Inside Prince George's 'huge year' of change with 'full understanding' of destiny

Once the tiny baby the Princess of Wales cradled in her arms on the steps of the Lindo Wing, Prince George is almost the same height as his mother now he’s officially entering his teenage years. The future King turns 13 on 22 July, marking a big milestone in what is shaping up to be a pivotal year in his young life. It has already been announced that in September, George will follow in his father’s footsteps by starting at the £63,000-a-year Eton College, where he is expected to board full-time. While he has become a permanent fixture at major royal events alongside his parents – such as Trooping the Colour – he also recently joined Kate for their first joint engagement, visiting the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby to mark Armed Forces Day. As George prepares for his birthday, royal expert Jennie Bond exclusively tells us that even though the changes ahead might be daunting, he will be constantly supported by his parents. “It’s obviously a huge year ahead for George. Becoming a teenager is still quite a landmark in any young life,” says the former BBC royal correspondent. “But when it means you are also moving schools and essentially leaving home – at least on a part-time basis – it’s pretty momentous. “Luckily, George has two very switched-on parents who have brought him up to talk about his feelings and his fears, and they will only have taken the decision for him to start boarding at Eton after discussing it with him fully, and being certain that this is what he wants. So he’ll probably view the year ahead with a few nerves but a lot of excitement.” Unlike many teenagers of his age, George’s future appears to be clearly mapped out, with a lifetime of royal duty and service ahead of him. To prepare him for his destiny, William and Kate have worked hard to strike a delicate balance between readying George for his future role, while ensuring that he, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis still get to enjoy a normal childhood. George’s time at school remains fiercely protected, and major milestones such as birthdays are marked by the release of carefully chosen family photographs – many of which are taken by Kate herself. Despite this emphasis on privacy, there has been a definite uptick in George’s public appearances in recent months. Last year, he joined his parents to meet veterans at Buckingham Palace during the VE Day commemorations and attended his first Festival of Remembrance event at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Last Christmas, Prince William introduced his eldest child to his work tackling homelessness by taking George to The Passage, a homeless shelter, where the father and son served dinner together. However, even as George grows older and gains a deeper understanding of his future, Jennie doesn’t believe we should expect significantly more duties from him anytime soon. “I don’t think we’re going to see George taking part in an increased number of official royal duties in the near future,” she explains. “Quite frankly, he has enough on his plate with his new school and his education. But his parents are very cleverly getting him used to the reality of his public profile at occasions like Trooping the Colour, and also by having a camera around when, for example, he recently visited an RAF base with his mother. “The pictures were then released to mark Armed Forces Day, but he didn’t have to put up with banks of cameras and reporters while he was there. I’m sure he has a full understanding by now of what lies ahead – especially having seen the funeral of his great-grandmother [Elizabeth II] and the Coronation of his grandfather [Charles III]. It must be a daunting prospect – and hard for a young lad to realise that his destiny, his career and his life are mapped out already.” While his royal status sets him apart, George does share a lot in common with other teenagers, as revealed by snippets of his life shared by his parents. Like his father, George is a massive football fan, and he was lucky enough to attend the last two Euros finals, though he unfortunately had to endure watching two England losses. His favourite team also appears to be Aston Villa, like William, who treated him to a trip to Paris last year to watch the side compete in the Champions League. The young royal also has diverse musical tastes. During a recent visit to the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester last month, Kate revealed that George is something of a rocker who loves AC/DC and enjoys playing the guitar. The royal family ’s passion for flying has also clearly rubbed off on him, with William once describing his eldest son as a “potential pilot in the making,” and George has already been fortunate enough to take private flying lessons. Jennie notes that while George’s private life remains guarded, some of his personality traits are well-known. “We know from his father that he can be quite boisterous at home, that there have been tensions over whether he can have a mobile phone – it seems pretty clear that the answer is no – and that he supports Aston Villa with the same enthusiasm as his dad,” she says. Last year, William and Kate marked George’s 12th birthday by releasing a heart-warming portrait of him dressed in his country casuals, followed by a short video of him playing and giggling with his siblings. This year, George officially becomes a teenager during his school summer holidays, and given that this is a very important milestone in any child’s life, an extra-special celebration is expected, no doubt filled with plenty of fun with his family. “He’s lucky to have his birthday fall during the summer holidays, so the whole family will be free to celebrate with him,” says Jennie.