled press pool to capture the young royal’s first moments and avoid a frenzy of photographers overwhelming the teen.

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Prince George’s first day at Eton will be vastly different from William’s, three decades earlier

The couple have done this before, acknowledging interest in their kids’ start at primary school but wanting to keep their first day as “normal” as possible for the young royals.

The Princess of Wales was certainly dressed for the cameras on Tuesday, making a glamorous school run in an emerald green Emilia Wickstead dress with a chunky gold necklace.

Sweetly, Kate’s heels were in step with her husband and son, who wore matching suede brown shoes.

After Prince George arrived, he got into his school uniform, which is a formal suit with pinstripe trousers and coattails on the jacket, paired with a white shirt and vest.

The official photographs were released by the Prince and Princess of Wales and taken by photographer Matt Porteous, who has photographed the Wales kids on a number of occasions.

Again, Prince George appeared to be the spitting image of his father, with a similar photo of Prince William released when he started at the school in 1995.

A big difference between Prince George and Prince William’s first days at Eton College is that George’s younger siblings – Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – didn’t come to drop him off.

When Prince William started, his younger brother Prince Harry came along for the ride, alongside his parents, then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

The Prince of Wales isn’t the only royal alumni of the prestigious boarding school, with Harry later joining him there, and Princess Diana’s brother Earl Charles Spencer also attending.

The boys-only boarding school, which is just across the river from Windsor Castle – and less than a 15-minute drive from the Wales family’s home of Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park – has also produced 20 British prime ministers.

It was a bittersweet day for the Wales family – the excitement of Prince George’s first day at his new school came on the fourth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Prince William previously spoke about how studying at the boarding school allowed him plenty of time with his late grandmother during his teenage years and how much he enjoyed having her so close.

It’s understood the young prince went to Windsor Castle every Sunday and spent the afternoon and evening with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, giving the then-monarch a chance to informally mentor the future king.