Prince William and Kate Middleton Waited Years to Tell Prince George He’d Be King—and Parents Will Understand Why

Rachel BurchfieldMon, September 7, 2026 at 7:20 PM UTC

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Prince George with Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Commonwealth Games on August 1, 2026,Credit: GettyThe Gist -

Prince William and Kate Middleton waited years to tell Prince George he will be king someday in hopes of giving him a pressure-free childhood.

According to royal historian Robert Lacey, Kate and William’s decision to delay the conversation shows “special care and thoughtfulness.”

The couple broke the news to George when he was about 7 years old, making it roughly 2020 or 2021.

Prince William and Kate Middleton want their kids to experience as much normalcy as possible, so that meant letting them in on their royal futures—specifically Prince George—a little later than expected.

William and Kate deliberately waited years to tell George that he will be king someday in hopes of giving him a pressure-free childhood, considering William knows all too well the “weight of the crown,” royal historian Robert Lacey told People. The couple broke the news to George when he was about 7 years old, making it roughly 2020 or 2021.

Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Prince William at Easter Sunday Service on April 5.Credit: Getty

According to Lacey, Kate and William’s decision to delay the conversation shows “special care and thoughtfulness.”

Royal biographer Robert Hardman echoed similar sentiments, telling People, “William takes his role as father of the future king as seriously as he takes his role as future king. That’s key. His overarching priority is making sure they enjoy it rather than fear it.”

For now, George, 13, seems to be taking his growing responsibilities in stride. “[He] does the right things at the right moment,” a source close to the palace told the outlet. “And that’s all that matters.”

Prince George and Prince Louis at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.Credit: Getty

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at Trooping The Colour 2026.Credit: Getty

Lacey added that, when it comes to discussing their shared future as monarchs someday, “I imagine that when William talks to George about things like this, he uses words like ‘destiny’ rather than ‘duty.’ ‘Duty’ has a sense of being trapped; ‘destiny’ has a sense of choice.”

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The moment William and Kate told George about his destiny was “a controlled moment of their choice, reflecting William’s unhappiness at the haphazard fashion in which the whole business of his royal destiny had buzzed around his head from the start,” Lacey previously wrote.

Prince William, Prince George, and Kate Middleton at Easter Service 2026.Credit: Getty

Back in 2016—when George was around 3 years old—William hinted at how he’d discuss the monarchy with his eldest, telling BBC, “There’ll be a time and place. Right now, it’s just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can.”

“It’s a massive balancing act,” a palace source previously told People. “William and Kate are doing the right thing, protecting him so he can have as normal childhood as possible—but he’s also dipping into duties as a future monarch.”

Kate Middleton and Prince William with Prince George shortly after his birth.Credit: Getty

“He’s getting firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a royal and a monarch and firsthand experience of being a normal boy,” the insider added.

Before he takes the throne, George is preparing for a more immediate milestone: attending Eton.

Kensington Palace announced that George will be attending his father’s alma mater in June, and the young royal couldn’t be happier. A source told People George “has always wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps.”

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