School Parents Reveal Prince William and Princess Kate's Down-to-Earth Birthday Party for George
Prince George's low-key birthday party is proof of why Prince William and Princess Kate are widely regarded as the monarchy's most 'hands-on' parents.
Prince George officially joined the teenage club after turning 13 on July 22. His proud parents, Prince William and Princess Kate, marked the milestone with a sweet portrait and a video of their eldest enjoying time on a yacht and playing with the family dog. As if that wasn't enough to delight fans, fellow parents from Lambrook School have now revealed how the Waleses kept George's birthday refreshingly down-to-earth, ditching pomp and pageantry to personally organize games for their young guests.
On his Substack, The Royalist, Daily Beast journalist Tom Sykes claimed to have spoken to parents at George's school who shared intimate details about a birthday party at Forest Lodge. Quoting one mother, Sykes wrote: "I went to the house for a kid's birthday party, and [Prince William and Princess Kate] were the ones organizing the games," which included classic favorites like rounders. She added, "Any of us lot would get an entertainer in and sit in the house drinking rosé." The revelation underscores how the royal couple continues to look past palace pomp in favor of providing a grounded, normal upbringing for their three children.
In a similar vein, royal editor Emily Andrews spoke to Sykes and shared insights from a close friend of the couple, writing, "The Prince and Princess have put in boundaries to give their children an incredibly normal upbringing under the circumstances. How they decide when [the children] show up at events is carefully balanced. The Prince has always wanted to give them the normal upbringing that he didn't have"—referring to William's highly publicized life in the British press. Andrews noted that the couple's down-to-earth approach to hosting such parties left fellow school parents "gently amused."
It comes as no surprise that Kate is a natural at organizing children's birthday parties, having learned the ropes from her mother, Carole Middleton. Carole was the founder of Party Pieces, a children's party supply company, where her daughter helped with marketing, product development, and photography before marrying William. Carole once told the Daily Mail that simple home parties with friends, classic games, and a cake can go a long way, recalling, "I remember all my school friends cramming into our front room for games and tea."
As for George's birthday, Kensington Palace shared two social media posts: an official portrait from his appearance at Trooping the Colour and a video. In the photo, the future king wore a blazer and white shirt—an uncanny nod to his future Eton College uniform—while the video captured him sporting sunglasses and waving to the camera. He is set to begin his first term at Eton College this September, following in the footsteps of his father and his uncle, Prince Harry.
