The royal family, and millions of people worldwide, miss the late Queen Elizabeth dearly. This Christmas will be the first holiday season she isn’t present. Even though they will get plenty of joy spending time with the family – and kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis getting many presents – it will be very emotional.
Prince George is now second in the line of succession after King Charles took the throne. So he still has many years before becoming king, or even working as a royal. But already, he is starting to understand – and learn – what his future role and duties will be like.
The young prince is surrounded by his loving parents, grandparents, and siblings. But also George had quite a special relationship with the late Queen. She even handed him some secret gifts when he stayed at Buckingham Palace.
But the most tearjerking, loving video of the two together was taken at Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
Prince George and the rest of the royal children will never have a normal life. William and Kate’s three children are set to be working royals when they grow up, and George is, someday, most likely going to be King.
Prince George
Even though the royal children live a life where everything is available, spending time in castles and being taken care of by nannies, William and Kate have tried to give them a normal childhood as possible.
In August, William, Kate, and their children moved into Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor grounds. That means the children also changed schools, and now the three attend Lambrook School in Windsor.
For Prince George, making friends doesn’t seem to have been a problem. Not only that, but he’s made sure his classmate know who he really is. In her book, The New Royals, author and Vanity fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl explained that George already understands the monarchy and his family’s role.
At school, George has reportedly warned his classmates to “watch out,” as his father is the heir to the throne.
“They are raising their children, particularly Prince George, with an awareness of who he is and the role he will inherit, but they are keen not to weigh them down with a sense of duty,” Nicholl wrote, per Express.
While some students live on campus, George, Charlotte, and Louis will attend classes during the day and head back home in the afternoon.
“George understands he will one day be king and as a little boy sparred with friends at school, outdoing his peers with the killer line: ‘My dad will be king so you better watch out.’”
How William & Kate prepare George for royal life
William and Katte are slowly letting George know what the future will hold. It’s been reported that George – just like his father – will most likely begin working full-time as a royal by age 35, if not sooner. So for a future king, it’s crucial to be prepared.
According to royal historian Robert Lacey, William and Kate have already started to inform Prince George what the future will hold.
“William has not revealed to the world how and when he broke the big news to his son,” Lacey wrote in his book, Battle of Brothers.
“But sometime around the boy’s seventh birthday in the summer of 2020, it is thought that his parents went into more detail about what the little prince’s life of future royal ‘service and duty’ would particularly involve.”
Even though Prince George didn’t get to spend much time with his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth before she passed away, the two shared a very special relationship.
Just like George, Her Majesty had tremendous humor, making the two a great duo.
Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, at St Mary’s Hospital in London. Of course, there is always a lot of interest when a royal baby is born. But when George was welcomed into the world, it marked the next generation of the heir to the throne.
Prince George’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth
When George was born, he did not have a name yet. Queen Elizabeth, who said she was “thrilled” to welcome her first great-grandson, made sure to visit them just two days later at Kensington Palace to see her great-grandchild for the first time.
Most likely, that was also when they discussed possible names for him, and at the time, besides George, Alexander and James had been tipped as popular choices.
“We’ve still got to decide on a name,” William told reporters as the family left the hospital. “We’ll let you know as soon as we can.”
The Queen visited the couple for about 90 minutes before leaving – but over the years, she was to spend plenty of time with George and watching him grow up.
Queen Elizabeth and George formed a lovely bond, and they also shared some personality traits.
The Queen was said to have been rather shy, with her late husband, Prince Philip, even describing her as shy back when they met over 80 years ago. According to The Sun, that also goes for George, which undoubtedly was relatable for the Queen.
Not only did they share the personality trait, but while George was growing up, she was probably able to help him overcome his shyness, which in the long run can help him as he takes on the position of King in the future.
George had a nickname for Queen Elizabeth
But not only did Her Majesty know how it is to be shy. Moreover, she had many valuable lessons to teach the young prince, especially about life in the spotlight.
Like Prince George, Elizabeth was once third in the line of succession. With that comes great expectations of him as he grows up – and the exact expectations on the shoulders did Elizabeth have when she was young.
As William and Kate met the Queen several times a week, George got to spend quality time with her. In Kate Midleton’s first solo interview, she spoke about how the Queen and George got along and revealed his sweet nickname for his great-grandmother.
“George is only two-and-a-half and he calls her ‘Gan-Gan.’ She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay, which just shows her love for her family,” Kate said, adding how the Queen greatly supported her.
“She’s been very generous in not being forceful at all and in any of her views, but I feel she’s been there, a gentle guidance really for me,” Kate added.¨
Prince George was not only getting presents when she visited their then-home at Kensington Palace. Moreover, as she stayed over at “grandma’s house,” Buckingham Palace, he also was given small gifts on his bed.
In 2022, the Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee celebration, marking 70 years on the throne. At the end of the jubilee weekend, she appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside her close family.
Prince George and Queen Elizabeth’s adorable Jubilee talk
At that point, three future kings, Charles, William, and the young George, were there, as well as Camilla Parker Bowlees, Kate Middleton, and children Charlotte and Louis.
Her Majesty surprised crowds in the national mall by appearing, waiving to all the royal fans as they sang God Save the Queen. However, one of the most intimate moments was when Queen Elizabeth seemed somewhat surprised. She turned to George after airplanes had striped the sky red, white, and blue with smoke and told him something which also had her smiling.
So what did she say to her beloved great-grandson? According to professional lip reader John Cassidy, she told her grandson, surprised, “Ah, brilliant! I didn’t know.”
It was one of the last cute moments when the world saw them two together, but one that will always be cherished. And most importantly, hopefully, George will remember it for all his life.
As mentioned, Prince George has been busy warning his classmates that his father will be king one day. But George himself might not ever get to become monarch at all.
Why? Well, the pros and cons of the monarchy have been debated in many countries for years. Some argue that a royal family boosts national unity, and if they are popular, why take them away? Others claim the monarchy is obsolete and that it costs taxpayers’ money to keep it running.’
Historian claims Prince George will never be king
The monarchy of the UK is one of the oldest in the world and can be traced all the way back to the 10th century.
When Queen Elizabeth passed away, a new debate about the monarchy’s right to existence once again reared its head. As Newsweek reported in a 2021 YouGov study, 41 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds thought there should now be an elected head of state in place of a monarch.
As mentioned, Prince George stands second in line to the throne after his father, Prince William. However, the little prince’s dream of becoming king one day might stay a dream.
Last year, author and history writer Hilary Mantel spoke with the Times and described how she believes that George never will take the throne.
According to the late historian – who sadly passed away on September 20, 2022, aged 70, from complications of a stroke – Prince William will be the last ever king. Her “back of the envelope” prediction is that the line of succession will end there.
“I think it’s a fair prediction, but let’s say I wouldn’t put money on it,” Mantel told The Times. “It’s hard to understand the thinking behind the monarchy in the modern world when people are just seen as celebrities.”
“I’d like us all to say less, and let them have a chance to find some resolution.”
Hilary Mantel was a Booker prize-winning author of the Wolf Hall trilogy, which has been seen as a true classic. She was regarded as one of the greatest English novelists of the 20th century.
It should go without saying that Prince George will learn everything he needs to know to become a good monarch in the coming years. His grandfather, King Charles, had prepared his entire life for the moment he ascended the throne at age 73.
Time will tell when – or even if – George will become King one day after his father and grandfather. But, until then, he will learn all the skills he needs to become a good monarch.
The Queen’s love for her family was wonderful to witness. Rest in Peace, Queen Elizabeth. Please, share this article on Facebook with friends and family if you enjoy reading about the royals!
