Prince George might have just turned 11, but he already has a significant role ahead as the second in line to the throne after his father, Prince William. Given his future as the head of the monarchy, is he learning what will be expected of him as King one day?
According to Ailsa Anderson, the late Queen’s former press secretary and communications officer, this is unlikely. Speaking on HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast, she said, “I have absolutely no idea, but I think a lot of it is picked up by osmosis. When you’re front and center witnessing those events, you’ll pick it up. I wonder if my children would be as well-behaved as those children. They are amazing. They’re just so well-behaved.”
The royal website notes that Queen Elizabeth II studied constitutional history and law in preparation for her future role and received tuition from her father, King George VI, and the Vice-Provost of Eton, Henry Marten. She also received religious education from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Regarding George’s upbringing, Ailsa continued, “Both of his parents want to protect him and give him as much privacy and downtime as they can, aiming to make his upbringing as normal as possible. Both parents do the school run and try to keep things as normal as possible. You can see the children are having fun. I think it’s utterly charming.”
Ailsa noted the affection within the royal family, adding, “They’ve always been like that. I’ve seen a softer side behind the scenes, and maybe people are talking about it more. You look at those amazing cinefilms made by Prince Philip, behind the scenes of the children growing up, the barbecues; that made them relatable. There’s the formality because they’re heads of state that you’ll always see, but they’re a family, and I think their home videos really displayed that.”
