Prince William and Kate Middleton Just Gave Prince George What Could be His "Only Opportunity" for Important Kingship Lesson

Unlike royal generations of the past, Prince George has been raised in relative privacy—but as he gets older, the future King will be introduced to more aspects of royal life. While George and his younger siblings Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, took part in the VE Day 80th anniversary parade and balcony appearance on May 5, Prince William and Kate Middleton surprised the public by bringing their 11-year-old son for a special solo outing later in the day. According to one royal expert, it gave George the rare chance to encounter history up close and personal—something that will benefit him one day when he becomes King.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that bringing George to the event was a major step in his journey to the throne. "I love seeing him at football matches when he can let his hair down," she said. "But at big events like this, he looks as if he is taking it all in, and understanding that his life will be punctuated by national occasions where his will be a key role."

Bond continued that last week's event—which marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe—"may be the only opportunity George will ever have of speaking to men and women who served their King and country during the war."

"It's a lesson that will serve him well in the future," she continued. "One day he will be Chief of the Armed Forces himself, and he may well look back at some of those conversations and be glad that he had the chance to meet some of the few remaining veterans."

Sources close to Prince William recently shared that he puts a strong emphasis on making royal life seem less daunting to his children, and that was evident during the special tea party.

"It was noticeable that William sometimes put George first and foremost, letting him sit with veterans while he hovered behind," Bond said. "That was a clever and reassuring way for William to mentor his son."

The VE Day commemorations on May 5 marked a rare public appearance for George, who will turn 12 in July. Other than a few Aston Villa outings with his dad, the prince was last seen with the Royal Family during their traditional Christmas Day walk to church. Bond explained that "by including the children in occasions like [VE Day], as well as issuing lovely informal photographs and videos of them at regular intervals, the family remains visible and in touch, whilst maintaining some elements of privacy when they are off duty."

However, royal fans won't have to wait until George, Charlotte and Louis are back on the Buckingham Palace balcony. The Royal Family will celebrate The King's annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, on Saturday, June 14.