The British Prince George celebrates his ninth birthday today. To mark the occasion, Kensington Palace released a photo Thursday night showing the young prince on a beach in Britain. He is wearing a light blue polo shirt and is smiling at the camera. The parted hair hangs in his face. As so often, the photo was taken by his mother, Duchess Kate:
It will be a long time before he sits on the British throne. The Times has calculated that it could easily take up to 2072 or even longer prince George is crowned – his father William would then have reached his 90th birthday. Still stand for the small George big changes already.
The impending move of his family from London to Windsor, around 40 kilometers away, is likely for George – as well as for his sister Charlotte – mean a change of school. So far, both go to school in the London district of Battersea.
The eldest son of prince William and Duchess Kate are said to have already completed trial days at other schools. Speculations have long been going on as to whether the family George sent to Eton after completing elementary school – that is, to the legendary, elitist cadre school in Windsor, which is also the case prince William (40) attended.
One advantage of schools like Eton is that they have experience with royals and students from similar backgrounds, he explains Bangor University monarchy expert Craig Prescott. “I would expect that George treated there just like all other boys.” In addition, the school is close to the presumed new home of the Cambridge family, who are oriented towards Windsor in order to be closer to the Queen and have more freedom than in London.
“I’m not sure it’s a viable idea George to send to a boys’ school […] associated so closely with privilege, money and dubious politicians. Imagine the headlines,” comments the Telegraph author Sophia Money-Coutts. Duchess Kate (40) is said to have toyed with the idea, according to the “Express”, George to her old school – Marlborough College – instead. However, this would be much further away from Windsor.
Regardless of which school it is, expert Prescott does not expect that the current third in line to the British throne will be much more in the public eye in the near future. “Both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have made it clear that they want their children to have as ‘normal’ childhoods as possible.”
Therefore, his public appearances would probably continue to be limited to individual, special occasions – such as Christmas in Sandringham or the annual “Trooping the Color” parade in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.
This year – marking the Queen’s 70th jubilee – the siblings drew a lot of attention when they rode in a carriage with Kate and Duchess Camilla to the parade and waved to the crowd. Georgewho, like his father, is said to be very enthusiastic about sports, accompanied his parents to Wimbledon shortly afterwards.
Attentive observers already pointed out last year how – at least in view of the wardrobe – the little prince George gradually becoming a big boy and future king: the short shorts – worn by the offspring of the British upper class in almost all weathers – are slowly being exchanged for long suit trousers at official appearances. “This transition is part of a special dress code that young British princes have followed for centuries,” wrote the online magazine “Bustle” at the time.
Source: Nachrichten
