🚨 A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS… AS PRINCE GEORGE TURNS 13, ONE SUBTLE CHANGE HAS ROYAL FANS BELIEVING HE’S QUIETLY PREPARING FOR A MUCH BIGGER ROLE
The future King, officially a teenager, will be embarking on a new chapter at Eton College
© WireImage
As Prince George turns 13 on Wednesday, he stands on the threshold of greater independence. The years ahead will bring more freedom, new friendships and a growing understanding of the extraordinary role that awaits him.
But behind every carefully considered step lies William and Catherine’s determination to give their eldest son an upbringing rooted in stable family life, something that William himself did not always have as a child.
To mark their firstborn’s milestone on Wednesday, the couple released a new portrait of George, taken in June just after Trooping the Colour, by one of their favourite family photograhers, Matt Porteous. “Happy 13th Birthday, George!” the caption read.
As George prepares for his big move, his parents are striking a careful balance – gradually introducing him to duty and responsibility while protecting the ordinary experiences that have defined his childhood.
© Matt Porteous / Kensington Palace
Prince George in his 13th birthday portrait
After a series of endings at Lambrook – a last sports day, a formal leavers’ ball and a final Speech Day – he is enjoying a long summer break before a new chapter begins at Eton in September.
He spent four happy years at the Berkshire prep school, including boarding there part-time to help him get used to being away from home. His interest in sport, music and art flourished – he played bass guitar in a band and competed in football, hockey and triathlons, all while under the same roof as his siblings Charlotte and Louis.
Eton was both the most predictable choice and one that surprised some royal watchers. Given William and Catherine’s modernising approach and instinctive desire for their children to experience an ordinary life beyond Palace walls, some may have expected George to break with tradition. Ultimately, however, the school’s world-class reputation, its tried-and-tested experience of providing security and George’s own wishes will have been central to their decision.
Some of the friendships he made at Lambrook will continue at his new school, providing familiar faces as he settles in, while offering him the chance to build a tight-knit, trusted circle, in the way his parents did before him.
© Getty
Prince William pictured on his first day at Eton College
A boarder, but still close to home
In an all-boys environment and with very limited use of screens – Eton provides pupils with “brick” phones for use outside school hours, plus an iPad with age-appropriate controls to support their learning – George will continue to live by his parents’ values.
He will also experience increased freedom, including the opportunity to walk into the high street or over the bridge to Windsor and hang out with friends.
WATCH: Prince George’s godfather reveals new school Eton has ‘changed for the better’
It will be a significant change for a boy whose life has always been carefully protected and closely centred on his family.
But even as he moves into a more grown-up world, he will never be far from the comfort and connection of home. “The fact that his family are so close by and he knows the area will help him to feel at home there,” says Ingrid Seward, author of the forthcoming book Catherine & Diana.
A family-orientated upbringing
George’s childhood has been light years from that of his father, who spent his teenage years shuttling between his parents’ separate homes and boarding school amid their strained relationship. His experiences have naturally shaped the decisions he has made for his own family.
“William’s parents were at war with each other and he witnessed a lot of that,” says Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy. “George’s upbringing has been very family orientated, and he’s got lots of people supporting him. He’s going there in quite a warm, confident space.”
© WireImage
The Waleses have created a secure and affectionate home life for their children
With Catherine, William has created the secure and affectionate home life he wanted for his own children. That bond has only strengthened over the past few years following Catherine’s cancer diagnosis.
The blueprint for his home life owes more to the Middleton model than the traditional Windsor one: quality time spent together, a strong relationship with his sister and brother that his parents hope will last a lifetime, and endless affection.
The images of the Wales family, joined by Michael, Carole and James Middleton, at the foot of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) last month, offered a rare glimpse of that close-knit family dynamic.
© The Prince and Princess of Wales
Catherine is reunited with members of her family after completing the National Three Peaks Challenge
“The Middletons are hugely influential,” says Robert. “I think Carole in particular as someone who has been there for them throughout all of the challenges, especially when Catherine was ill. She’s a very strong woman and a really important figure in George’s life.”
