According to a royal expert, Prince George’s upbringing couldn’t be more different from those of heirs before him as Kate Middleton does a 'great job' of keeping him 'as grounded as possible.'
- Prince George 'is very lucky' to have Kate Middleton as his mother a royal expert has claimed as they point out the differences between George's childhood and those of heirs before him.
- Both his dad Prince William and grandfather King Charles had very different childhoods to George, with them both being sent to boarding school at a young age and being 'forced to grow up and experience independence earlier.'
- In other royal news, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis know there is a difference between them and Prince George.
Prince George has stepped into the spotlight more so than ever over the previous year, with appearances at King Charles III's Coronation, his birthday parade, the family's Easter day church service and, of course, at more active engagements like their recent family trips to both RAF Fairfield and Wimbledon.
But while he has been seen in public more, that doesn't mean Kate Middleton and Prince William are changing their approach to his royal life all that much. They're still ensuring their children enjoy the privacy they always have and are making arrangements, such as the promise that George will not have to follow in William's military footsteps, to keep his future as bright as possible.
And the non traditional upbringing is opening the door for George to change aspects of the monarchy including through his bond with Princess Charlotte which could mean this historic royal tradition is broken. But there are still times when Kate cannot fully protect her son, especially following the Queen's death when Prince George had a 'baptism of fire' and has learned 'an awful lot about his destiny.'
So he still needs support and the young prince is reportedly having more frequent 'informal' chats with King Charles as he prepares for his future role king. But while his grandfather is a staunch traditionalist, he still 'fully supports' the 'informal and fun' way Kate and William are raising their children as the monarch's own childhood was 'not ideal'
Royal expert Jennie Bond told The Mirror, "George is very lucky to have Catherine as his mother. She’s showing herself to be an excellent parent in quite difficult circumstances and doing a great job of making sure George grows up as balanced, confident and happy as possible.
“As second in line to the throne behind his father Prince William, he really is in a unique position for a child who has only just reached his ‘double digits’ milestone. But it’s his mother who is keeping him as grounded as possible.
“Even though he has this big destiny ahead of him, Catherine tries very hard to ensure his childhood is as normal as possible with walks in the park, outings with friends and visits to local museums and farms. Key to this was agreeing with the press that George and his siblings would largely be left alone in exchange for her initiative to release photos of them at key points in their lives.
“Being in the spotlight must be a bit disconcerting for a 10-year-old, but George now copes pretty well with cameras and public attention at big occasions. Mind you, lately he has had a bit of luck because Louis has earned himself the reputation of being the kid who clowns around and grabs the spotlight. So that takes the heat off George a bit!”
But for both George's father William and grandfather King Charles before him, childhood in the royal residences looked very different.
Jennie Bond points out, "At the age of 10 Charles was not only already away from home at boarding school, he had also been proclaimed Prince of Wales, so he was forced to grow up and experience independence earlier than George. Whenever he was pictured, he was almost always in a suit and tie, looking rather shy.
“George is luckier because William and Catherine are far less formal and more natural around people. I think it’s also much better and more modern to bring up George in a house that isn’t too vast, on the Windsor estate. He’s got a lot on his plate, coming to terms with the role that lies ahead, and the fact that he is, by accident of birth, different to every other child of his age. I think he needs his parents close by to talk things through, which I’m sure they do.
“Although Kate and William will probably send him to boarding school in the future, I suppose that won’t be for another three years. So I think that’s the benefit of learning from the mistakes of the past and doing things differently. As a result I think George is a much more rounded, happier boy than Charles likely was.”
Psychologist Emma Kenny backs up Jennie's theory, sharing that by keeping George close to home, Kate and William are aiding his 'emotional development' better than if they had sent him to boarding school.
She told The Mirror, “Boarding school can create feelings of abandonment in some children, and by keeping George close, Kate ensures he feels secure and loved. She recognises that children need to be able to have fun too, pushing boundaries, expressing themselves without fear and seeing the world around them as an ever expanding playground of opportunity.
"She prioritises her children’s happiness above the pressure of living in the spotlight, and that is evidence of her child centric approach as a mother.”
