The British media was full of Trooping the Colour stories centered on the Wales children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Louis gets too much attention from the British media, and that’s been true for years, since Prince William and Kate started bringing him to public events before he was ready. The ages of these kids are 11 (12 in five weeks), 10 and 7 years old. Whenever the conversation is centered on these kids, I feel a wave of gratitude that Prince Harry was able to get his kids out of this system, and that Archie and Lili aren’t being used as the Wales kids scapegoats. Well, would you like a story about how the fate of the monarchy rests on these kids’ shoulders?
The Trooping the Colour parade in London threatened to fall flat. King Charles, ailing with cancer, presided over a seriously reduced royal family, riding in a carriage rather than on horseback amid failing health on Saturday.
After the departures of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and various other minor royals, the royal balcony, sparsely populated with just 14 souls, looked a pale shadow of itself under Queen Elizabeth II, when it would be crammed with eccentric uncles and batty aunts with wild hair. Dysfunctional though the family was, it at least spoke to the most essential of royal requirements: fecundity.
Thank God, then, for the three young Wales children: George, Charlotte, and Louis, on whose slender shoulders it is no exaggeration to say the entire fate of the royal family now rests.
…It was the royal children—especially Prince Louis—who stole the spotlight. The 7-year-old, sporting a cheeky gap-toothed grin, was full of mischief. Throughout the procession, he beamed at his older brother and enthusiastically waved to the crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony—so much so that Prince George had to eventually gently tap him to signal it was time to cut it out.
Even as the royal family turned to go inside after the Royal Air Force flypast, Louis cheekily raised his arm for one last wave to the crowd.
The children were all over the royals’ social media and newspaper front pages in the United Kingdom on Sunday, and royal planners will no doubt be heaving a sigh of relief that the next generation of royal stars appears to have been born.
This is such an unsettling way to talk about little kids – “George, Charlotte, and Louis, on whose slender shoulders it is no exaggeration to say the entire fate of the royal family now rests.” What’s even worse is that not only are the kids being positioned as the sole saviors of the monarchy, they’re also being used as lil’ human shields by their own parents. For years, these kids have been brought out to take the heat off of William and Kate for various reasons, reasons usually involving laziness.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- London, UK, 14 June 2025. Princess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis leave Buckingham Palace for the King’s Birthday Parade, Trooping The Colour Buckingham Palace, London, UK.,Image: 1010934046, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Lee Floyd/Avalon
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- (L-R) – Prince Louis, Prince William – The Prince of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Catherine – The Princess of Wales watch the flypast on the balcony as part of The King’s Birthday Parade Celebration also known as ‘Trooping The Colour’ at Buckingham Palace, London, England, UK on Saturday 14 June, 2025.,Image: 1010940247, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- (L-R) – King Charles III, Prince Louis, Prince William – The Prince of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Catherine – The Princess of Wales watch the flypast on the balcony as part of The King’s Birthday Parade Celebration also known as ‘Trooping The Colour’ at Buckingham Palace, London, England, UK on Saturday 14 June, 2025.,Image: 1010940254, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- London, UK, 14 June 2025. Protestors during the King’s Birthday Parade, Trooping The Colour, Buckingham Palace, London, UK.,Image: 1010943629, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Lee Floyd/Avalon
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte with Prince Louis and Prince George return to the palace during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1010947802, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Catherine Princess of Wales seen on the Palace balcony for a RAF fly-by during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1010947936, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Catherine Princess of Wales seen on the Palace balcony for a RAF fly-by during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1010947955, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Catherine Princess of Wales seen on the Palace balcony for a RAF fly-by during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1010948127, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour, The Kings’s Birthday Parade, London, UK. 14th June 2025. Prince Louis and Prince George ride in a horse drawn carriage in the procession along the Mall at Trooping the Colour, The King’s Birthday Parade, London, UK.,Image: 1011191320, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour, The Kings’s Birthday Parade, London, UK. 14th June 2025. Their Majesty’s, Queen Camilla and King Charles III, TRH, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, join members of the British Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony, to watch the fly-past to conclude Trooping the Colour, The King’s Birthday Parade.,Image: 1011191397, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose/Avalon
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- Prince George and Prince Louis of Wales seen during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1011197214, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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- Trooping the Colour 2025 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday Featuring: Prince William of Wales, Catherine Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Jun 2025 Credit: Cover Images
They are children. So are the lazy parents going to put this burden on them
Such ashame this Burden is placed on these children. When you take away choice, what comes next is usually rebellion. Grateful the Sussexes are giving their children opportunities to be just children.
