PRINCE George’s life is laid out for him in many ways as heir to the throne.
However, Prince William and Princess Kate are breaking a number of royal traditions when it comes to raising their 11-year-old son, from his education to his holidays.
Here’s how the future king’s life differs so far differs from his dad Prince William and grandfather King Charles…
Education
Kate and William are keen to give their children a happy childhood, and this is reflected in their schooling choices for George, Charlotte and Louis.
Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous that Charles hated the schools he was sent to and was even bullied during his time away from home.
He shared: “Prince Philip decided Charles should go to the same schools as he did and Charles was packed off as a boarder first to Cheam, and then Gordonstoun in Scotland, where he was bullied.”
While Charles famously hated being isolated at Gordonstoun, Prince George is with his siblings at Lambrook School, and currently lives at home with his family.
Phil added: “It’s hard to imagine George being bullied at school in the same way today.
“William and Kate have tried to give him a normal schooling.”
Prince George’s school’s ethos is creating pupils who will leave “Lambrook as confident, happy, engaging, independent and kind young people who are outward looking in all that they do.”
Won’t have to serve in the military
It is customary for members of the royal family to serve in the military, but this may not be the case for George when he grows up.
Phil claimed William and Kate are “unlikely to force Prince George into joining the armed forces if he doesn’t want to.”
Freedom with university
The expert claimed that George may be given more freedom over his education choices too, in contrast to King Charles, whose university was picked for him.
Phil claimed: “In December 1965 however, the then Queen and Prince Philip hosted a dinner party with the express purpose of discussing Charles’s future.
“The guests included the Prime Minister Harold Wilson, the Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey, Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten, the Dean of Windsor and the Queen’s private secretary Sir Michael Adeane.
“Charles was not invited and was told afterwards by Mountbatten his future would be Trinity College Cambridge, Dartmouth Naval College and then a spell in the Royal Navy.”
Social media
Unlike William and Charles, George is growing up in the era of social media, and the Prince and Princess of Wales have embraced this with their official Instagram and YouTube accounts.
The couple have hired the services of talented filmmaker Will Warr, and he was the mastermind behind the family’s recent emotional video where Kate shared how she has finished chemotherapy.
George has been seen in a number of posts – but Phil stressed that they heavily “control” what they show of their private life.
He said: “Well, I think the main thing is they like to have is a sense of control over these things.
“They were in charge of the image and the narrative they want to put out there.
“Kate, of course, as we know, has been taking her own photos for many years of the family.
“So in that way they’re controlling things and controlling their image.”
Down-to-earth holidays
Although they have been known to jet off to the luxury A-lister island of Mustique, William and Kate are also keen for their kids to have “normal” holidays too.
Kate’s recent video showed the family playing cards with Carole and Michael Middleton, and running around in the woods.
Editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, Ingrid Seward said they love going to their countryside home, Anmer Hall.
She added: “They can take advantage of everything Sandringham has to offer, including wonderful beaches and miles of paths through the estate to ride on ponies or bikes.”
Kate Middleton's 'golden rule' with George, Charlotte and Louis
KATE'S key rule for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis is about kindness.
According to HELLO! Online’s Royal Correspondent: “Based on observations of photographs of Princess Diana at the time, and the current Princess of Wales, they are both very affectionate with their children.
“Kate is often seen holding her children’s hands or picking them up for cuddles when they were smaller.
“There are often lots of comforting gestures, such as a pat on the back or stroking their hair. When interacting with other children on her public engagements, Kate often crouches down to their level to engage with them – something that Diana would often do.”
When she’s at the family’s home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, despite her royal status, insiders say Kate is just like any other “normal mum”.
A friend explained that behind closed doors, the 42-year-old is “very chilled at home” but definitely not a pushover and will tell the kids off when needed.
They told PEOPLE: “It’s a normal, busy family home with kids running around and knocking things over. There’s no airs and graces.
“She is doing that to help her children be more grounded and keep their reality in check. That’s what really matters to her.”
Dress codes
While we often see George and his siblings smartly dressed for occasions such as Trooping the Colour, we’ve also seen them in relaxed outfits too.
When Prince George met the Obamas in 2016, the young royal greeted the then-President in his dressing gown.
Barack joked: “It’s not just Congress. Even some foreign leaders they have been looking ahead, anticipating my departure.
“Last week Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face. A clear breach of protocol.”
