Although Prince George is second-in-line to the throne, the young prince is unlikely to become a working royal for many years to come.
At the age of 11, the young prince spends most of his time at Lambrook School before returning home in the evenings to the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate, lived in by himself, his parents Prince William and Princess Kate, and his siblings Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.
While Prince George is sometimes expected to attend big royal events along with his family, for example, Trooping The Colour and the annual Sandringham Christmas walkabout, the 11-year-old spends most of his time living a life not too dissimilar from other children across the UK.
According to royal author Robert Hardman, this is because George’s parents Prince William and Princess Kate, both 42, do not want to burden him with royal duties from a young age, and instead want him to experience as normal an upbringing as possible, including playing video games, taking part in sporting events, and spending time with his family.
Writing in his book, Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, Hardman said that William sees it as his “paramount duty” to train his eldest son for future royal duties, which he will one day inherit.
Hardman wrote: “Prince William had a significant degree of autonomy in his university education, his engagement with the armed forces, and his introduction to regular duties.
“He is determined that Prince George should have a similar if not greater involvement in the way he develops his own royal role.
“‘There is no expectation that any royal duties are going to kick in until George is well into his twenties, says a Kensington Palace veteran. ‘Before he was even made a page at the coronation, William and Catherine wanted to ask him if he felt comfortable about it because he was the youngest. It turned out he was keen.'”
While the young prince seems very capable when on the royal stage, waving to crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony and shaking hands when he greets people, it is evident that Prince William and Princess Kate want their three children to enjoy their childhood with as much privacy as possible.
This is reportedly one of the reasons behind their move to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor in 2022, where they currently live with no in-house staff.
The cottage also comes with enough grounds to allow the children to play with privacy and security, something they did not have access to when living at Kensington Palace.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told OK!: “I think they surprised a lot of people when they moved there. There are plenty of other places they could have moved to, but Adelaide Cottage fits with their desire as parents to be a normal family, where there aren’t servants and they don’t have 30 rooms. William would much rather have his kids around him, in the rooms next door to where he’s sleeping.”
It is believed Prince William and Princess Kate do all the school-runs with their three children and attend events at the school including football matches.
Princess Kate also enjoys being a hands-on mum around the house, with all three of the children helping her prepare dinner and clean up after themselves.
