“William still has painful memories of his own childhood.”
Prince George is entering his preteen era with the celebration of his 11th birthday on Monday (which came with a Taylor Swift-coded portrait). And with this milestone comes more responsibility and public-facing duties. In case you haven’t noticed, George has been slowly increasing his appearances over the last year, which included attending a couple of football (a.k.a. soccer) games alongside his dad Prince William.
According to royal expert Ingrid Seward, the uptick in engagements has been intentional as Kate Middleton wanted to give him a normal childhood that was different from William’s sometimes “painful” upbringing.
“William and Kate have always been wary of exposing their children to the public as William still has painful memories of his own childhood and how he hated the persistent attention,” Seward told The Mirror. “Prince George’s public entrance into royal life had a gentle beginning. Kate and William planned it that way and will continue to do so.”
As the young royal and future king celebrates his 11th birthday, Seward noted that he’s making “the transition from childhood into adulthood.”
“He learnt how to be a child and now he is learning how to be an adult and to think about himself in new and challenging ways,” she continued. “But because of his status as a royal prince and future King, George had to grow up quicker than most. He was brought up to be polite and kind to everyone.”
On Monday morning, the Prince and Princess of Wales’s social media accounts wished George a happy birthday by sharing a new sweet black-and-white portrait of the heir. In the photo, George dropped a royal Easter egg in the form of a Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelet. The accessory could also be a nod to his sister, Princess Charlotte, and grandfather, King Charles. Last week, fans noticed that the princess and king both wear matching string bracelets, similar to the one George could be seen wearing in his birthday selfie.
Things will continue to change for the heir to the throne as he gets older, and next year’s birthday will come with another royal milestone. In fact, The Mirror previously reported that once George turns 12, he will no longer be allowed to fly on an airplane with his father
“There is an important royal custom in place to secure the future of the monarchy by restricting who can travel together on the same plane,” the outlet reported. It’s a long-standing royal rule that prohibits any heirs from flying together after they reach the age of 12.
