The Gist
Kate Middleton undertook her first official royal engagement since returning from summer break on September 4.
For the appearance on Thursday, the Princess of Wales was joined by her husband, Prince William, for a visit to the Natural History Museum, an organization that the future queen serves as patron.
While meeting with well-wishers, Kate shared a sweet update about her eldest son Prince George’s recent growth spurt.
On September 3, Prince George achieved a quiet milestone—it was his last first day at Lambrook, the school he attends alongside siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Next year, 12-year-old George will head to likely either Eton College, where his father Prince William attended, or Marlborough College, where his mother Kate Middleton went. This, combined with slowly increasing royal engagements and exposure to royal life, is proof that George is growing up right before our eyes.
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Prince George on July 13, 2025
During a joint engagement alongside William at the Natural History Museum on September 4, Kate—with her hair blonder than ever before—made a remark about how fast George really is growing up. Speaking to well-wishers on Thursday, the Princess of Wales said of George, Charlotte, and Louis, per Hello!, “They are getting big now! George is already in my shoes,” indicating that her eldest is already wearing the same size shoe as she does.
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Kate Middleton at the Natural History Museum
George was last seen in a public capacity on July 13, alongside his parents and sister at Wimbledon; he was also photographed riding in the back of a Range Rover on August 24 as he and his family headed to church in Scotland, where they were vacationing at Balmoral Castle alongside other members of the royal family.
Earlier this year, to mark VE Day on May 5, George attended a Buckingham Palace tea party with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and minus his two younger siblings, who attended a parade alongside him earlier in the day.
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Prince George, Prince William, and Kate Middleton on May 5, 2025
“I think we’ll see more of these kinds of encounters,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told Hello!. “It’s still early for George to be doing more, but he’s being exposed to public life in a pretty intelligent way. They seem to be doing it all very thoughtfully.”
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Kate Middleton, Prince George, and Prince William
As for preparing George for his future as king, “I imagine that when William talks to George about things like this, he uses words like ‘destiny’ rather than ‘duty,’” royal historian Robert Lacey told People. “‘Duty’ has a sense of being trapped; ‘destiny’ has a sense of choice.”
“He is the most normal 12-year-old future monarch we have ever had,” a source told the outlet. “And that is a very good thing.”
Read the original article on InStyle