They’re children but it’s not a lie that they’re the future of the Windsors/BRF. Maybe George will be super charismatic and save the monarchy. But realistically every Brit alive today, with a very few exceptions, grew up with QE2 as nearly synonymous with Britain. If a monarch appears who is charismatic and genuinely caring about the welfare of the nation, maybe they’ll become another icon. Clearly that’s not Will, and it’s unfair to put that burden on George so young, but there’s the rub. That’s how a monarchy works.
“the next generation of royal stars appears to have been born.”
Victims. Next generation of victims. Starring in tabloids daily ain’t healthy.
But we’ll see what Willy does with the Crown when he inherits. Not sure if George will have one to inherit because his parents’ laziness is ensuring he doesn’t.
I saw so many comments from people talking about Louis and his personality and how he’s Harry 2.0. It’s gross. They’re children. Leave them alone.
Those royal children get typecast. Like Child actors.
Agree. Will fawning over Louis ‘antics’ turn into outrage at him ‘stealing the spotlight’ in a few decades. Sad to even think about it because of course it’s really all on Georges shoulders and they will turn against the spares.
Yep, and so it begins…
“he beamed at his older brother and enthusiastically waved to the crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony—so much so that Prince George had to eventually gently tap him to signal it was time to cut it out.”
It isn’t George’s place to tell him off, it should be his mother or his father as they are there.
What exactly is wrong with waving to the crowds? Why does Louise have to “cut it out”?
That is exactly my question, TC! People took time out of their lives to be a part of this celebration. How is Louis cheerfully waving back at them anything other than charming? These people have lost all perspective.
Yep. I said somewhere in the thread about how much that ticked me off. They can wave but they apparently can’t wave too much. Talk about stressing people out, adults or kids, with that. Anyone would be confused by those directions. Somehow they have to strike just the right note and just the exact right amount of waving which is of course determined by who…the Rf, the courtiers, the press? That’s a tightrope intentionally meant to shame people into submission.
Maybe it’s time to retire balcony appearances. Just have the parade and skip the royals. It’s not reallly anyone’s birthday.
It’s trashy and unseemly for sure.
Also…Louis should be so lucky. Harry is an excellent role model, but not in the way they mean. If Louis finds a path through the generational trauma to his own version of happiness, emotionally free of the expectations and demands of a ravenous British tabloid press and his own toxic family? Good for him.
Well, yes it does. At least, on George’s shoulders, specifically. What do they think a monarchy is? As for Charlotte and Louis, they’ll have to procreate and be at George’s beck and call.
Yeah that’s what I was thinking, that’s kind of what a hereditary monarchy entails. What’s gross though is that they’re being told this before they hit their teenage years. I don’t really pay attention to the other royal families in Europe but I can’t recall the Spanish princesses or the Dutch princess being written about 10 years ago as if keeping the interest of the country and representing the country was a burden for them to carry at that moment.
It’s terrible of the media and it’s terrible of their parents to allow it. You’re not giving them any choice the bare minimum that you could do would be to tell them that they don’t have to worry about this until they’re actually adults. I saw the photos of the Republic protesters and I just felt so bad for those kids. Regardless of their privilege I would hate at 10 years old to see signs that basically say I have a problem with you Dee(2).
There is no choice and there’s no point in sugar coating it for the kids, letting them think they have a choice and then pulling on the choke collar once they’re of age. They might as well prepare them from the beginning. Plus, the kids aren’t idiots – they know who their grandfather and father are. The best W&K can do is see that their children’s youth is as “normal” as possible, and I think they’re trying to do that.
The rest has to do with the relationship between the press and the RF. It’s become increasingly toxic and I don’t know how that problem can be solved.
Parading in a horse drawn carriage in front of all those people cheering or protesting isn’t making George happy. Charlotte seems far more comfortable with it, but then it isn’t going to be her job whether she wants it or not.
@Dee the other royal children of Europe have a distinct advantage that the Left Behind Royals of Britain lack:
In the royal families of the rest of Europe, the parents of the royal heirs are not so wholly unencumbered by charisma, grace, intelligence (ok, Prince Albert of Monaco excepted) as they are in England.
Actually, the future Queen of Spain is very accomplished and at 18 was delivering speeches like a woman in her 20s or 30s. She’s in military training now and I think she’s likely only 19. She knows her role and works hard without fuss.
British royal kids in the direct line are spoilt rotten. These kids are no different. George will be like William and become a full-time royal in his 30s.
I know nothing about who’s next in line ; if George declines to have children and lives a normal life span, is Charlottes’ first born next up as his heir? Or if Charlotte has also passed and Louis still alive, is he the heir and his children then follow, booting Charlotte children out of line?
If George dies without issue the throne goes to Charlotte (if she outlives him) then it would pass to her children and to their children. Only if both George and Charlotte die with no issue or surviving children/grandchildren would Louis and any children he may have take the throne.
