As Prince William and Princess Kate's eldest child, Prince George is set to becoming King one day. While that's a huge responsibility for a 12-year-old boy to even conceptualize, the Prince and Princess of Wales have slowly been introducing George to royal life—on their own terms. Prince George will move on to secondary school next year, and although it's unclear what his future plans will be, former royal butler Grant Harrold weighed in on one tradition that he'll likely carry on as King.
Speaking on behalf of Study Dog, Harrold—who served King Charles at Highgrove House between 2004 and 2011—said that he believes Prince George will attend college one day, like his parents. "The real question is whether he will join the armed forces," Harrold shared.
Traditionally, male members of the Royal Family have taken on military training, including Prince William and King Charles. And as King, Prince George would become Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces. "It is possible that he could take on the position of being head of the Armed Forces and have little or no experience within their armed forces, and learn about it on the job," Harrold noted. "But it would be very strange if he stopped the tradition in the military."
"Historically, royals were all about fighting battles and if suddenly that stops, that would be quite significant because that's a big part of what the Royal Family is about," Harrold added. "We've always had royals involved in the military or some sort, even if it's for a short period of time. So it should still continue."
Of course, at just 12, Prince George's focus is on his studies—and his impending move. The Daily Mail reported that the Wales family will be pushing up their relocation date to early November, with Prince William, Princess Kate and their kids moving from their current Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage, to a much larger Georgian mansion, Forest Lodge.
Next September, George will be facing another big move when he leaves Lambrook School, where he attends alongside younger siblings Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. The Prince and Princess of Wales haven't yet announced if George will be attending Eton College, as expected, or another prep school like Marlborough College, where Kate was educated. Either way, exciting changes are in store for the future King.
