AlthoughKate MiddletonandPrince Williamare focused on givingPrince Georgea normal childhood whenever possible, he’s aware that someday he will be the king.
Prince George, who will celebrate his 10th birthday on July 22, had a formal talk about his royal destiny in 2020, biographer Robert Lacey previously reported. It was a “controlled moment of their choice,” Lacey wrote, “reflecting William’s unhappiness at the haphazard fashion in which the whole business of his royal destiny had buzzed around his head from the start.”
But children’s wear designer Amaia Arrieta, whose clothes George and his siblings —Princess Charlotte, 8, andPrince Louis, 5 — have worn for years tells PEOPLE exclusively: “I think George has known almost from the beginning. He has always had a more prominent role — there have been many events with his late great-grandmother or great-grandfather when it was just him, and his siblings weren’t there. I think they must have had that conversation very early on.”
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In 2016, Prince William opened up to the BBC about the significant revelation: “There’ll be a time and place. Right now, it’s just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can.”
A palace insider tells PEOPLE, “I am sure [William and Kate] are making George aware in the best way they can. And not making it too burdensome.”
Prince George and his family at Trooping the Colour 2023.Chris Jackson/Getty
Chris Jackson/Getty
Prince George recently stepped into the royal spotlight atKing Charles' coronation in May, acting as one of his grandfather’sPages of Honor. During the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey, George assisted in carrying the King’s robe and took a prominent place on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the service.
Prince William and Princess Kate, both 41, were aware of the pressure their son would feel — after all, he became the youngest future king to play an official role in a coronation — but felt he was ready for the task.
“He was terrific,” says a close family friend.
And in a nod to the future of the monarchy, the palace released anofficial portraitof King Charles posing with his heirs, son Prince William and grandson Prince George, following the coronation.
Despite the public elements of his life, Prince William and Princess Kate strive to give Prince George and his siblings conventional childhoods filled with playing outdoors, experimenting in the kitchen and visiting the candy store.
“It’s a massive balancing act,” one palace insider tells PEOPLE. “William and Kate are doing the right thing, protecting him so he can have as normal a childhood as possible, but he’s also dipping into duties as a future monarch.”
The insider adds, “He’s getting firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a royal and a monarch and firsthand experience of being a normal boy.”
Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and Kate Middleton at the Big Help Out on May 8.DANIEL LEAL/POOL/AFP via Getty
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“Coming from a different background, she appreciates the importance of having family time,” says a source close to the royal household. “She wasn’t brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day.”
source: people.com
