Don’t be surprised if you see a lot more of Prince George soon. The 12-year-old future royal is reportedly about to start ramping up his public appearances for a surprising reason according to royal insiders. And it’s all to do with his role as second-in-line to the throne.
Royal author Katie Nicholl told Mirror that Prince William is preparing to step up amid his dad King Charles III’s cancer battle. “The crown will never have felt closer to the Prince than it does now,” she told the outlet. “His father’s illness has been a stark reminder that it’s his turn next, and it may not be too far in the distant future.”
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Once Prince William ascends the throne, George will be next in line — and Prince William doesn’t want to wait until then to get George more public exposure. Surprisingly, he wants to ramp up his eldest son’s public appearances to get people to fall in love with him (as if we weren’t enamored by the young royal already?!).
“William has the sense to know that the public need to fall in love with George as a youngster,” Nicholls told the outlet. “He has to have a presence, and he can’t be kept under lock and key and only introduced when he’s 18. At the same time, William doesn’t want George to have the same level of exposure he and Prince Harry had as kids, so it has to be done very carefully.”
It’s hard to imagine anyone who doesn’t already love this young royal and his siblings Princess Charlotte,10, and Prince Louis, 7. But it is also about preparing and practicing for the future.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 5: Prince George of Wales with Prince William, Prince of Wales watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 5, 2025 in London, England. The King and Queen, joined by Members of the Royal Family, will take part in events from May 5th to May 8th to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which signalled the end of the Second World War in Europe. (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Mirror that Prince William is the best person to guide his son through this unique position. “How do you explain it to a 12-year-old? William is the only person on the planet who knows how George might be feeling and what it’s like to be in his situation.”
“Their closeness will be invaluable as George tries to process the fact he isn’t quite normal,” Larcombe added. “He’s going to be king, he will be front page news all his life – that would be hard for anyone to get their head around, let alone a boy of his age.”
Still, Prince William and Kate Middleton don’t want to scare him either. They are doing their best to take things slow and ease Prince George into the spotlight.
In August, royal biographer Robert Hardman told PEOPLE, “William takes his role as father of the future King as seriously as he takes his role as future King. That’s key. His overarching priority is making sure they enjoy it rather than fear it.”
Royal author Robert Lacey said in the same article, “I imagine that when William talks to George about things like this, he uses words like ‘destiny’ rather than ‘duty.’ ‘Duty’ has a sense of being trapped; ‘destiny’ has a sense of choice.”
Part of the way he’s teaching George is by slowing bringing him to more public events this year. Considering how George is always a class act, we know he will handle this extra attention beautifully.
Before you go, check out all the times Prince George showed he’ll be a great king one day.
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