NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Prince George<\/a> isn\u2019t just any 12-year-old \u2014 he\u2019s the future king. Yet it’s thought that Kate Middleton<\/a> and Prince William<\/a> didn’t tell their eldest son of his royal fate until he was around 7 years old.\n<\/p>\n “He really has had a period of a normal childhood,” royal author Robert Lacey tells PEOPLE in this week\u2019s exclusive cover story<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n “William deliberately delayed this news<\/a> until the last possible moment. It shows special care and thoughtfulness \u2014 it also tells us something about how William felt about the weight of the crown,” Lacey adds.\n<\/p>\n The Prince and Princess of Wales have succeeded in giving all three of their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte<\/a>, 10, and Prince Louis<\/a>, 7, a childhood largely away from the cameras, putting their family first.\n<\/p>\n “William takes his role as father of the future King as seriously as he takes his role as future King. That\u2019s key,” says royal biographer Robert Hardman. “His overarching priority is making sure they enjoy it rather than fear it.”\n<\/p>\n PEOPLE Magazine, Sept. 8, 2025.<\/p>\n With King Charles<\/a> still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer<\/a>, questions about the future are inevitable. If George becomes heir to the throne before finishing school, William may delay any bestowal of the Prince of Wales title.\n<\/p>\n “They would want him to focus on having freedom before giving him any royal titles,” says a palace insider.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n “I imagine that when William talks to George about things like this, he uses words like ‘destiny’ rather than \u2018duty.\u2019 \u2018Duty\u2019 has a sense of being trapped; \u2018destiny\u2019 has a sense of choice,” adds Lacey.\n<\/p>\n Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, Prince George and Prince William on June 14, 2025.<\/p>\n The Prince and Princess of Wales\/Instagram<\/p>\n Indeed, times have changed. While King Charles was called “Sir” at school, William went by his first name, and George followed suit.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n “It\u2019s evolution, rightly so,” notes the close insider.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n It reflects the modern vision William is defining for his son, who turned 12 on July 22. The milestone was marked with a portrait<\/a>, in which he resembled his father with a country shirt and vest and a Taylor Swift<\/a>-inspired friendship bracelet, and a playful video<\/a> with his siblings.\n<\/p>\n He enjoys front-row seats in the royal box at Wimbledon<\/a>, has had nearly a decade of balcony waves at Buckingham Palace and took his first step into royal duty by joining his parents at a Buckingham Palace tea honoring WWII veterans<\/a> in May. At the same time, Prince George is also a big brother and a schoolboy, with a close-knit circle of friends at his coed school.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Unlike previous heirs, George has always attended coed day schools, a careful move by William and Kate that royal author Sally Bedell Smith says is significant.\n<\/p>\n Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour on June 14, 2025.<\/p>\n Chris Jackson\/Getty<\/p>\n “That chimes with William wanting to do things in a more modern way, putting all three children in the same school,” Bedell Smith says. “It\u2019s a new direction \u2014 groundbreaking for the royal family.”\n<\/p>\n The pivotal decision of where Prince George will continue his education next year lies ahead. Eton College, the all-boys boarding school where William thrived, is the front-runner. It’s also located conveniently close to the family\u2019s new home, Forest Lodge<\/a>, in Windsor Great Park, where they plan to settle by year\u2019s end.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n But for now, Prince George will be focused solely on the carefree rhythms of childhood and will soon return to Lambrook School in September for his final year alongside Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.\n<\/p>\n Away from the spotlight, he leaps to his feet at soccer matches, cheering alongside his dad.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Prince George and Prince William at the UEFA EURO 2024 final in Berlin, Germany on July 14, 2024.<\/p>\n Jean Catuffe\/Getty<\/p>\n