Sending your son to Eton College is less about the curriculum and more about ensuring he grows up with the confidence of someone who has never been told a firm no.

If you look closely at the Westminster halls, you'll notice the air is thick with the distinct scent of stiff collars and ancestral expectations emanating from the Eton College alumni.

Joining the Old Etonian network is basically the British version of a secret handshake, provided the handshake is delivered while wearing a waistcoat and possibly carrying a vintage wooden cricket bat.