The young Prince, not yet in full teenager mode, was pictured happily hugging his mother in front of the camera. It was a revealing glimpse of the ease and closeness between them.
A gradual introduction to royal duties
His upbringing also means that he will almost certainly be better equipped to navigate the unique challenges of his future role. With privilege – yes, there have been flying lessons, skiing trips and exotic holidays – comes great responsibility, something that William and Kate have been helping him to understand.
Over the past few years, he has joined them on duty, meeting veterans during a VE Day anniversary tea party at Buckingham Palace last year and travelling with his mother to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire for a visit to mark Armed Forces Day in June.
They have also been encouraging him to discover what life is like for those less fortunate than him. Following the example of his own mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, William took George to The Passage homelessness charity in London last December, more than 30 years after Diana had taken William there in 1993. The young Prince spent time with homeless people and did his bit by helping to prepare Christmas lunch and decorating a tree.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
Prince George visited homelessness charity The Passage, more than 30 years after Princess Diana had taken Prince William there in 1993
These experiences offer George a glimpse of not only the public role awaiting him, but also the values his parents want him to carry into it. As with the choice of Eton for his education, William and Kate take their son’s views into account, ensuring that each new step is taken at a pace he feels comfortable with.
He has been aware of his destiny for some time: sources close to the family say that he has always known, even if he has not always fully understood what it means. His parents have sought to introduce him gradually to royal life, making those early experiences as enjoyable as possible.
“They don’t want to overload him with what the future holds,” Ingrid says. “He needs to have time to just be a teenager.”
Hence his trips to the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the RAF base, as well as the veterans’ tea party at the Palace, where the King and Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were all on hand to show him the way.
© Getty Images
Prince George is learning the royal ropes from Grandpa Wales
He has “Grandpa Wales” to learn from, as well as his parents, when it comes to the job. George has cherished memories, too, of his late great-grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who were a presence in his younger years.
Robert Jobson believes that George’s relationship with the King could echo the one William enjoyed with his grandmother, whom he visited regularly for tea while at Eton. “Being close by, to spend time in his formative years with his grandfather and learn from his wisdom, will be quite important,” he tells HELLO!.
Protecting George’s privacy
As George takes more steps into public life, the scrutiny and attention surrounding him will inevitably intensify. His parents have fought to protect his privacy from birth, carefully considering his public appearances and selectively releasing images on birthdays and special occasions. Maintaining that balance will become an increasingly delicate task in the years ahead.
He is the first heir to the throne to grow up in the social-media age, exposed to the relentless commentary and speculation about his family that comes with it. It’s no wonder, then, that his parents have wanted to postpone his access to a smartphone for so long.
Yet William and Kate have instilled a strong sense of security in their children and will help to guide him as much as they can. For all the centuries of history and expectation surrounding their firstborn, they have fought to ensure that much of his life feels reassuringly normal. There have been low-key trips to watch Aston Villa play football matches, holidays spent walking in the Lake District, family time on the beach and sailing around the coast, and weekends spent shuttling between sports fixtures and meet-ups with friends.
© Getty Images
George is a keen supporter of his dad’s football team, Aston Villa
George is a future King who will have his finger more firmly on the pop-culture pulse than any heir before him. He’s a fan of the Top Gun films, watches The Traitors with his family and listens to music ranging from AC/DC to Taylor Swift, whom he happens to have met in person.
“He’s got to be relatable – it’s very important, but it’s also what children of his age are doing, so it’s all a part of his exposure to ordinary life,” Ingrid says.
At 13, George’s future may already be mapped out, but William and Catherine remain determined that he should reach it gradually, rooted in the secure family life they have created, supported by his friendships, and allowed, for as long as possible, to simply be himself.
SOURCE: https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/914065/prince-george-at-13-inside-the-stable-home-life-preparing-him-for-boarding-school-independence/