When Eton says their school has history, they’re really not kidding. The famed £46k per year boys boarding school is a British brand synonymous with elitism, even though the school was originally founded in the 15th century to educate the poor.
For centuries, Eton College, in the shadow of Windsor Castle, has eagerly produced the ruling elite, a fact the school promotes to recruit new students. Of the 57 British prime ministers to date, Eton proudly includes 20 amongst its alumni, including Boris Johnson – nicknamed ‘the Eton Mess’.
Known as Old Etonians , students have included the first Duke of Wellington , who defeated Napoleon, Lord North who “lost” the American colonies, and countless politicians. Alumni also include William, Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the throne, Leopold III of Belgium, George Orwell, and Billons’ Damian Lewis.
In the process, the school has turned its initial mission on its head. Originally called Kynge’s College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore, Eton was founded by Catholic King Henry VI in 1440 to educate 70 underprivileged children. Known as King’s Scholars, their education was to be funded by the king.
Aerial view of Eton College, whose five-star facilities include a Natural History Museum, cutting-edge laboratories, a rowing lake, cricket pitches, football and rugby fields, state-of-the-art theater, and the historic Eton College Chapel whose construction began in 1441. (Alwye / CC BY-SA 4.0 )
While the foundation charter did allow…
