Prince Harry Shares What He Wanted To Teach Nephew George After His Birth: 'I Couldn’t Wait...'
Prince George turned 12 on Tuesday, July 22, beginning a crucial stage in his royal life. Even though his uncle, Prince Harry, now lives in California with Meghan Markle and their children, the Duke's influence and affection remain part of George’s story. In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote about how excited he was to become an uncle and described the big plans he once had for sharing adventures with George.
Harry couldn’t wait to share his own passions with the little Prince, hoping to spark in him a love for rugby and corridor cricket, introduce him to stories of bravery like Rorke’s Drift, and even teach him how to recognize aircraft during flypasts, as reported by Hello! magazine. Harry detailed in Spare, “I was an uncle. Willy and Kate had welcomed their first child, George, and he was beautiful. I couldn’t wait to teach him about rugby and Rorke’s Drift, flying and corridor cricket, and maybe give him a few pointers about how to survive life in the fishbowl.”
Harry envisioned himself dropping in to visit the growing Prince anytime he pleased. Geo News reports that he penned, “I looked forward to popping in all the time. ‘Ello, just thought I’d stop by.' Holding a bottle of wine and an armful of kiddie presents. Dropping to the floor and wrestling with little George.” However, as royal responsibilities mounted for everyone, and later as Harry took a step back from royal duties and moved to the US, that vision didn’t fully come to life.
Despite the physical distance today and the fractured relationship with his brother, Prince William, especially after Spare, George seems to have grown into many of the interests Harry once hoped to introduce. He has been spotted attending rugby and cricket matches with his father, showing enthusiasm and team spirit. Princess Kate has also shared that George was keen on joining the air cadets, which Harry would no doubt appreciate given his own military background. At a 2016 event for the 75th anniversary of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, Middleton revealed to 19-year-old cadet Lucinda Conder that her eldest was “obsessed with the air cadets."
Harry also expressed his intent to provide support and light-hearted fun to his nephew at a Sentebale event soon after George’s birth. He said, “When I saw him [George], he was crying as all babies do, but it's fantastic to have a new member of the family. I hope my brother knows how expensive my babysitting charges will be.” When asked about his mission as an uncle, he replied, "To make sure he has a good upbringing, to keep him out of harm's way, and make sure he has fun. The rest of it I leave up to the parents."
Now that George has turned 12, he stands at the threshold of a new chapter. Soon, he’ll leave Lambrook School and begin secondary education, which is speculated to be at Eton College, and with that will come even more royal preparation.