Kate Middleton and Prince William ‘Delayed’ Telling Prince George About His ‘Destiny’ as Future King

TLDR:

* Prince George isn’t just any 12-year-old — he’s the future king. Yet it’s thought that Kate Middleton and Prince William didn’t tell their eldest son of his royal fate until he was around 7 years old.
* “He really has had a period of a normal childhood,” royal author Robert Lacey tells PEOPLE in this week’s [exclusive cover story](https://people.com/prince-george-boy-who-will-be-king-most-normal-12-year-old-future-monarch-exclusive-11798388).  “William [deliberately delayed this news](https://people.com/when-prince-george-learned-he-will-be-king-from-prince-william-kate-middleton-exclusive-7559124) until the last possible moment. It shows special care and thoughtfulness — it also tells us something about how William felt about the weight of the crown,.”
* The Prince and Princess of Wales have succeeded in giving all three of their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, a childhood largely away from the cameras, putting their family first. “William takes his role as father of the future King as seriously as he takes his role as future King. That’s key,” says royal biographer Robert Hardman. “His overarching priority is making sure they enjoy it rather than fear it.”