Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Keen to Downplay Prince George’s Future as King

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published 29 July 2022

Prince George, who just turned nine a week ago today, knows that he is third in line to the throne and that, one day, he will be king. But his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are intent on not making a big deal about it, The Mirror reports.

“William struggled with [knowing his destiny] when he was a young man, and he’s very keen George doesn’t experience that same sense of burden from an early age,” royal expert Katie Nicholl tells OK!, per The Mirror. “George understands the order of succession, and he knows that one day he will be king, but he also knows that’s a long way in the future. It’s not made into a big deal.”

To mark his ninth birthday last week, mom Kate released a photo of the future king to mark the occasion. And George has made more public appearances recently than ever before, joining his parents (and often his little sister, Princess Charlotte) for great-grandfather Prince Philip’s memorial service in March, multiple appearances at June’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for his grandmother, the Queen (including a walkabout in Cardiff, Wales), and, most recently, taking in his first Wimbledon appearance alongside his parents earlier this month. According to Nicholl, William and Kate carefully select which events to bring George to, as they want him to be at ease, knowing he is a bit more reserved than his more rambunctious younger siblings.

“He’s not as outgoing or as extroverted as his sister or little brother, but he seems quite comfortable taking on the few public duties he’s done,” she says. “The engagements that William and Kate have brought him to are things where George is going to feel comfortable.”

It’ll be a long time before George is king; right now, let him be a kid.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.