Kate Middleton has a crucial function in the British monarchy as she is raising and molding the heirs to the throne with Prince William. As the mother of the future king, Prince George, the Duchess of Cambridge is apparently going to face a tricky road ahead as her son is turning seven years old.
According to reports, Kate -- and to a lot of extent Prince William -- are going to have to decide if it's time for Prince George to start becoming engaged with the public to prepare him for his destiny. As the third in line to the throne, Prince George will one day assume as monarch after his father and grandfather, Prince Charles.
The Cambridges have been trying to raise their children in a normal environment as much as possible. But as Prince George is growing up, he apparently needs to be initiated into the challenging life of being in the royal spotlight.
"I think there is going to be a point where the British public are going to say, 'Hang on a minute, why aren't we seeing George?'" royal commenter Victoria Arbiter once said. She also said that while it's sensible to let the Cambridge kids live their private lives for as long as they can, it won't be the same for Prince George because his public presence will be important to sustaining the monarchy.
Arbiter said that the Kate and Prince William will have to ease Prince George into his royal duties soon so that the public will not lose interest with the royal family. The Cambridge couple will have to start showing the future king what the public may expect from him one day and then guide him to be up to the job.
When Prince William was the same age as Prince George, he found out about his role as future king from his classmates in school, according to royal biographer Andrew Morton. When Prince George was younger, Prince William insisted that his son will have a normal childhood.
"There'll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world," Prince William said on BBC in 2016. "But right now, it's just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can as a father."
As it is, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been trying to explain to their kids what life is like outside of their royal bubble. Prince William shared that Prince George and Princess Charlotte asked him about the homeless one time during a school run and he took that as an opportunity to tell them why they have to help those who are having a rough life on the street.
Prince George is also being prepared for his royal role through his education. His parents said that he has started learning about World War II and he is also watching documentaries about nature, and these are the causes that the royal family have been passionate about.
