With a pivotal move to secondary school looming later this year, Prince George of Wales is stepping gradually but firmly into the spotlight of his birthright. The young prince, second in line to the throne, has begun accompanying his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, on an increasing number of royal engagements, a clear sign of preparations for his eventual role as King.
A Deliberate Departure from the Past
While Prince William and Princess Catherine are working tirelessly behind the scenes to equip their eldest son for sovereignty, they remain fiercely committed to providing all three of their children with a stable and as-normal-as-possible upbringing. According to esteemed former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, this represents a conscious and different approach to that taken by William's mother, the late Princess Diana.
"It's hard enough bringing up kids to be happy, safe and confident even in normal life," Bond told the Mirror. "We can only imagine what it must be like to bring up a child who is going to hold such a unique and massively public role in life."
Bond recalled Diana's profound anxiety over the weight of destiny placed on William's young shoulders. "I remember her telling me how the prospect of being King weighed heavily on young William," she said. However, Bond suggests the current Wales household, built on a secure and happy marriage, offers a more solid foundation for preparing George.
The 'Concrete' Path and the Forbidden Option
The royal expert starkly outlined the unique constraints facing the future monarch. For Prince George, the career and life choices available to most teenagers simply do not exist. His eventual road ahead is, as Bond stated, 'set in concrete'.
"You can't sit down and talk about what he might like to do as a career or whether he might, for example, one day like to live in another country," Bond explained. This reality explicitly rules out the path taken by his uncle, Prince Harry, who famously stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States. Such an option is unequivocally off the table for the future King.
Mastering the Balance of Public and Private
Despite the inevitable trajectory, Princess Kate is hailed for her relentless efforts to preserve ordinary childhood experiences for George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, especially during their formative years.
"I think Catherine is doing a fantastic job in keeping her children's lives as normal as possible for as long as she can," Jennie Bond affirmed. "And that is invaluable in their development. It's a fine balance, but I think she and William have succeeded in giving all three children a very good measure of privacy whilst satisfying the media and public demands."
The young Wales children are being gently acclimatised to their lifelong roles. Bond observed that they already appear comfortable in the public eye, noting their ease during the traditional Sandringham Christmas Day walk. "They need to get used to the experience of being on show and on duty, because that is likely to be how it is for the rest of their lives," she concluded.
