Princess Kate Is "Slowly Preparing" Prince George to Be the Future King

Prince George is growing up so fast. The 11-year-old is currently second in the line of succession to the British throne. Once his father, Prince William, becomes King, George will be the heir apparent. As a result, his childhood is likely a little different from that of other kids.

A new report has suggested that Princess Kate is making sure her eldest son is ready for his future role. After all, learning that you'll one day become a monarch must be quite a lot to digest.

Speaking to The Sun's Fabulous magazine, royal expert Phil Dampier said, "Most of the time he is enjoying the life of someone from the upper middle classes, and spends a lot of time with Kate’s family, the Middletons." Dampier continued, "However he is growing up fast and William and Kate are slowly preparing him for his role."

According to the royal author, Prince George has been growing in confidence by attending huge Royal Family events. Body language expert Judi James also noted, "Thanks to William’s careful, hands-on induction of his eldest son, George has slowly evolved from a rather shy-looking small boy into a more confident, responsible and happily still joyful-looking eleven-year-old."

Prince George often dresses like Prince William already. George's decision to wear suits and copy his father's style is apparently entirely intentional. "He has sometimes looked a bit stiff and formal in a suit and tie," Dampier told the outlet. "But I thought in the recent photo to mark his 11th birthday he looked a lot more relaxed, a lot more comfortable and he’s clearly maturing rapidly."

According to Fabulous' report, if Prince George attends Eton, he'll be following in his father's footsteps in a crucial way. When William was at the prestigious school, he was able to visit Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, where the pair had tea together. "George will be able to see King Charles," Dampier explained, suggesting the little Prince will learn a lot from his grandad. "It’s very much going to be up to his parents and William and Kate will now be slowly upping the ante."

Prince George's father, William, will play a crucial role in preparing his son to one day be King, too. "William is of course the Prince of Wales, responsible for running the Duchy of Cornwall, and he will be showing George the ropes in terms of how that is run," Dampier told the outlet. "He will also privately be taught about the history of the royal family and its role in society."

However, Kate and William have also made sure that their children can enjoy their lives, without being fearful of the future. "They were adamant that they wanted him and Charlotte and Louis to have as normal an upbringing as possible and not to be burdened by his future destiny," Dampier explained.

While past Kings were forced to follow a rather rigid path to the throne, George will apparently be given more freedom and opportunities. "Their attitude is very much give him the tools to decide his own direction, not force him into things he doesn’t want to do so that he’s weighed down with responsibility," Dampier noted.

Although George's future as King is likely many decades away, it seems that his family is supporting him in the best way possible.