Prince George of Wales, second in line to the throne and grandson of King Charles III, is the future of our monarchy, and this year we celebrate his milestone 10th birthday. Throughout his life, George has been kept out of the public eye as much as possible so that he can enjoy his childhood. However, we are now starting to see more of him, and get to know his cheeky personality, at major royal events.
Here, to mark his 10th birthday, we have ten facts about our future king…
The birth of Prince George made history.
When George was born on 22nd July 2013, it marked the second time that three generations in the line of succession have been alive simultaneously. The only other time that this has happened was during the reign of Queen Victoria. Prince Charles’ visit to the hospital to see his new grandson was also an historic moment as it is believed to be the first time three direct male heirs to the throne have come together in more than 100 years.
He almost had a different name.
It is reported that Kate Middleton had suspected that she was carrying a boy and wanted to name her firstborn Alexander. The couple had decided on George, but Alexander was chosen as one of the Prince’s middle names.
George has seven godparents!
Prince William and Kate spared no shortage when choosing who should look out for their child, and decided on seven godparents. These are Zara Tindall, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Oliver Baker, Mrs David Jardine-Paterson (Emilia Jardine-Paterson), The Hon Mrs Michael Samuel (Julia Samuel), and Mr William Van Cutsem.
The prince started his royal duties very early on.
At just nine months old, Prince George began his royal duties and accompanied his parents on their royal tour of New Zealand and Australia. Only appearing twice during the tour, nevertheless he was dubbed as ‘the star of the show’.
He is already a fashion icon.
Fans love Prince George’s outfits, and often copy his looks on their own children. Clothing used by George is often sold out and this has been named as the “Prince George effect”. In 2015, he was actually ranked number 49 on GQ’s “50 Best Dressed Men in Britain” and also appeared on Tatler’s ‘best-dressed’ list.
Prince George follows in his grandmother’s footsteps.
At BBC Radio 1’s Teen Awards, Prince William revealed to a young dancer that his son is a fan of dancing, following in the footsteps of Princess Diana, who was also known for her dancing. He stated “George is doing dancing as well, he loves it. And my mother always used to dance, she loved dancing”.
He loves thunderstorms.
During her visit to a children’s hospital, Kate Middleton was asked by a young boy if she knew about a thunderstorm which was coming. Her response was “Yes, I know all about those. George likes storms, too!”. Our future king is certainly a brave one!
Prince George is fascinated with aircraft.
During his very first UK royal engagement in 2016, the prince attended the Royal International Air Tattoo where he got the chance to sit in the cockpit of one of the RAF Aerobatic Team’s Red Arrow Hawks. He now has a passion for aeroplanes, and Kate has reported that he is obsessed with air cadets and wants to join. Maybe he’ll follow in his father’s footsteps and become a pilot when he is older?
The young royal is a fan of football.
Prince George supports his dad’s favourite football team; Aston Villa and attended his first Aston Villa game in 2019 with his father and sister. He has been spotted at numerous football matches since then and was visibly upset when England lost against Italy in the 2020 European Championships final.
He also loves tennis.
Having attended Wimbledon last year, the prince also has an interest in tennis and has actually played with his favourite sport star; Roger Federer. During their lesson, Federer reported that George had a good technique, so he could have a future tennis champ on his hands!
In celebration of Prince George’s 10th birthday, we have available for you the world’s first ten-sided sovereign coins! Secure yours now HERE.