The Gist
In the royal family, tradition has held that the heir to the throne serves in the military, as when they take the throne they become the Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces.
Both King Charles and Prince William served, as did Prince Harry.
While no one can predict the future, former royal butler Grant Harrold said that there’s a chance that Prince George won’t serve in the military, though he admitted that decision “would be very strange.”
Tradition dictates that members of the royal family—heirs to the throne in particular—take on military duties, as monarchs become Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces when they are on the throne.
King Charles and Prince William have both served, as did Prince Harry, who served 10 years in the British Army, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan. While former royal butler Grant Harrold expects Prince George—the heir to the throne behind his grandfather the King and his father, the Prince of Wales—to attend college like his parents did, he’s not totally convinced that George will serve in the military someday.
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Prince William and Prince George on May 5, 2025
“It is possible that he could take on the position of being head of the Armed Forces and have little or no experience within their armed forces and learn about it on the job,” Harrold said, per Marie Claire. “But it would be very strange if he stopped the tradition in the military.”
William and Kate Middleton have shown that they are keen to do things their own way. Case in point: The couple is set to move into their “forever home,” the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge, as soon as early next month and plan to live there even after William takes the throne in due course. William and Kate met as students at the University of St. Andrews, so Harrold is quite confident that 12-year-old George, too, will attend university someday. “The real question is whether he will join the Armed Forces,” said Harrold, who served the King at his country home, Highgrove House, from 2004 to 2011 (when he was still Prince Charles).
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Prince George at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025
“Historically, royals were all about fighting battles, and if suddenly that stops, that would be quite significant because that’s a big part of what the royal family is about,” Harrold continued. “We’ve always had royals involved in the military or some sort, even if it’s for a short period of time. So it should still continue.”
As for George’s younger siblings Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, Harrold told Marie Claire that they could usher in a “different era” for the royal family and help continually modernize the monarchy as they grow up.
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Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
“There will be a high demand on the children, because their workload will be increased,” Harrold said. “But the royal family may not be carrying out quite the same responsibilities by the time they are old enough.”
Harrold noted that Charlotte and Louis will have “more freedom and a lot more choice” than other siblings of the heir to the throne before them, adding, “There may be brand endorsements or more support for organizations, with them being seen as celebrities or even taking on that influencer role.”
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Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte at King Charles’s coronation on May 6, 2023
“It might not be the same as old-fashioned visits with cutting ribbons and visiting important figures,” Harrold added, alluding to Charles’s siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward, who remain working royals, and Prince Andrew, who was a working royal up until scandal enveloped him in 2019. “I’m sure that will still be part of it, but I think it will evolve a lot, and I think their roles will be quite full-on for them because it will be a different era of the royal family and a bit unpredictable.”
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Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton, and Princess Charlotte on May 5, 2025
While George’s fate is decided for him, Charlotte and Louis might not even be full-time working royals when they are older. “I think that’s something that their father and mother will support,” Harrold said. “I think the days of the royals having to be royals and do what other royals do will be gone.”
“I think if Charlotte turns around to her dad and says, ‘Do you know what, I really want to become an architect,’ I think he would be welcoming of that,” he added.
Read the original article on InStyle