Prince George turns 13 today. The Prince and Princess of Wales are working together to prepare him with "a balance of tradition and family values" at the heart of his upbringing, royal sources have said.
As the young prince reaches his teenage milestone, the future king is taking another important step toward his destiny. Sources close to the Prince and Princess of Wales have told how George has been raised with "an acute awareness of the constitutional role he will eventually occupy, but also with a determination from his parents that he should enjoy as normal and grounded a childhood as possible."
Long before George was born on July 22, 2013, the prince and princess have been united in preparing their first born, not only as a future monarch, but also to foster an appreciation for his or her role within their immediate family.
Balancing tradition and family values
Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty Magazine and respected royal author, said: "William and Catherine's duty as parents has never been solely to educate George - or any of their three children - about constitutional duty or public appearances. Their shared ambition has been to raise a young boy who understands both the extraordinary privilege of his birth and the ordinary values that underpin a happy family life. It is a balance that reflects their own contrasting childhoods and one they have consciously sought to blend for the next generation."
Prince William's own upbringing was unlike that of any previous heir. While his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, sought to expose him and Prince Harry to life beyond palace walls, William's childhood was shaped by the pressures of monarchy, relentless public attention and the eventual breakdown of his parents' marriage. Diana's death when William was just 15 and his brother Prince Harry fundamentally altered their adolescence and, by William's own admission, left an enduring impact on how he would later approach fatherhood.
The Princess, by contrast, was raised in a close-knit, loving middle-class family in Berkshire. This has shaped the very fabric of how she has approached her role as a mother, particularly her duty to George's upbringing. The princess’ parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, created a stable home life centred on family meals, holidays, sporting activities and strong relationships with grandparents and siblings. It was an upbringing that offered consistency, emotional security and a sense of normality that would become one of Kate's greatest strengths as a parent.
Friends of the couple have long said that William admired the warmth and stability of the Middleton family long before they married. Yet, despite his own at times turbulent relationship with his father during childhood, William enjoys a close relationship with the King as does all his children who especially love spending time with him during the summer holidays and at Christmas.
As parents themselves, William and Kate have deliberately drawn upon their individual experiences, combining the Princess's emphasis on family life with William's unique understanding of royal duty.
Carefully managed public appearances
In recent months George has accompanied his father on visits to The Passage homelessness charity and his mother to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to mark Armed Forces Day. Aside from the worldwide media frenzy in preparation for his birth in the summer of 2013, George has been born into a world which has much more appreciation for the pressures on younger members of the royal family.
Sources close to the family also point to the childhood that George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have all been permitted to enjoy as a result, which is hugely different from previous royal generations. Both the Prince and Princess make sure they do the school runs, attend sporting fixtures, and enjoy regular family holidays in Norfolk and Scotland. Their time spent with the Middleton family has also formed a huge part of their upbringing, designed to provide routine rather than privilege.
At the same time, George has gradually been introduced to the responsibilities that accompany his place in the line of succession. His public appearances have been carefully managed, increasing only as he has grown older. Whether attending Trooping the Colour, major national commemorations, Christmas at Sandringham or accompanying his parents to significant sporting occasions, such as Wimbledon earlier this month.
Education at Eton College
Behind the scenes, William has taken a particularly active role in explaining the institution to his eldest son. Ms Seward explained: "George's upbringing has been a perfect blend of appreciation for the tradition of the institution into which he was born and will one day lead, and respect for his own family life."
Education has also formed a central part of that preparation. This autumn, George will begin secondary school life at Eton College, following in his father's footsteps almost three decades after William enrolled there in 1995. The decision carries obvious historical symbolism, but the decision for George to go to Eton was not one made solely by his parents or any senior courtiers within the institution. It was a joint decision, between George, William and Kate for a multitude of reasons.
Like William before him, George will receive an education that has prepared generations of national leaders, while remaining close enough to the Waleses’ family home, Forest Lodge in Windsor. George is understood to have enrolled in boarding at Eton but being so close to his family, is expected to take the opportunity to return home at weekends.
Qualities of his upbringing
Another source close to the family said: "George is not only a delightful young man, he shows all the qualities of his upbringing. He is kind, caring and considerate and genuinely interested in the work his parents do within the institution." The source points to the significant role the young prince took on during last year's commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day, where he sat for hours talking to war heroes about their experiences with incredible interest.
As George enters his teenage years, the careful balancing of matching his adolescence and role as a future king will continue. His profile will inevitably increase as he moves closer to adulthood, but his parents appear determined that public duty should never come at the expense of family life.
Jennie Bond, former BBC royal correspondent, said: "It’s obviously a huge year ahead for George. Becoming a teenager is still a ‘thing’ and quite a landmark in any young life. But when it means you are also moving schools and essentially leaving home – at least on a part-time basis – it’s pretty momentous. Luckily, George has two very switched-on parents who have brought him up to talk about his feelings and his fears, and they will only have taken the decision for him to start boarding at Eton after discussing it with him fully, and being certain that this is what he wants. So he’ll probably view the year ahead with a few nerves but a lot of excitement. I’m sure he has a full understanding by now of what lies ahead – especially having seen the funeral of his great grandmother and the Coronation of his grandfather. It must be a daunting prospect - and hard for a young lad to realise that his destiny, his career and his life are mapped out already."
The monarchy he will one day inherit will almost certainly look different from the one his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, presided over for seven decades. Yet the values the Prince and Princess of Wales hope to instil - service, humility, empathy and a strong sense of family - will prove just as important as any constitutional lesson.
