Prince George is turning thirteen in July. That number feels heavier than it did last year. It marks the end of his childhood for all intents and purposes. And Prince William and Kate are trying to cram as much normal life into these next few months as possible.
They are calling it a “big summer.” Not because of grand tours or state visits. But because they know the clock is ticking. In September, George leaves home. He heads to Eton College. It is a boys-only boarding school in Berkshire. Close to the family home, but far enough away to be a distinct phase of life.
This isn’t just another vacation. It’s a goodbye to the years of easy access.
Why This Summer Matters for the Waleses
Kate and William are parents in the traditional sense now, despite the palace walls. George is becoming a teenager. The transition is stark. He will follow in his father’s footsteps. Kensington Palace confirmed last June that the eldest child will attend the same institution his dad did.
“He is a huge moment for William and Kate,” Simon Vigar, author of The Four Wives of Windsor, told Hello! magazine. He isn’t just going away for a term. He is leaving the nest.
Yet, the family is making a fuss. Not with fanfare, but with presence. They have already done the major public dates. Wimbledon. Trooping the Colour. George stood with his parents, sister Princess Charlotte, and brother Prince Louis. Royal insiders say there will be quieter moments too. Tennis at Anmer Hall. The family’s country estate in Norfolk.
“In the blink of an eye, George will 18 and they must know these years will fly by,” royal author Robert Jobson noted.
These are the last summer days before the routine kicks in. Before homework dominates weekends. Before boarder life takes over.
The Eton Connection: A Father’s Legacy
Why Eton? It is steeped in history. It is where William spent his formative teenage years. Now George walks the same halls. The location is strategic too. Berkshire is just a short drive from Kensington. Parents can visit. They are nearby. But “nearby” doesn’t mean the same. The dynamic shifts.
William has spoken about how important Scotland is to his own childhood. He mentioned swimming in lochs and family barbecues. Even the midges didn’t matter then. He says George, Charlotte, and Louis are beginning to create their own memories in similar places.
This year, the trip to Balmoral Castle seems likely. King Charles will be there. Cousins will gather. Family games will happen. It is a tradition that grounds them. But as Jobson pointed out, the Waleses have risen above family drama to focus on their own unit. Seeing them together at public events is a rare, positive image.
How They Are Spending the Time
They aren’t flying to the Maldives. They are doing the basics. Riding bikes. Walking their cocker spaniels. Building sandcastles at the beach. Picnics that actually last long enough for the sandwiches to go stale.
George is learning to enjoy his destiny, reportedly. But that doesn’t stop him from needing a bike ride. It doesn’t stop him from playing tennis with Charlotte on the private courts at Anmer Hall.
It is a slower pace. Deliberate. They are savoring the unstructured hours. The lack of a schedule. The ability to just be siblings before life separates them into their own cohorts.
The Reality of Growing Up
Robert Jobson believes the parents have done a good job. They’ve focused on the family unit. They’ve protected the kids where they could. But time is the enemy here. The years fly.
George is 12, soon 13. Then he is 14. Then 18. The boarder life starts in September. The “big summer” is a buffer zone. A final stretch of freedom before the rules tighten.
They will go to Scotland. They will play. They will ride. They will remember. And then George will pack his bags.
It happens so fast. One day he is playing tennis. The next, he is navigating the formalities of one of the world’s most famous schools. William and Kate know this. That is why they are making every moment count.
