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Despite speculation that King Charles Roman III isn't entirely enamored with how his son and daughter-in-law are raising his eldest grandchild, it's clear that Prince William and Princess Katherine are parenting in their own way. Prince George is growing up knowing that one day he'll ascend to the throne, but for most of the time he's enjoying life as someone from the upper middle class. He spends a lot of time with the Middleton family and is growing up fast, but his parents are making sure to keep their eldest son grounded while navigating royal life.
George is attending important royal events such as Trooping the Colour and state visits, as well as more casual outings like football matches with his father. He's also slowly being introduced to performing royal duties and meeting people from all walks of life. This is helping him gain confidence as he gets older. While he has sometimes looked a bit stiff and formal in a suit and tie at major events, in recent photos to mark his 11th birthday he looked much more relaxed and comfortable. It's clear he is maturing rapidly thanks to his father's careful, hands-on introduction to royal responsibilities.
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The prince has slowly evolved from a rather shy looking small boy into a more confident, responsible, and happy 11-year-old. One of the ways in which the Prince and Princess of Wales have prepared George for being king is to not prepare him at all. William and Kate are determined that George, as well as his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will have as normal a childhood as possible without being overly burdened by the expectations of his future role.
Their childhood will be similar to their mother's upbringing instead of their grandfather's. The current King has spoken in the past of the dreadful moments when, as a child, it finally dawned on him that he was going to be king and that his whole future was mapped out for him, which came as a great shock. A committee of politicians, courtiers and advisers decided what school Charles should attend, what military roles he should take on, and where he should visit as a representative of the Commonwealth, including time spent at university in Australia. None of this level of control and scrutiny will happen for Prince George.
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The next few years will be important milestones for the young prince, but by the time he reaches adulthood, George will be making many of his own decisions with the support and guidance of his parents. William and Kate's attitude is to give George the tools and experiences to decide his own direction, rather than forcing expectations and responsibilities upon him too early. One of his biggest allies through this will be his sister Princess Charlotte, as royal experts have suggested she will be a key pillar of support for George when he eventually takes the throne.
Their close bond was on display at major events like the Thanksgiving service for Prince Philip last year. When it came to Prince George carrying out his first official public engagement by accompanying his parents to Cardiff over the Jubilee weekend, their parents made the decision to include Charlotte to give George that support. Just as Prince William was always Prince Harry's wingman and partner in his royal duties, the Cambridges are clearly fostering a similar team dynamic between George and Charlotte from a young age.
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This echoes reports that Princess Anne has taken Princess Charlotte under her wing, giving the young royal invaluable advice about her role. As someone who grew up with an older brother destined to be king, Anne is perfectly placed to mentor Charlotte in the same way. She and Charlotte are said to talk constantly about everything from women's sports to sailing, horses, ballet, fashion, etiquette and manners. Essentially, Princess Anne is imparting all her knowledge to help "foolproof" Charlotte into becoming the ideal princess and support to her brother when he is king.
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With his close-knit family providing guidance alongside space to be a normal child, all signs suggest Prince George will be well-prepared to confidently take on his duties as a senior working royal and future king.
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