How future King Prince George is breaking royal traditions at just 11

Prince George may only be 11 years old but he is already showing signs that he's not afraid to do things a little differently. As the future King, the young royal is beginning to carve out his own path, breaking away from some of the more traditional aspects of royal life.

From his education to his hobbies, Prince George is already making his unique mark on the monarchy - even though his reign is still far in the future.

© WPA Pool

Here at HELLO! , we take a look at how different George's upbringing has been so far compared to his father Prince William and grandfather King Charles .

Education choices

Unlike previous generations who were educated by private tutors at home or attended exclusive schools like Eton or Gordonstoun, Prince George is a pupil at the co-educational and independent Lambrook School.

© Getty

His schooling reflects Prince William and Kate 's desire to give their children as normal a childhood as possible, even if that means stepping outside royal norms.

Less public pressure

Over the years, George has enjoyed a more private upbringing compared to his dad William and uncle Prince Harry . Although he has been on a royal tour, the youngster has managed to shy away from various public outings.

In order to ease the media pressure, the Prince and Princess of Wales have also opted to release an official portrait of him on each birthday.

© Antony Jones/Julian Parker

Personal choices in public outings

Despite joining his parents on the odd occasion at official engagements, such as the Platinum Jubilee and Trooping the Colour, Prince George has offered royal watchers an insight into his personal interests by making appearances at Wimbledon , the Rugby World Cup and Taylor Swift's London gig .

The young prince, who has a keen interest in sport like his parents, has also attended major football matches, including the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 tournaments. Watch the clip below of William and George together at the latest EUROs...

Modern parenting

The Prince and Princess of Wales have adopted a modern, hands-on approach to parenting than that traditionally associated with the monarchy. They openly talk about mental health and parenting challenges, normalising conversations that previous royal generations avoided. A different path to the throne Prince William and Kate are preparing their three young children for their duty as working royals in the future.

However, according to a royal book, future King Prince George is unlikely to carry out royal engagements until he's much older and finished with his education. Robert Hardman talks about the contrast between how King Charles and Prince William grew up in his latest publication, King Charles III: The Inside Story.

© Karwai Tang

"Whereas Charles III had his future mapped out without consultation, Prince William had a significant degree of autonomy in his choice of university education, his engagement with the armed forces and his introduction to regular royal duties. He is determined that Prince George should have a similar if not greater involvement in the way he develops his own royal role.

"'There is no expectation that any royal duties are going to kick in until George is well into his twenties,' says a Kensington Palace veteran. 'Before he was even made a page at the Coronation, William and Catherine wanted to ask him if he felt comfortable about it because he was clearly the youngest. It turned out he was keen.'"

Breaking royal protocol

When meeting the Obamas in 2016, Prince George and his parents hosted a dinner for Barack and Michelle Obama, where he flouted the strict dress code to meet heads of state… by wearing his dressing gown.

© The White House

"It's not just Congress. Even some foreign leaders they have been looking ahead, anticipating my departure," Barack joked. "Last week Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face. A clear breach of protocol."

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