Prince George, 11, is second-in-line for the British throne.
Unlike the great majority of children, Prince George’s life mission was prescribed to him shortly after his birth in 2013.
While the prospect of him gaining the British throne may appear to be a long way off, it appears that his mother, the Princess of Wales, has been quietly preparing for his ascension.
That’s correct, while the 11-year-old would only be proclaimed King if his grandfather Charles and father Prince William were t҉r҉a҉g҉i҉c҉a҉l҉l҉y҉ k҉i҉l҉l҉e҉d҉ (or both abdicated), Kate has reportedly been preparing her eldest son to take the throne for some time.
And, according to Royal author Phil Dampier, there are six clear signs that the mother-of-three has been making such plans…
1. Exposure to big events
In recent years, Prince George has made an increasing number of appearances at public events.
He’s been sighted on the sidelines of Wimbledon, making Royal visits, and even attending the Euros final with father William earlier this summer.
According to Dampier, this is part of Kate’s strategy.
“He is attending royal events such as Trooping the Colour, the Coronation and big set events and he is slowly being introduced to those,” he told Fabulous this week.
2. His wardrobe
The young Prince has recently shown off his smart dress sense at high-profile events.
“He has sometimes looked a bit stiff and formal in a suit and tie,” Dampier explained. “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.”
His mother, Princess Kate, appears to have had a significant influence on him.
Marion Bartoli, a tennis player who met the Royal at Wimbledon, previously informed the press that Kate was ‘not keen’ on seeing her son wear a jersey to the Euros earlier this year, where he famously wore a suit.
3. Learning about the role
Dampier said that William and Kate will take an active role in educating Prince George about his eventual role as King.
“George will probably follow in his father’s footsteps and go to Eton, and of course he will receive a first class education there,” he explained.
“It’s very much going to be up to his parents and William and Kate will now be slowly upping the ante.
“William is of course the Prince of Wales, responsible for running the Duchy of Cornwall, and he will be showing George the ropes in terms of how that is run.
“He will also privately be taught about the history of the Royal Family and its role in society.
“He will also slowly be introduced to the workings of state, visiting courts, Parliament and other important institutions.”
4. Meeting different people
One week, watchers will see the little Prince attending the luxurious Lambrook School, which costs £7,000 per term, and the next, he will be digging gardens and planting trees with his mother.
Apparently, this is all part of Wales’ aim that the future King will meet people from all walks of life.
“William has taken George to social events like football and mum Kate has taken him to Wimbledon,” Dampier explained. “And as well as enjoying the sport it’s good for him to meet people from all walks of life and gain confidence.”
5. Being ‘normal’
Unlike his grandfather Charles’ extremely regulated upbringing, many Royal experts believe George has been given some independence, allowing him to bond more directly to people outside of his family.
“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 said.
“One of the ways in which William and Kate have prepared George for being King is NOT to prepare him.
“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.”
6. Being given a choice
Again, unlike many Royals before him, numerous analysts predict the Wales will not force their eldest son to join the armed forces when he grows up, preferring that he attend university.
“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,” Dampier predicted.
“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.
“They will need to strike a balance between him not being overwhelmed but also accepting his fate.”
He also went on to guess: “The next few years will be important ones but George looks like he’s got firm foundations to build on.”
