PRINCE GEORGE Turns 8!
WILLIAM AND KATE’S ELDEST CHILD LOOKS FORWARD TO AN EXCITING NEW ADVENTURE THIS YEAR
At a recent appearance, Prince George looked handsome in a suit and tie that perfectly matched the one his father, Prince William, wore. He also traded in his traditional schoolboy shorts for a pair of long suit pants. Clearly, the little prince, who celebrated his 8th birthday on July 22 with a soccer-themed party, is growing up fast. So fast, that he might even be starting a new school soon!
William and Kate Middleton’s eldest child, who is third in line to inherit the British monarchy, has really come into his own. “George has become much more confident over the last year,” confides a friend of the couple. “He’s popular and outgoing — not as shy as he used to be. He’s become a joker and likes to make his family laugh.”
Turning 8 is a big milestone. When George’s father, grandfather and greatgrandfather were that age, they began attending boarding school. William and Kate have already been looking at schools and have put George’s name down for several, including Ludgrove School in Berkshire. “George wants to go there because it’s where his dad and Uncle Harry went and he knows they loved it,” says the friend. “The school has a wide range of extracurricular activities that are right up George’s street: water polo, tennis, riding, cricket and pottery!”
Boarding school has always been a cherished tradition among Britain’s upper classes (even Kate, who is not a blue blood, attended one), and George is eager to go. “He loves hearing both Kate and William’s stories about boarding school and thinks it sounds like Harry Potter,” explains the friend. “George can’t wait to go. He does worry that he’ll miss [his siblings] Charlotte and Louis though.”
It’s likely that Kate and William will ease George into a new school by flexi-boarding, an option that allows students to come home for the weekend. “All parents worry about sending their kids to a new school, and it’s no different with Kate. She’s asking herself: Will it be unsettling for him being a boarder? Is he too young to start? Will he get homesick?” says the friend. “She’s a hands-on mom, so would see him every weekend possible, just as Princess Diana did with her boys.”
A HAPPY CHILDHOOD
William and Kate feel that it’s most important for George, as well as Charlotte, 6, and Louis, 3, to have a “normal” childhood. Recently, William, who took George to the Euro finals soccer match, has been teaching his son how to play cricket and chess. The little prince also asked for and received his first iPad for his recent birthday. “He is a loving, kind and generous little boy, who always is looking out for his younger siblings,” confides the friend. “His parents want to do what’s best for him.”