Kate Middleton and Prince William Took This Approach to Prepare Prince George to Be King So They Wouldn’t “Freak Him Out”

Lara Walsh, Ashleigh CarterMon, October 12, 2026 at 12:40 PM UTC

0

Prince George, Prince William, and Kate MiddletonCredit: Getty ImagesThe Gist -

Kate Middleton and Prince William are taking a slow and steady approach to preparing Prince George to one day become king.

The couple has begun bringing him to more public events and royal engagements.

The 13-year-old just began his first year at his dad’s alma mater, Eton College.

With Prince George entering a new stage of his life—beginning schooling at the prestigious all-boys school Eton College just months after becoming a teenager—many are wondering what his path to the throne will look like.

According to a royal author, Kate Middleton and Prince William, have long been taking a slow and steady approach to preparing the 13-year-old to one day succeed to the throne.

Kate Middleton, Prince George, and Prince William at Eton College on September 8, 2026.Credit: Getty Images

Hands-on parents Kate and William are “gradually” integrating their eldest son into royal engagements and press events as they “don’t want to freak him out,” royal author Rob Jobson told Us Weekly in a 2024 interview following the release of his book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen.

In addition to having George attend “situations where the press are there” to get him used to the public attention, his parents have also encouraged the young royal to spend extra time with his grandfather, King Charles, to get some special insight on the job.

Prince George on August 1, 2026Credit: Getty Images

“I think it was very important that he played that part as a page boy at the King’s coronation,” Jobson told the publication. “It gave him a real sense of the grandeur and all the expectation. I thought that was quite important actually for George.”

Jobson also said it was likely that William was drawing from his own experience growing up to get George ready to ascend the throne without overwhelming him. “Spending more time with his grandfather, who’s actually doing the job, doesn’t then necessarily freak George out,” Jobson commented.

Advertisement

The royal couple’s oldest child has made several public appearances this summer before going off to boarding school. He joined his mom and dad and his two siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to events such as Wimbledon and the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

This “gradual” approach reportedly has Kate’s stamp of approval, as the royal expert told Hello! Magazine that the Princess of Wales has “made it clear” that she’s got her own approach when it comes to parenting.

Prince William and Prince George on July 12, 2026.Credit: Getty Images

“With her children, she made it very clear to both the late queen and to the Prince of Wales, as he was—now the king—that she’s not going to be rushed into doing things that she doesn’t necessarily want to do,” Jobson said, saying it took a lot for Kate to go up against her fellow senior royals.

“That takes quite a lot of courage, because you’re in a very alien world,” the expert added. “But I think she realizes that she only has one shot at this. She’s got three young children, and they have to come first.”

Royal historian Marlene Koenig echoed that sentiment about Kate’s approach to her children, adding that she is there to be a “loving, supportive mom” to George, while William takes on the duties of preparing him for leadership.

on InStyle

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”