As Prince George begins his first day at Eton College today, alongside around 250 other new 13-year-old boys, former pupil Will Nutting has written a survival guide to the school's unique customs, language and traditions. The piece highlights that Eton is a world unto itself regardless of a pupil's background, with new boys expected to pass a "Colours Test" on the school's history, buildings and its own private vocabulary before they can settle in.

Nutting explains Eton's idiosyncratic slang, from "beaks" (masters) and "divs" (lessons) to "chambers" and "mess" for meals, and terms such as "Pop" (prefects) and "Georgic" (a Latin punishment). New boys join "F Block", equivalent to Year 9, and progress each year towards "B Block", while being expected to defer to older pupils and take on chores, even though the old practice of "fagging" has been abolished. Pupils are also fitted for the school's formal uniform, tailcoat and all, by one of three High Street tailors, and are assigned to one of 25 houses, each with about 50 boys.