17 January 2024 , 10:46
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Prince George stepped into the spotlight at King Charles's coronation when he took on the role of Page of Honour. It was a starring position for the then-nine-year-old - and by far his most prominent outing to date, with hundreds of millions watching the historic ceremony across the globe.
Prince William and Princess Kate's decision to let George perform such a huge task on the world stage prompted questions about when he would start to take on more official royal roles. George, as William and Kate's eldest child, will one day be King and, as such, will spend many years preparing for the role and learning what his responsibilities will be. But, it seems, his parents are in no rush to burden him with his royal duties.
Writing in his new book, Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, author Robert Hardman claims that Prince William regards it his "paramount duty" to train his heir - but royal fans will have to wait until George takes on official engagements.
"Prince William had a significant degree of autonomy in his university education, his engagement with the armed forces, and his introduction to regular duties. He is determined that Prince George should have a similar if not greater involvement in the way he develops his own royal role.
"'There is no expectation that any royal duties are going to kick in until George is well into his twenties, says a Kensington Palace veteran. 'Before he was even made a page at the coronation, William and Catherine wanted to ask him if he felt comfortable about it because he was the youngest. It turned out he was keen.'"
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George is expected to receive training similar to the lessons that his father, grandfather and great-grandmother had. During his school days at , young Prince William would walk up the hill and attend tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle where he would be prepped for his future as king.
Speaking about their relationship, royal expert previously said: "There has always been a special closeness between William and the Queen, and she has taken a particular interest in him. When William became a teenager, she would have him at Windsor Castle and would open the state boxes and guide him through the papers. It was William's constitutional education."
also speculated about the young royal's future in an updated version of his book 'Battle of Brothers'. He wrote: "William has not revealed to the world how and when he broke the big news to his son.
"Maybe one day 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."
Robert Hardman's book, King Charles III: The Inside Story, is available to buy here.
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