With Prince George set to become a teenager this summer, there is great speculation about what that means for the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are discussing some ‘tense’ issues

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There are big changes coming for the Windsors, as future king Prince George becomes a teenager

While Princes George and Louis and their sister Princess Charlotte have been born into a destiny that few of us can begin to imagine, their parents have made it their mission to provide them with as “normal” and loving an upbringing as possible. At home, the Prince and Princess of Wales are simply “mum and dad” to their three children, and they strive to ensure that their happiness and stability takes precedence over all else.

“Kate has made it very clear that while her children are school age, they will be her priority, and she has absolutely stuck to that,” says royal expert Richard Palmer. “She has never wanted to be a slave to the demands of the royal household, and she considers looking after her children and her relationship with her husband as more important.

“William agrees to an extent, although he obviously has different responsibilities in terms of his duties as future king. But he feels like his childhood suffered because of the demands of royal life, and the scrutiny they all came under, so he’s trying to protect his own family from that. They are lucky in that they have the machinery of the royal family to protect them.”

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The family of five share a very close bond, and have featured in personal videos released by the Palace(Image: PA)

William and Kate have also received much-needed support – particularly when it comes to maintaining a sense of normality for their children – from Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. Their help was especially invaluable while Kate was undergoing treatment for cancer in 2024, with royal correspondent Jennie Bond highlighting the vital role Carole played during this period.

“She was a tower of strength for William and Catherine during the difficult days of her daughter’s cancer treatment. It must have been a time when she herself was feeling distraught that this had happened to her darling daughter,” she says.

“But she knew she had to stay strong for the family, comfort Catherine, support William and reassure the children. She was also pretty hands-on with practical help, keeping the household running smoothly.”

William and Kate’s move to Forest Lodge brings them within an hour’s drive of the Middletons’ family home in Bucklebury, West Berkshire, and will provide a vital support system as they navigate several big life changes this year, including George’s move to a new school.

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The family’s new home of Forest Lodge takes them closer to Kate’s parents(Image: Getty Images)

Talking about her own childhood, Kate once said, “My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect, and honesty, and I realise how central values like these have been to me throughout my life.”

As such, Carole and Michael’s influence on the couple’s three children is particularly important for Kate, says royal expert and author Katie Nicholl.

“They have a perfect hybrid of royal and so-called normal influence, which is preparing them incredibly well for their futures,” Katie tells OK !. “They have the opportunity to just run around in the gardens and enjoy all the normal pastimes away from royal duty with the Middletons, but they get the best of both worlds because they have a very engaged grandfather in Charles too.

“He loves spending time with them, and it means George, in particular, is getting all that tutelage from him first hand, which is exactly what William had with the late Queen.”

The King clearly adores his grandchildren, and there have been numerous sweet moments captured on camera at official events, such as their interactions on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour.

In the official photograph released to mark his 70th birthday, a beaming Charles looked to be in his element, flanked by his wife, children, and grandchildren, with a giggling Prince George on his knee. “It’s a different part of your life,” he once said of becoming a grandparent. “The great thing is to encourage them. Show them things to take their interest. My grandmother did that, she was wonderful. It is very important to create a bond when they are very young.”

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The royal children were seeing playing cards with their maternal grandparents in one of Kate’s cancer update videos

The children reportedly call their royal grandfather “Grandpa Wales”, while Camilla is known to them as “Gaga”. This nickname was originally coined by the children of her biological son and daughter, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.

“Charles has always adored Kate, and of course William, and as such, he adores his grandchildren,” Richard says. “He genuinely enjoys their company. It was interesting to see how he made Kate take centre stage on the balcony during Trooping the Colour when she returned after her cancer diagnosis, it said a lot about how he feels about her.

“There have been spells where Kate and William have found it frustrating that Charles has not been able to spend more time with the children, and there may have been times when they didn’t make as much effort either. But they’re on an even keel now and that family time is important to the King as much as it is to William and Kate.”

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Family time is ‘important’ to the Prince and Princess of Wales, Richard says(Image: Twitter/@KensingtonRoyal)

William spoke candidly last year about the efforts he makes to ensure his children do not grow up with “some of the practices” he and Prince Harry experienced as youngsters.

“We try to make sure we give them the security and the safety that they need,” he told Eugene Levy for his Apple TV+ show, The Reluctant Traveler . “And we’re a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us, and things that trouble us, but you never quite know the knock on effects that it can have. And so, it’s just important to be there for each other and to kind of reassure the children that everything is okay,” he said.

Spending time in nature – and away from screens – is another fundamental pillar of their family life, Katie says, although it is becoming an increasing challenge as their children get older.

“It’s not easy in today’s world, but they’re doing their best to keep the children off screens and away from social media,” she says. “William and Kate are both invested in children’s mental health for their work, so they’re very aware of the dangers and are probably more informed than most.”

William recently admitted the topic was becoming a “tense issue” at home with George, but said he and Kate might consider giving him a “brick phone” for secondary school.

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Big changes are coming for Prince George, who is in line to be the future King(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

The future King, who turns 13 on 22 July, is rumoured to be attending Kate’s former school Marlborough College in Wiltshire when the new school year starts in September – rather than Eton College – after reportedly being spotted there on a visit with his parents in March. William, who began boarding at Ludgrove School aged eight before attending Eton at 13, enjoyed his own time at the Berkshire school, particularly its extensive sports programme.

It also provided him with a sanctuary after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. His housemaster at the time, Dr Andrew Gailey, was said to be particularly supportive of both princes during that period, and was invited as a guest to William’s wedding to Kate in 2011.

Kate, meanwhile, blossomed from a shy pupil into a confident teenager at Marlborough College. “Kate and William both boarded at their secondary schools and they loved it, so it’s very likely George will follow in his parents’ footsteps,” Katie says, “Wherever he goes, it’s the start of a new chapter and it will be an adjustment.

“The children are all growing up, and George is aware that he’s going to be king one day. They’re very much being raised with an awareness of their royal positioning, and future duties and roles, but while also enjoying the best of an ordinary childhood. This is the balance which Kate and William have strived for.”