Prince George will become King one day, but Prince William and Princess Kate have been careful to give him as normal of a childhood as possible. Whether it’s playing with his dogs, Orla and Otto, or taking part in school sports, 12-year-old George has experienced a much different childhood than his grandfather, King Charles. However, royal biographer Robert Jobson has shared that the preteen prince still has to get used to one aspect of being a royal.
In an interview with Hello! magazine to mark Princess Charlotte’s 11th birthday, Jobson said that Charlotte and George share a sweet bond. He points to the viral moment when royal mega fan John Loughrey greeted the future King on Christmas morning 2025. “George, I've got something to say to you. Granny Diana would be ever so proud of you,” Loughrey, who has been a supporter of the Royal Family for decades, said in a clip shared on TikTok.
Prince George looked slightly uncomfortable during the interaction, but said a polite “Thank you” to the fan as Princess Charlotte placed a supportive hand on his back. Jobson said that little sister Charlotte’s move was “an instinctive gesture of support in an unusual situation.”
“George is a little bit reticent about [royal superfans],” Jobson added. “When she put her hand on his back, I think that's natural. There's no training. They learn by observation.”
At the time of the interaction, royal fans were quick to voice their opinions on social media, with some calling the Diana comment “disrespectful” to George and his family.
One user wrote on X, “This is appropriate for immediate family but not for general public. It's so disrespectful and to be fair [he] doesn't know anything about Diana and what would have made her proud.”
While Prince George might not be the most comfortable with interacting with fans just yet, he's only 12, after all. Emily Nash, Hello!'s royal editor, says that Princess Charlotte, however, is more confident with the public.
“Even as a little girl visiting a newborn Prince Louis for the first time, she had a ready wave," she said. “Her parents are introducing their children to the spotlight in a careful and controlled way, and she seems to be taking these occasional forays into public life in her stride so far.”
