Prince George is only 12 years old. He’s never attended boarding school, but he will likely head to Eton next year. At least that’s the gossip, although the Princess of Wales clearly does not want her children to ever go to any boarding school. Which I completely understand, and it’s possibly the most modern thing about Kate, her hatred of boarding schools and her belief that children should be educated in normal day schools. The problem is that Kate isn’t really that modern after all, and she and William are already putting way too much pressure on their children as public figures. Especially George, who joined his mother at the Festival of Remembrance a few weeks ago, even though Prince William skipped. I find it absolutely insane that George is now being spoken of in hopeful terms as “maybe his reign will change everything for the monarchy.” From Hello’s cover story, written by Robert Jobson:

All eyes were on the 12-year-old boy standing beside his mother at the Royal Albert Hall for the Festival of Remembrance. Prince George joined the Princess of Wales and his grandfather the King, surrounded by the weight of history and the comfort of continuity. His father, the Prince of Wales, was returning from Brazil after the Cop30 summit and his Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. The young prince sang God Save the King with a clear, confident voice. He stood straight, alert, absorbing every detail. A child, yes, but already measured and aware. In that still moment, he embodied both innocence and inheritance – the promise of a future in formation.

George’s presence mattered beyond protocol. At 12, he is old enough to grasp the meaning of duty without being burdened by it; in a similar awakening to service, William first marked VE Day at 12 beside his mother, Princess Diana, in Hyde Park. The parallel is deliberate: two heirs on the cusp of adolescence learning that duty begins by bearing witness.

This is the new face of the monarchy. William and Kate stand at its core – calm, capable, quietly transformative. The King reigns with grace and resolve, but he knows that the rhythm of change has begun. The Waleses shape the next age: open, modern, human and with a loving dynamic on show like never before within the royal family.

Meanwhile, George observes. His public appearances are few but deliberate – a page of honour at the coronation, now a poised presence for Remembrance. He learns by watching: respect, patience, composure. This is the quiet royal revolution. A smaller monarchy, but greater in purpose. Less distant, more human. Relevance and relatability sustains the Crown.

When the national anthem ended at the Festival of Remembrance, Prince George stood beside his mother, glancing towards his grandfather. Three generations bound by duty, linked by love and affection. Continuity in motion. For now, the King reigns with composure. But the rhythm of the future is already playing – in the steady hands of his son and daughter-in-law and the clear, bright voice of his grandson. A new royal era has begun.

[From Hello]

“He learns by watching: respect, patience, composure. This is the quiet royal revolution.” What? I get that George is learning by watching, and hopefully Kate prepared him before they arrived at the Festival of Remembrance. But none of that is a “quiet royal revolution.” It’s just more of the same, it’s the Windsor Method for raising heirs. A royal revolution would be “you’re not going to see George or speak about him until he’s 18 and capable of choosing this for himself.” A royal revolution would be William and Kate doing their own work without using their children as deflection shields. Speaking of, Will and Kate should both be extremely worried that monarchists are already so focused on George and his reign. It’s like everyone has already quietly acknowledged that William’s reign is going to be a sh-tshow.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.