IN-LAW WOES
Prince George’s grandfather and mother have different ideas about how his royal life should unfold!
Princess Kate clashes with King Charles III over how much of a royal role Prince George should take on.
Millions across the globe tuned in to witness King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, formally crowned on May 6 — the first British coronation in 70 years. But for many, the new monarch’s grandchildren stole the show. Clad in a gold-trimmed red tunic and white gloves, Prince George, 9, delighted viewers as he stuck out his tongue alongside the other pages of honor. Princess Charlotte, 8, was the picture of poise in a caped dress as she held hands with their rascal of a brother, Prince Louis, 5, who yawned, sang, and made faces inside London’s Westminster Abbey while wearing a pint-size bespoke suit. George was “excited” about his special role, but also “a bit nervous,” mom Princess Kate confessed to well-wishers beforehand, though, “having done a few rehearsals,” she added, “I think everyone is a bit more relaxed.”
The feeling didn’t last. Charles was thrilled with how well George performed his duties at the coronation events, says a royals source, and would love for his heir — George is second in line to the throne behind father Prince William — to do more. “Kate and Charles are very similar in a lot of ways: Both love what the monarchy stands for, feel a deep duty to Britain and the Commonwealth, and share the late Queen Elizabeth II’S belief that royals should ‘never complain, never explain,’” says the source. “However, they’re very different when it comes to how they think the monarchy should operate in 2023.” Charles, 74, adds the source, “has made his feelings known about George. And while Kate is open to giving George more roles, her stance is only if she signs off on it. To her, the king’s word is not final when it comes to her children. She’s been very clear about that. And if that starts a rift or even a full-out war, then so be it.”
CONFLICTING VIEWS
Charles rarely bends. “He’s far more traditional and is not interested in changing with the times on this subject,” explains the source. In particular, “he thinks George should go to boarding school like he, his siblings and his sons did.” Charles, late father Prince Philip and brothers Prince Andrew, 63, and Prince Edward, 59, all attended Gordonstoun, an elite boarding school in Scotland, as teens, and sister Princess Anne, 72, sent her kids there, too. William, 40, and brother Prince Harry, 38, bunked away at similarly prestigious
Ludgrove and Eton College from ages 8 to 18.
Kate, however, is happy with how things are. She and William moved their family from London to Windsor last summer and enrolled George, Charlotte and Louis at Lambrook, a coeducational prep school that’s just 10 minutes from their home. Kate, 41, “feels George is perfectly fine where he is with his siblings,” says the source. “She wants her children to have as normal a childhood as possible. She knows full well that in a few short years, George’s life is going to drastically change” and “thinks he should be out having fun, not living away from his family or saddled with duties that ruin his weekends. Kate believes it’s too much responsibility and pressure for a 9-year-old.”
GROWING UP FAST
William also wants George to enjoy his childhood. “I want George to grow up in a real, living environment,” he’s said of giving the future king a “normal life.” “I don’t want him growing up behind palace walls. He has to be out there.”
Still, William “is happy for Kate to take the lead,” notes the source, “because he doesn’t like fighting with his father.” Especially considering that fresh tensions emerged when, just days after the new king was crowned, palace insiders blabbed to a U.K. newspaper about how the Prince of Wales wants his own coronation to be different and better than his dad’s. The fallout? It’s left the royal family’s loyalties divided, says the source.
Kate’s sought out allies within the monarchy for her own cause. The source says she tried begging Charles’ closest adviser — his other woman-turned-spouse of 18 years, Camilla, 75 — for help when it comes to George. “Camilla is a fan of Kate’s, but she doesn’t intervene in these instances,” shares the source. “She has to support Charles’ decisions as his queen.”
George turns 10 in July. “William and Kate both know that when he reaches his teens, they’ll have less of a leg to stand on, so for the next three years, they’re going to protect him as much as they can,” says the source. Kate’s as loyal as they get, adds the source, “but her children’s happiness comes first. Duty comes second.”