Kate Middleton's Royal Balancing Act: Princess of Wales 'Slowly Preparing' Prince George for Kingship Without Overwhelming Future Monarch
The raising of royal children is evolving under King Charles III's monarchy, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, is reportedly at the forefront of this new style that favors "slow preparation."
"Most of the time he is enjoying the life of someone from the upper middle classes and spends a lot of time with Kate’s family, the Middletons," royal expert Phil Dampier shared. "However he is growing up fast and William and Kate are slowly preparing him for his role."
The future king turned 11 on July 22, and his official photograph released that day led numerous analysts to comment on how mature and poised the prince looked.
Body language expert Judi James praised Prince William in her assessment by stating, "Thanks to William’s careful, hands-on induction of his eldest son, George has slowly evolved from a rather shy-looking small boy into a more confident, responsible and happily still joyful-looking eleven-year-old."
Heirs to the British throne throughout the centuries have typically been raised in a rigid and far more public-facing life in line with the Crown's ancient code of lifetime service for its monarchs in serving their people. However, the future King George VII is different, and even his childhood has been less duty-bound than his father's was during the 1980s and 1990s. Numerous royal commentators credit the future queen with this new trend in line "with how modern society functions."
"Shouting is absolutely 'off limits' for the children and any hint of shouting at each other is dealt with by removal," a Wales estate insider revealed.
If any of the royal kids step out of line, spankings and such are said to be forbidden, but William and his future queen employ a more unique approach to discipline.
"The naughty child is taken away from the scene of the row or disruption and talked to calmly by either Kate or William," they added. "Things are explained and consequences outlined and they never shout at them."
The Prince and Princess of Wales have both made it a point to put their three children above everything else — including the Crown. This drastically differs from past royal generations, who lived by the mantra of "duty first." However, the next monarch and consort ensure that this extra attention does not lead to spoiling their children.
"They're raised with an understanding of royal procedures and protocols," Jo Frost of Supernanny told an outlet in February. "And they're raised to understand, there's a time and a place... They have a lovely balance of that and behind closed doors, no doubt they're playing games and winding each other up as siblings do, teasing each other, having fun and baking cookies and being out in nature."
This parental leadership is set to continue in the years, and the Princess of Wales is leading the way.
Marie Claire reported on Dampier's remarks.