Prince George is “Very Protective” of His Younger Siblings, Does Extra Chores for Additional Screentime

Yesterday, a future British monarch turned nine—and, in addition to the annual birthday portrait we’ve come to expect from Prince George and his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (nearly always taken by their mom, the Duchess of Cambridge!), we continue to learn more and more about the boy who will one day be king.

In particular, Us reports that George is “very protective” of Charlotte and Louis, and that “he takes it all seriously,” doing his best to set a good example for the younger Cambridges—and isn’t above doing a few more chores to get some extra screentime. (Relatable.)

“George is a hard worker,” a source told the magazine. “He sometimes needs a nudge like all kids his age, but he’s very smart and right up there at the top of his class. He’s very protective of his younger siblings and goes out of his way to help his mother with the household chores, especially when it earns him extra time on electronics!”

In addition to being mom Kate Middleton’s helper, “he’s definitely a daddy’s boy,” the source says. “It’s not just their physical resemblance. They’ve got a ton of the same interests and hobbies in common—even helicopters!”

George—who really is dad Prince William’s doppelganger, perhaps never more so apparent than in his ninth birthday photo, pictured above—also shares a love of football with his father (or, as we Americans might call it, soccer). William has previously opened up on a podcast about this shared passion, saying “I’m letting [George] choose his [favorite team in his] own way. It’s about finding what fits for him.” (William, for his part, is a huge Aston Villa fan.)

Of George, the source tells Us “he’s very sociable and can chat for hours about his favorite soccer players, plus he loves rugby, cricket, all forms of sports, really.” The insider described the future king as a “well-grounded, down-to-earth little boy.”

Though we saw our first glimpse of George almost immediately after his July 22, 2013, birth on the steps of the Lindo Wing, we’re seeing more and more of him as he gets older. In the past few months alone, we’ve seen him at great-grandfather Prince Philip’s memorial service in March, extensively during his great-grandmother the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, and at his first Wimbledon appearance earlier this month.

“His confidence has grown leaps and bounds over the last couple of years,” a different source told Us. “He is assertive, self-assured, and knows what he wants, and doesn’t hold back on speaking his mind. His personality is really starting to shine.”

William and Kate have done their best to give George a relatively normal childhood, the outlet writes, but George is keenly aware of his future as king: “He sees it as a huge honor and frequently asks his dad to loan him books about history,” a source told Us. “He loves listening to stories about his ancestors and the history of the Commonwealth, not just England. It’s very clear he takes it all very seriously and is dedicated to serving the Crown when his time eventually comes.”

Though his reign is in the far distant future, the insider says that “Prince George is already showing that he has what it takes to be the future King of England,” and, “despite the responsibilities he’ll entail in his future role, Kate and William don’t want to see him grow up too quickly. They’re determined to give him as much of a normal childhood as possible, and it’s working wonders. He’s such a lovable, down-to-earth little boy.”