Charlotte is the next in line after George. Male-preference primogeniture was abolished shortly after he was born.
Charlotte is next. Louis is not. Daughters are not displaced when a brother is born. Charlotte would be next, if George has no children, Charlotte not her firstborn would be next. Charlotte and Charlotte’s children would be ahead of Louis and his children in line of succession.
Thanks to all who explained this. My question is answered.
If George has no children, Charlotte will be the heir, followed by her children in birth order and then Louis and his children, it was changed when Charlotte was born, in the past Louis and his children would become before Charlotte as Boys always came before girls, Hence Princess Anne’s position below her younger brothers.
I know the person who drafted the legislation.
If Wills doesn’t run things into the ground, George may be the one to say sod it all and dismantle the monarchy. Only time will tell, of course, and I probably won’t be around to see it, but I think it is quite likely.
@PinkOrchid
That would require him to have courage, resolve and a think-outside-the-box kind of imagination…………..none of which, based on his immediate antecedents, are in his DNA.
Also: recall how they systematically gutted any vestiges of autonomy and personality from kitty (assuming she had any of these qualities in the first place), to ensure they didnt have another Diana on their hands. You’d best believe that they have already begun the process of dehumanizing/depersonalizing these poor little sods to ensure they DO NOT have another Prince Harry (and a wife like M) on their hands.
I find it really unsettling to see a 10 year old styled like a 22-year old banker in training.
Right? George is adorable, but he looks SO serious all the time. William and Harry at that age were often dressed in little suits for formal events, but we also frequently saw them in modern clothes (jeans and sneakers, etc), so things appeared normal.
“fecundity”
Monarchy is not family. It is a political institution that relies on breeding, reproducing. Finally a publication that spells it out for the world to read. Will people accept the reality of what monarchy is or will they all still bury their heads in the sand and imagine a fairytale life?
The curtains have been pulled way back for the world to see. I hope people accept the truth. The monarchy is a political institution with immense power and it does wield the power behind those walls that protect them. If those children ever attempt to venture beyond the walls, they will experience the treatment meted to the Sussexes and Princess Diana. Fait accompli.
Thankfully the Sussexes had a community that supported and protected them outside of the UK. Dare I say, thankfully Meghan is American….no kings in the USA.
While technically George will end up being responsible it remains odd that they skip William who is currently the heir.
William is lazy but likes the perks and supposedly wants to take titles away.
They’re forcing a narrative on Louis. Yes, there was the jubilee incident years ago but that wasn’t the kid’s fault. The parade was long and boring and he didn’t need to sit through the whole thing. But in the case of this most recent Trooping, how was he full of mischief? Yes, he grinned and waved enthusiastically. How in the heck is that mischievous? So apparently they are being told to wave but not to wave too much. Bc waving too much is the apparently the sign of mischief. GMAFB.
There are pictures of Kate “correcting” Louis and she has this horrible look on her face. Her sycophants call her a “Great Mother.”
IKR? They are kids, let them enjoy the moment.
Because he’s cheeky Harry 2.0. Regardless of whether or not his behavior is actually anything different than any other kid would do. They have their roles and that’s that. George is the dutiful somber one, Charlotte is the bossy straightforward one that’ll keep her brothers in line, and Louis is the rambunctious one.
This is what the media has said and this is what their parents are letting them roll with.
I really wish their parents wouldn’t play into it. And yet, they do. Guess that’s what happens when you have secrets.
I totally agree that Louis is set to be “Harry 2.0”. The headlines in the British tabs about Trooping all ran with “Louis is so cheeky, so mischievous, so hilarious!” Why? Because it sells, otherwise they’re just….normal kids. Boring. That doesn’t sell and doesn’t make peasants want to worship them like they should with members of the BRF.
Louis is fine (the Jubilee where he put a hand over his mother’s mouth was concerning, but hopefully they addressed it afterwards and in private). But the press insists on labelling them: George the dutiful heir that loves football just like his dad! Charlotte the Great Peace Keeper just like her mum! (No talk of her being the actual spare, because female. Established misogyny of the British doesn’t change in a day no matter what the Letters Patent indicate).
And Louis the “cheeky, fun” one. Lordt. God forbid he wants to become a chemist or a welder or something that requires seriousness. He’s not even 10 years old ffs, give him a break. Harry said it in Spare, the press sets narratives and the RF are supposed to live up to them. How awful for those children. What a terrible burden they’re already expected to shoulder…
If William and Kate truly wanted to protect their children, they would work more. The reason why the press has been demanding more sights of the children is because Harry and Meghan left and are no longer working royals. If William and Kate had stepped up after Harry and Meghan had left the clamouring to see the children would have been less.
No pressure, huh, kids?
So unfair lazy media’s already slapping lifetime characterizations on them.
