A Front-Row Seat at Royal Events And Parents Who Put Childhood First-Inside Prince George's Modern Path To The Crown As He Returns To School

On May 5 Prince George stepped into the spotlight as never before. At a Buckingham Palace tea honoring World War II veterans, he joined his parents, Prince William and Princess Kate, at the side of his grandfather King Charles, in a historic moment that offered a glimpse of the leader he’s becoming. Dressed in a dark suit and blue tie, George moved with poise , asking former service members thoughtful questions about their wartime experiences. 

“This was the fi rst sign of George taking on future duties,” says Russell Myers of The Mirror, who witnessed the event. “Even though he is so young, he seems to have grown in confi dence over the last couple of years.” Adds a palace insider: “That is quite a responsibility, to sit down and chat with veterans like that. It was incredible.” For observers, the moment reflected how William and Kate, both 43, have been preparing their oldest son for the throne. 

“It’s a slow game, and it gets him used to it on the couple’s terms rather than anybody else’s,” the insider says. While his siblings Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, often steal the spotlight with their lively charm, George tends to project a more thoughtful calm. “He comes across as a serious chap,” the insider says. “To have the world’s eyes on you, especially when you’re so young, is demanding.” Yet those who know him best say he also has a playful streak. 

Now on the cusp of his teens, George is being gradually introduced to the role he will one day inherit. He turned 12 on July 22, marked with a portrait—in which he resembled his father with a country shirt and vest and a Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelet —and a playful video with his siblings. Yes, he enjoys front-row seats in the royal box at Wimbledon and nearly a decade of balcony waves at Buckingham Palace, but he is also a big brother and a schoolboy with a close-knit circle of friends at his coed school. 

Away from the spotlight, he leaps to his feet at soccer matches, cheering with his dad. “He does the right things at the right moment, as any 12-year-old would—and that’s all that matters,” says a source close to the palace.