Prince George is embarking on an important step towards the throne later this year, with the future King set to attend boarding school at Eton College. Having already undergone several kingship lessons, Prince William's son is likely quietly getting ready to become the heir apparent one day. And according to one royal expert, the 13-year-old royal can turn to two "refreshingly normal" royal relatives whenever he needs advice.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, royal biographer Robert Jobson suggested that Prince George's godmother, Zara Tindall, is an important figure in the young royal's life. Her husband, former rugby player Mike Tindall, is also highlighted as a key person George can rely upon.
"Watch Zara with George, and there is no deference in it," Jobson told the outlet. "She teases him. He is easy with her the way children are easy with adults who want nothing from them."
Jobson continued, "Then there is Mike, who is not a godparent and has become something better. He talks to him about losing, the one subject nobody else raises, because everybody else is invested in the boy winning."
Having played rugby professionally, Mike has a unique perspective, which he can share with George, Jobson noted.
"Mike has lost in front of 80,000 people," the biographer said. "He can be funny about it the next morning."
According to Jobson, Mike's demeanor will also be a positive influence on the future King: "No airs and graces about the man."
Despite being Princess Anne's daughter, Zara was raised without an official royal title, allowing her to lead a relatively normal life in many ways.
Having previously interviewed Zara, Jobson called her "brilliant," "confident," and "refreshingly normal."
"[Mike] married into the most scrutinized family on earth and has never once behaved like a man who married up," Jobson told the outlet. "Two world champions [Zara as an Olympian, Mike as a professional rugby star]. Neither remotely impressed by any of it. That is the lesson."
Their discretion, too, is notable: "They have never sold access or traded overtly on the royal name," Jobson explained.
Ultimately, Jobson believes that Zara and Mike's real life experiences will provide George with the insight and advice he needs in the future.
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