As Prince George turns 10 we look at what the future will bring for the young royal
The future king hits double digits today, as Prince George turns 10. We look at his best pictures from the past decade, and ponder what his future will look like.
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Prince George is seriously 10. The future king hits double digits today and, just like that, enters his second decade.
Gorgeous George Alexander Louis has charmed the world since he was born on July 22, 2013 and boy, how he has grown.
He has gone from bonny baby to cheeky toddler, shy schoolboy, to a quiet, confident young man. And the blond-haired, brown-eyed, tween is starting to look more and more like his father, Prince William.
As George accompanied his family to the Wimbledon men’s final last weekend, he was all business in his navy suit, blue shirt and striped tie, confidently waving and cheering the play, alongside his wing-woman Princess Charlotte, eight, who was making her Wimbledon debut.
Two days prior, the young prince joined his family at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire, where he sat in the cockpit of a C-17 Globemaster III transporter aircraft and was given the task of partially raising the ramp, from the controls.
Once again, dressed as a Prince of Wales mini-me in chinos and polo shirt, he looked a confident young man, as he shook hands with senior members of the RAF.
Poignantly, this was the plane which brought the late Queen’s coffin back from Balmoral last September.
George’s growing stature, demeanour and gravity is noticeable, and as he reaches his big birthday, thoughts inevitably lead to what the next decade will entail.
By the time George reaches the end of that, in 2033, he will be an adult, most likely at university and possibly thinking of the military, like his father and his grandfather, the King.
“It wouldn’t be a shock to see him at Sandhurst at some point,” says Brittani Barger, deputy editor of Royal Central.
“He will most likely be expected to attend university as well, to prepare for his role as monarch.”
However, this week it was reported George might not take the same route his father, grandfather and great-grandfather did, who all served in the forces.
Royal commentators suggest that despite the Royal Family holding honorary ranks in the Armed Forces — the King is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, William is Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Coningsby, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, is Colonel of the Irish Guards — it’s no longer a given George will have to follow the tradition of joining up.
British newspapers reported that a family friend revealed George could choose a different path.
Royal biographer Hugo Vickers said: “This is significant because it shows that times are moving on.
“I’m all for people keeping up with the times providing they don’t throw tradition out of the window.
“Maybe the military won’t prove to be the best course for Prince George.”
The immediate future, however, will involve a new secondary school, and William and Catherine were spotted touring Eton with George, last month.
William and Prince Harry both attended Eton, as Charles and Diana opted for a school local to Windsor, as opposed to Charles and Prince Philip’s alma mater Gordonstoun, in Scotland — Charles described it as a “hell hole”.
“The people in my dormitory are foul … They throw slippers all night long or hit me with pillows or rush across the room and hit me as hard as they can … I still wish I could come home,” he wrote at the time.
Prince Harry said his father “nearly didn’t survive” his school days and relied on a tatty teddy bear.
Certainly, George will be spared any hardcore schooling, as William and Catherine are much more hands-on parents when it comes to supporting him and his siblings.
He and his siblings currently attend the nurturing co-ed Lambrook school, in Windsor.
“William is definitely guiding George and slowly helping him learn his role,” says Brittani Barger.
“He knows all too well the pressure of that role and what’s expected of him.
“William had a tough time as a child, so I think he’s in a good position to guide George emotionally and practically.”
As to what George’s future will be, royal watchers say he’ll be just as committed and passionate as his parents, but possibly a little quieter than his father.
“It is highly likely that he will grow up to embody his father’s determined and committed nature,” says parenting expert Karen Phillip.
“The positive influence of his father’s guidance, coupled with the expectations associated with his future role, appears to have a significant impact on young George.”
And while his five-year-old brother, Prince Louis, gets all the attention with his antics at public events, the weight of expectation on George is clear.
The question is, will he be able to shoulder the burden of duty, like his father has done, or later want to throw it off, like his uncle Harry?
It’s reported William and Catherine told George of his destiny during the pandemic.
“Maybe one day George will tell us the story himself. 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,” biographer Robert Lacey writes in Battle of Brothers.
How a child copes with that is a difficult question, says Karen Phillip.
“Prince George presents himself as a composed and mature young individual,” she says.
“However, it is important to consider the immense pressure and expectations placed upon him due to his position.
“The influence of his family and their support should contribute positively to his overall coping mechanisms and development, allowing him to navigate the path ahead with resilience.
“He seems to be handling this pressure admirably.”
PRINCE GEORGE’S 10 BEST MOMENTS
Making his debut
The first child to Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, heir to the throne George, was born July 22, 2013.
He was a super-cute baby and made his adorable debut in a series of casual snaps taken in the garden of Catherine’s family home by her dad, Michael.
Meeting a bilby
The next year, George made his first overseas tour when his parents took him to Australia and New Zealand, at eight months.
Baby George charmed all, especially when he went to Taronga Zoo and met a bilby.
Kissing his sister
In June 2015, when Princess Charlotte’s first official photos were released, George, then almost two, cuddled his new sister at home in Anmer Hall, Norfolk.
The series of photos were taken by mum Catherine.
Greeting the Obamas
One of our favourite moments of the prince was when the Obamas came to visit his parents in Kensington Palace in April 2016 and two-year-old George was allowed to stay up late and say hello, greeting them in his pyjamas and monogrammed dressing gown and slippers.
Bored at Pippa’s wedding
George used to get fed up with all the hanging around at public events.
When he was pageboy at his aunty Pippa’s wedding in May 2017, the then-three-year-old was snapped getting a bit of a ticking off by his mum, for having a tantrum and standing on the bride’s dress.
First day of school
Prince George was one of the youngest for his year, so was only just four when he started school in September 2017.
He was the picture of bravery as he greeted his teacher at Thomas’s Battersea, London.
Bored at Trooping the Colour
Prince Louis has become the bad boy of the balcony, but George also had his moments.
Trooping the Colour is a long day for any child — when you’ve seen one horse, you’ve seen them all.
In June 2018, cousin Savannah Phillips clapped her hand over almost-five-year-old George’s mouth to stop him talking, while dad William looked on with disapproval.
Jumping for joy at Wembley
As he grew up, George turned into a good sport — so much so, he ended up England’s unofficial mascot for the Euro 2020 football final, held in July 2021 at Wembley Stadium.
A big footy fan, George jumped for joy and hugged his parents.
England lost, but George was definitely man of the match.
Rocking out at the Platinum Jubilee
It was a busy year for the royal kids and George was on his best form in June 2022 at the Platinum Jubilee concert.
While little brother, Louis, played up, George looked less than amused, but got into the spirit with Dad, singing and waving their flags as Rod Stewart belted out Sweet Caroline.
Doing his duty at the Coronation
In May, George took a starring role at the King’s Coronation as a Page of Honour, persuading his grandpops to ditch the page’s breeches for pants that were a bit more modern.
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