Louis the Clown, Charlotte the Anne of her generation and blank-slate George whose clichés are still in the oven, I guess.
Had they followed H&M hidden faces routine the press would be jumping and barking for the pics prior to the expected gushing.
Poor Charlotte and Louis, there to serve their brother at his whim and to provide a kidney if George needs one.
The Royalist is basically admitting Bulliam and Lazy have no starpower of their own. And that bullying your son/brother and their small children is a terrible look. Too bad the Wales children are being saddled with their parents’ charisma and morals deficits.
I completely disagree. The fate of the monarchy rests on William’s shoulders and it is going to fall apart once he takes over
@one of the Marys
I think if you read between the lines they are saying William is/will be a failure and they are relying on “fecundity” for the monarchy to survive. They are expecting the ‘glamour’ and ‘glitzy’ appeal, the fairytale of royalty to be delivered by his children. William is demonstrably awkward in public so they’ve given up on him delivering on the glamour. Kate continues to cosplay Princess Diana, QEII, Meghan, yet that has not helped prevent people from losing interest in the royals. Now they’re resting all hope on the Wales children. 🤷🏽♀️ 🤦🏽♀️
I see your point. William has played into his family man image. Will he not protect his children? I really wonder how he’ll respond when the papers go after his children!!
He has used them on numerous occasions to distract from his public shortcomings and lack of ‘work’. I think the ‘family image’ is a recent PR move (heavy push in 2024) to escape public duties and to compete with Harry who has sacrificed by giving up ‘royal privilege’ for his family’s wellbeing unlike William. So I don’t expect William will “protect” his children at all costs. I think he will use them to protect his own image if needed. He likely has many skeletons in the closest considering Harry was the one hounded by the media while William was protected after Diana died so I expect the children will be his shield (same as Charles did with him and Harry).
The children can’t be protected if they want the monarchy to survive. That’s how hereditary monarchy works.
But I wouldn’t worry. Once the children are old enough to learn that they will have everything gifted to them on a silver platter by other people’s money, they will get used to royal life. They will enjoy it too. They will never have to earn anything. They will never have to save for anything in their lives. They will never be disappointed by rejection. They don’t need pity.
🙌 Yep… by birth those children are contracted to the life of pantomime ‘you pose we pay’. Sad but true. Even walking away does not absolve them from the consequences of the ‘birth contract’. One just needs to reflect on the consequences of those who did leave (Harry being most recent). They still focus on Harry as though he owes them. Thankfully he is in the USA and is financially independent. He would have had no peace if he was still in the UK.
What if Will was completely honest with himself and Kate and they agreed as a married couple that it was best for them and their children to renounce the throne. Do a deal with dad to inherit enough cash to not have to work again and then they agree to live quietly in UK? KC could nominate either Anne or Edward as next monarch as only working royals within LOS eligible to take over?
😭😭 I think, Will would rather burn the whole thing down than see another person being the monarch. I agree, he doesn’t want the job, but he would never give up the power the position brings. He also doesn’t have any ambition, any particular passion work. What is he gonna do? Drink all day and go on vacation once a month? He is already doing that.
Also, in a monarchy, you can’t nominate another person? It goes through the line of succession. It would be Harry and his line next, if he refuses, it goes to Andrew and his line. There is no way Andrew would say no to that. That is one of the reasons the tabloids bitch about removing Harry and his kids from the succession list in random times.
It would cause a constitutional crisis that the monarchy would not recover from. This is not 1936.
Peter Phillips would be heir if anne took over
These writers are b*stards! Poor kids! I feel Louis is past Harry. The future king George if he makes it there due to the monarchy challenges is already managing him. Geogr seems to spend a lot of time with Bully Boy dad. I am sorry, every time I see George all I see is James Spader’s character from Pretty in Pink. I imagine that how he looked like when he was young. I hope my vibe is wrong and George is unlike chucky and bully boy.
The photo captions keep referring to the Wales kids as of Cambridge. Shouldn’t they be Prince/Princess George, Louis, Charlotte of Wales?
Devil’s advocate again if Will renounced throne with a life long pension would he stay married? Is Kate only staying to be Queen? Idle musing I know because both have made it clear that they intend to have those titles and oodles of Dosh whilst other members of RF do the bread and butter engagements.
They can live separate lives in different residences. Unless William decides he wants to marry someone else.
No. He can’t get a pension. Kate’s entire status as QC depends on staying married to William as King.
The media is building this narrative right as George and Charlotte approaches the ages that William got most shielded coddled – high school and college. How can they be the stars if they won’t give a public interview for another decade? Will William and Kate allow them to be photographed at public polo matches as William and Harry were? The media is facing down 18 more years before George even turns 30. These are warnings to the Wales.