As the royal family faces unprecedented challenges, the Prince and Princess of Wales are making sure Prince George’s special day goes as normal as possible. However, whether they like it or not, his 11th birthday party will be very different from last year.
On July 22, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Instagram account posted a portrait of their eldest son, along with the message: “Wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today!”
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The black-and-white photo quickly became a hot topic in newspapers and social networks. In addition to birthday wishes, people were amazed at the mature and handsome appearance of the future heir to the throne. Many people said that George will look more and more like his father as he grows up, both in appearance and demeanor.
Like other members of the British Royal Family, 2024 is a particularly difficult year for Prince George, as his grandfather and mother were diagnosed with cancer. Of course, an 11-year-old boy cannot fully appreciate the devastation of these events. However, the changes in routine certainly have a significant impact on George. Even this year’s birthday party is said to be very different from 2023.
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According to The New York Post, Prince William and Duchess Kate are trying to ensure that their eldest son’s 11th birthday is as normal as possible, but the current situation creates insurmountable limitations.
Grant Harrold, former butler to King Charles, said that birthday parties and other children are definitely indispensable, although they will be smaller in scale and prioritize privacy.
“Of course this year will be very different from last year, but I’m sure they will do their best to celebrate George’s birthday as normally as possible this year. They don’t want George to think that this year is any different. This year is different, for obvious reasons, but his parents want him to have a normal birthday like any other child,” said Mr Harrold.
In previous years, Kate and William have thrown lavish birthday parties for their children, inviting their children’s classmates to attend. According to the former butler, Kate even invited other mothers to the party she and her husband threw.
George Alexander Louis was born at 4:24 p.m. on July 22, 2013 at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, Westminster (London, England). This hospital has been the traditional choice of royal mothers since the Duchess of Gloucester gave birth to her son Alexander there in 1974. A day later, George was officially introduced to the public in his mother’s arms on the steps outside the hospital.
From birth, George has had a more special status than other children, even his two younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The little prince was third in line to the throne when he was born, behind only his grandfather and father. Now, with King Charles’ coronation in 2023, George is second in line to the throne.
In his book Battle of Brothers, royal expert Robert Lacey revealed that George learned about his status early, around his seventh birthday in 2020.
Some palace sources also revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales are trying to help their son understand his royal duties in the best way they can so that they are not too burdensome for a child.
“It requires a great balance. William and Kate are doing the right thing, protecting him so that he can have as normal a childhood as possible, but also making sure he is fulfilling his duties as a future king,” the source told People.
If you pay attention, you can see the clear difference in George’s birthday photos compared to his two younger siblings. While Charlotte and Louis are bright, age-appropriate color photos, George’s portrait is black and white and looks much more serious in European clothes.
Charlotte and Louis’ birthday portrait is in color, unlike his brother. Both wore everyday clothes when taking the photo, while George wore a formal suit. Photo: IG.
In the Express, former royal photographer Ian Pelham-Turner explained that black and white photography is Princess Kate’s favorite style because it is fashionable and classy. According to him, trained in photography at Kensington and Chelsea College of Art, the beauty born in 1982 wants to create nostalgic and iconic images to maintain the royal image in the public eye. Perhaps in Princess Kate’s eyes, her eldest son is one of the people who represents the face of the royal family.