Prince George now finds himself third in the line of succession after the passing of Queen Elizabeth. Indeed, if reports are to believed, he knows his standing and the potential position he could have in the future.
He also understands the sheer weight of the position his father, Prince William, holds, too – George has reportedly already told his classmates to “watch out,” as his dad is the heir to the throne.
Of course, while George is being schooled and prepared for life as a royal, it’s important to understand that he is also just like any kid. That means he has interests and hobbies, likes and dislikes, and loves being active.
It’s been known for some time that the young Prince George is very much into tennis. That’s well and good, but new reports say he is developing another hobby; one that’s making his mother, Kate Middleton, concerned.
At the end of August, Kate and William announced that their kids were moving from their London schools to Lambrook School in Windsor.
“Their Royal Highnesses are hugely grateful to Thomas’s Battersea where George and Charlotte have had a happy start to their education since 2017 and 2019 respectively and are pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values to Thomas’s,” a statement read.
“We are delighted that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will be joining us this coming September and very much look forward to welcoming the family, as we all as all of our new pupils, to our school community,” Jonathan Perry, headmaster at Lambrook, said.
It isn’t just any school the royal children are now attending. Lambrook has a tradition of royal pupils. Two of Queen Victoria’s grandsons, Prince Christian Victor and Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, were students there.
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It provides a privileged education, too, with the annual fee for all three royal children estimated to be around $56,000, according to the BBC.
The school – which sits on 52 acres of countryside and has a nine-hole golf course and a swimming pool – says it aims to create “happy and thoughtful young adults who are global citizens.”
Moreover, there are even chickens, pigs, and bees on its grounds for pupils to look after.
Starting a new school can be nerve-wracking, no matter if it’s the first day of kindergarten or the first day to university. A new environment comes with new expectations, and then there’s the matter of making new friends.
For Prince George, making friends doesn’t seem to have been a problem. Not only that, but he’s made sure his classmate know who he really is. In her book, The New Royals, author and Vanity fair royal correspondent Katie Nichol explained that George already understands the monarchy and his family’s role.
And at school, George has reportedly already warned his classmates to “watch out,” as his father is the heir to the throne.
“They are raising their children, particularly Prince George, with an awareness of who he is and the role he will inherit, but they are keen not to weigh them down with a sense of duty,” Nichol wrote, per Express.
While some students live on campus, George, Charlotte, and Louis will attend classes during the day and head back home in the afternoon.
“George understands he will one day be king and as a little boy sparred with friends at school, outdoing his peers with the killer line: ‘My dad will be king so you better watch out.’”
As the royal children grow up, they will naturally understand that they live a completely different life than anyone else. They will, of course, attend school and learn all about life, but they will most likely never have a “normal” job.
As mentioned, Prince George is third in the line of succession, after King Charles and his father, William. Like many princes before him, sports and athletics have thus far been a big part of his childhood.
In George’s case, this has meant trips to watch high-profile football and rugby matches and, more recently, tennis.
Besides playing some himself, he was seen accompanying his parents at the Wimbledon men’s tennis final in July. It almost feels like these days it’s not quite a major British sporting event without a Royal Family member in attendance. In fact, one could even say that it’s not a major British event without having Prince George – or one of his younger siblings – present to steal the show.
The match lasted some three hours, giving photographers plenty of time to get some great shots of Prince George as he took into action.
He was seen laughing, picking his nose, and conversing with his parents. It essentially looked like he enjoyed watching two of the best players in the world battle it out on the legendary Wimbledon Center Court.
However, some pictures appeared to show George in discomfort as well. Temperatures in London soared to 28C (82F) on the day, and the young prince was clearly feeling the heat.
“[It’s] too hot,” George told his dad, as reported by Sky.
William replied: “Oh you’re hot, are you? It’s very warm today […] It’ll be fine.”
As reported by the Daily Express, royal fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with many of them growing concerned.
“Poor child having to wear a suit in this hot weather,” one user wrote.
“Why do they dress him in a suit and tie and in this heat. He’s a boy, not a grown up,” another stated.
A third said: “Poor Prince George, he must be boiling in that suit.”
Ultimately, it was Novak Djokovic who emerged as champion once again at Wimbledon. Afterward, not only did he get to enjoy the adulation of fans but also that of the royals. Shortly after having his name added to the honors board in the All England Club for the seventh time, Prince William and Prince George congratulated him.
George was beaming as he watched Djokovic play, even giving the legendary player a thumbs-up. But that was nothing compared to the fact that the young prince got to lay his hands on the trophy when Djokovic gave it to him to hold after the match.
Attending events is just one small part of the royal duties Prince George is set to do when he grows up. Of course, as the future King, he will have many engagements and responsibilities, but for now at least, he gets to be like a normal child. At least as normal as it gets for a future heir to the throne.
Despite that, it is believed that William and Katte are slowly letting him know what the future will hold. It’s been reported that George – just like his father – will most likely begin working full-time as a royal by age 35, if not sooner. For a future King, it’s crucial to be prepared.
According to royal historian Robert Lacey, William and Kate have already started to tell George what the future will hold.
“William has not revealed to the world how and when he broke the big news to his son,” Lacey wrote in his book, Battle of Brothers.
“But sometime around the boy’s seventh birthday in the summer of 2020, it is thought that his parents went into more detail about what the little prince’s life of future royal ‘service and duty’ would particularly involve.”
George and his siblings are growing up fast and learning new things all the time. During a visit to Wales in late September, Kate revealed that 9-year-old George is now learning to tie his own tie, as it is a part of his school uniform.
While chatting with children during the visit, Kate complimented one boy for his uniform. She then asked if he had tied his own tie – and was very impressed when the answer was yes.
“Well done, you. I’ve been teaching George because he has got to wear a tie now for school, so I’m having to teach him how to do it,” Kate told the young boy. “But well done, you’ve done a good job with your tie. Nice to meet you.”
Prince George has shown a great interest in tennis, but now, it appears a new hobby is heading his way. It also includes pertains to sports – only, one that royals haven’t practiced that much over the years.
According to royal commentator and expert Neil Sean, George has become very interested in martial arts.
“It’s not just Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte that Catherine has to take under her wing, nurture, and make sure they understand the workings of the monarchy. Prince George, one day, will become our King, yes a big responsibility already for a nine-year-old,” Sean said in a video on his YouTube Channel.
“Even more so if you’re Princess Catherine because, now sadly, for her, she’s a little bit reticent about this idea. [George] apparently has taken up the idea of martial arts.”
So, where did this interest come from? According to Sean, it’s George’s Nanny who’s training in martial arts, and they reportedly had discussed it to the extent that the future King is “very keen” on starting his martial arts training.
Even though martial arts is great for both body and soul – not to mention it being important to be able to defend yourself – not everyone is overjoyed by the idea of George getting involved. According to Sean, Kate Middleton is “a little bit concerned,” while William supports it.
“This is something that apparently Prince George has taken very much to heart. He likes the idea of, you know, basically looking after himself,” Neil Sean said.