Prince George, the third in line to Britain's throne, has taken a step up the educational ladder by attending his first day of nursery school.
He was photographed by his mother, Kate Middleton, as she and husband Prince William dropped off their two-year-old son to Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk yesterday.
Two of the pictures released by royal officials show an excited little prince in a navy-blue quilted coat and with a sky-blue rucksack on his back.
The nursery is near the family's country home at Anmer Hall, near the Queen's Sandringham estate.
George will attend the nursery while the couple are staying at Anmer but not when they are in residence at their London home, Kensington Palace.
Montessori is an approach to educating children developed by the Italian educator Maria Montessori. It is founded on the belief that within each person is untapped potential, with the period from birth to age six seen as when children have the greatest capacity to learn.
The future king is following in the footsteps of his father and uncle Prince Harry, who were also taught at a Montessori nursery in west London.
George's nursery is in a converted chapel on a private road and charges 5.50 pounds an hour.
His low-key first day was in contrast to his father's first day at nursery, when TV cameras and journalists were invited to record the moment and were even allowed inside to film his classroom and his coat hook with his name on it.
