GROWING UP Royal!

For a long time, Prince George had no idea he'd one day be a king.

"As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family," Prince William explained of his and Princess Kate's decision not to tell their first-born, who was still a toddler at the time, about his destiny too early. "There will be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in in the world. But right now, it's just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can as a father."

 

William and Kate have done their best to stick to that plan. However, with the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, as well as King Charles III's and Kate's cancer diagnoses this year, they've had to begin having some important conversations with George. "The family's been through a lot of changes lately, and it's naturally led to conversations about George's future duties. They're helping him comprehend the situation better," explains a royals source, confirming that William, 41, and Kate, 42, have sat the 10-year old down to talk about succession and "what is and will be expected of him. It's a daunting prospect, but George is a smart boy. He understands that one day he will be king."

EASING HIM IN

It's been a delicate balance. "William is torn," says the source. "He's beginning to prepare George, but he still wants his son to have as carefree a childhood as he can-like his mother, [the late Princess] Diana, allowed him to do." Thankfully, adds the source, "Kate's great at knowing how to let George be a kid" alongside his siblings, the "spares" Princess Charlotte, who turns 9 in May, and Prince Louis, who turns 6 in April. "He isn't treated any differently around their house."