Prince William reveals ‘tense’ battle over phone ban for Prince George
Prince William has revealed growing tension with 12-year-old Prince George over the Wales family’s strict rule for kids.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are hailed as the royal poster parents, and there is one rule they are not budging on, despite their children’s pleas.
Prince William said that not letting his 12-year-old son George have a mobile phone is becoming a “tense issue” in the household.
They royal revealed earlier this year to Eugene Levy in his series The Reluctant Traveler that phones are strictly banned for George, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
However he recently mentioned that he’s been receiving some push back from his eldest.
At the Earthshot Prize awards, in Brazil, Prince William spoke about the harms of social media describing it as “really hard” to protect kids from the internet.
“Our children don’t have phones. I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access,” William told TV host Luciano Huck during the award ceremony.
“And to be honest, it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming a little bit of a like tense issue.
“But I think he understands why. We communicate why we don’t think it’s right. And again, I think it’s the internet access I have a problem with.”
The royal revealed that the lack of control within the digital sphere is concerning and that he would only let the youngster have a phone with very basic functions.
“I think children can access too much stuff they don’t need to see online, and so having a phone and text message, the old sort of ‘brick phone’ as they call them, I think that’s fine,” he added.
Despite working as Royals, Prince William an Princess Catherine appear to be determined to ensure the young royals enjoy an ordinary upbringing as possible.
The pair take turns on the school run form their new home at Forest Lodge, Windsor, they enjoy family meals and have been vocal about limiting screen time.
There are currently no social media restrictions in England – so Prince George may be bound for a brick phone, despite his wishes.
Other countries in Europe however have followed Australia’s world-first social media ban for children, which is coming into effect in less than a month.
Denmark is set to ban social media for under-15-year-olds with the Digitalisation Minister Caroline Stage Olsen saying tech platforms have had “free rein in children’s rooms for far too long.”
French President Macron also stated he may prohibit kids from using social media “in the coming months”.
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Originally published as Prince William reveals ‘tense’ battle over phone ban for Prince George
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