Prince George is only an 11-year-old boy at the moment, but one day, he'll become the future King. Although he doesn't make many public appearances each year, Prince William and Princess Kate brought George and younger siblings Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, to the VE Day commemorations in London on May 5—and eldest brother George got to join his parents for a rare solo outing after taking in an exciting military flypast and parade.
The preteen prince attended a tea party for World War II veterans with the Prince and Princess of Wales along with grandpa King Charles and Queen Camilla, Duchess Sophie, Prince Edward, Princess Anne and the Duke of Kent. It was a huge milestone for George as he prepares for royal duties one day, and royal biographer Robert Jobson told Hello! that it was "a really good move by William and Kate."
"They are preparing him for public life," Jobson said. "Kids can find it difficult to meet people, shake their hands and look them in the eye, but he does it very well. I think what they're trying to achieve is that he's relaxed in that sort of situation, and I thought it was very successful."
The Catherine: The Future Queen author added, "I think they're trying to be careful not to overwhelm him, because he's at a delicate age, but it's very important, given that the late Queen is no longer here, to have that continuity going forward."
As royal expert Jennie Bond mentioned to the Mirror, the tea party gave George a rare opportunity to meet with World War II veterans, and due to their dwindling number, he might never have the chance to hear their stories again.
"This is probably the last big event where there will be veterans who served in the Second World War, so it will stick in his memory that he met people who fought, and give him a connection to them," Jobson added.
Per the Mirror, Prince George spoke with a 101-year-old man named Alfred, who served in the war during D-Day. "You know, it's very important you are here today," Alfred said to Prince George. "It's days like this that we should use to talk about things like this, so the younger generation can have some understanding."
