Prince George is destined to one day be king (Image: WireImage)
Prince William and Princess Kate have endeavoured to give Prince George as normal a childhood as possible. And in order to do that, they decided to keep a major secret from their firstborn son.
George and his younger siblings have been able to enjoy a relatively carefree childhood, despite their royal statuses. And according to one expert, William drew on his own childhood experiences when it came to guiding George, not least because as children, William and Harry were very aware of their different futures, and would even argue about it
It meant that, for years, George knew he was a prince, but didn't necessarily know he would be King. Speaking about his eldest son, William previously said: "There'll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world. We are very normal." Meanwhile, Catherine Mayer, author of Charles : The Heart of a King, told E! News: "With George they are trying to delay that moment of realisation and give him normality before they thrust this on him.
"But it will be, nevertheless, part of his upbringing both in terms of what he sees his parents and grandparents doing and probably quite soon a beginning of an understanding that he is in public life and what that means." Having kept George in the dark about his important future role in order to protect him, William, Kate and the whole royal family have reportedly rallied around to help George understand his position. And one of his biggest allies is his sister Charlotte. Royal experts have suggested she will be a key pillar of support for George, likening the pair to Princess Anne and King Charles.
Author Katie Nicholl explained to Entertainment Tonight: "I think you're seeing a support act here. There's a wonderful dynamic there, and you know, they were together at the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip, they've sort of stepped into some high-profile roles when it came to Prince George carrying out his first official engagement, which was to Cardiff over the Jubilee weekend.
"William and Kate decided to include Charlotte on that, so in the same way that William always had his wingman in Harry, I think it's rather wonderful that that is being echoed here with George and Charlotte. You're going to see, I think, real teamwork at play here." It follows reports that Princess Anne has taken Princess Charlotte under her wing, and is giving the young royal invaluable advice about her role within the family.
Anne is perfectly placed to show Charlotte the ropes - both grew up with an older brother destined to be King with the Princess Royal proving to be invaluable to King Charles . A palace insider told Woman's Day, via the Express : "They're talking ALL the time about everything and anything, women’s football, sailing, horses, ballet, fashion, manners... Essentially she's foolproofing Charlotte into becoming the perfect princess and standby queen."
