Eton College has stood on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames for nearly six centuries, educating twenty British Prime Ministers and countless figures who shaped the nation's politics, literature, and culture. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI in what was then Buckinghamshire, the school became part of Berkshire in 1974 and remains one of the county's most recognisable institutions.
A Royal Foundation by the Thames
King Henry VI established "Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore" in 1440 with a dual purpose: to educate seventy poor boys free of charge and to house pilgrims visiting sacred relics. The school's motto, "Floreat Etona", reflects its founder's hope that it would flourish alongside its sister institution, King's College, Cambridge. Although Henry VI was deposed before his ambitious chapel could be completed, the quire and eight bays that remain still dominate the Eton skyline, visible from Windsor Castle across the river.
Berkshire Boundaries and Local Identity
Eton College's formal relationship with Berkshire is relatively recent in historical terms. The town of Eton, which lies directly opposite Windsor and is connected to it by Windsor Bridge, transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The civil parish now has a population of 4,692 according to the 2011 Census, and the school remains the area's dominant institution. Eton High Street still bears traces of the town's medieval pilgrimage past, with inns dating from the period when the College Chapel attracted visitors from across the country.
The Architecture of Power
The 1,600-acre campus contains some of Berkshire's finest historic architecture. Lupton's Gatehouse, built around 1517 during Provost Roger Lupton's tenure, provides perhaps the most photographed view of the school. The College Chapel, which would have boasted the longest nave in Europe had Henry VI's original plans been fulfilled, contains modern stained glass by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens added during the 1950s and 1960s. The Lower School, a 15th-century building where boys as young as five were once taught, still serves pupils today.
From Charity School to Global Elite
The transformation from Henry VI's charitable foundation to one of the world's most famous independent schools represents a profound shift. Today, Eton educates 1,341 boys aged 13 to 18 across 25 houses, with annual fees reaching approximately Β£63,298 for the 2025/26 academic year. The school now spends Β£10.06 million annually on bursaries and financial aid, supporting 105 fully funded places as of 2022/23, though this represents a small fraction of the total pupil body.
Alumni and National Influence
Eton's alumni list reads like a directory of British power. Twenty Prime Ministers attended the school, from Robert Walpole and William Pitt the Younger to David Cameron. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex are both Old Etonians, as are writers George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Ian Fleming. The school has long been described as "the nurse of England's statesmen", and approximately one-third of leavers continue to Oxford or Cambridge.
Controversy and Scrutiny
The school has faced significant criticism in recent decades. In 2005, Eton was among 50 independent schools found to have breached the Competition Act by exchanging fee information, resulting in fines of approximately Β£70,000 each. Multiple former teachers have been convicted of child sexual abuse between 2004 and 2025. In 2020, a teacher was dismissed following a free speech dispute, and the school apologised in 2022 after allegations that state schoolgirls were subjected to misogynistic language and racial slurs during a talk by Nigel Farage.
Widening Access
In response to access concerns, Eton has expanded its outreach programmes. The school reports that over 7,000 state school pupils studied courses through its EtonX online platform in a recent year, while more than 5,000 visited its museums and collections. It maintains a partnership with Holyport College, an Ofsted outstanding state-maintained boarding school, and plans to open three sixth-form colleges for disadvantaged students in Middlesbrough, Dudley, and Oldham through its Eton Star Schools Programme.
