Kate Middleton Hopes to Keep Prince George Grounded as She 'Slowly' Prepares Him to Be King
Prince George is growing up knowing that one day he'll ascend to the throne, but Kate Middleton is making sure to keep her eldest child grounded while navigating royal life.
"Most of the time he is enjoying the life of someone from the upper middle classes, and spends a lot of time with Kate’s family, the Middletons," royal author Phil Dampier told an outlet.
"However, he is growing up fast and William and Kate are slowly preparing him for his role," he added.
Kate is often praised for bringing a relatable energy to the royal family, as the Princess of Wales didn't grow up in the aristocracy. However, the mom-of-three makes sure to bring George to age appropriate official gatherings.
"He is attending royal events such as Trooping the Colour, the Coronation and big set events and he is slowly being introduced to those," Dampier noted.
"He has sometimes looked a bit stiff and formal in a suit and tie," the commentator added. "But I thought in the recent photo to mark his 11th birthday he looked a lot more relaxed, a lot more comfortable and he’s clearly maturing rapidly."
George often goes to events with his parents, and his attire often mimics Prince William's.
"William has taken George to social events like football and mom Kate has taken him to Wimbledon, and as well as enjoying the sport it’s good for him to meet people from all walks of life and gain confidence," Dampier shared.
Aside from Dampier's thoughts, body language expert Judi James noticed how George mirrors his father's mannerisms.
"Thanks to William’s careful, hands-on induction of his eldest son, George has slowly evolved from a rather shy-looking small boy into a more confident, responsible and happily still joyful-looking eleven-year-old," James said.
While growing up, King Charles was aware of what his future looked like. "King Charles has spoken in the past of the dreadful moment when as a child it finally dawned on him that he was going to be King and that his whole future was mapped out for him, and it came as a great shock," Dampier pointed out.
"One of the ways in which William and Kate have prepared George for being King is NOT to prepare him," Dampier exclaimed.
The Wales kids' childhoods will be similar to their mother's instead of Charles'.
"They were adamant that they wanted him and Charlotte and Louis to have as normal an upbringing as possible and not to be burdened by his future destiny," Dampier claimed. "A committee of politicians, courtiers and advisers decided what schools Charles should go to, what service he should do in the armed forces and where he should visit in the Commonwealth, including time at a college in Australia. None of that will happen for George."
As George gets older, Kate and William will be there to help him make choices.
"But by the time he is that age George will be making his own decisions and I’m sure they will encourage him to do so. Their attitude is very much give him the tools to decide his own direction, not force him into things he doesn’t want to do so that he’s weighed down with responsibility," Dampier continued
"They will need to strike a balance between him not being overwhelmed but also accepting his fate," he concluded. "The next few years will be important ones but George looks like he’s got firm foundations to build on."
Experts spoke to The Sun.