William and Kate's 'argument' with Charles over George's important role

Prince William and Kate Middleton have never shied away from ripping up the royal rule book. Over the years, they have made a concerted effort to ensure that they do things their way - whether that's William's rule-breaking proposal or their decision to go against protocol when they travel as a family.  

And it's particularly true when it comes to how they parent their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The couple have moved away from royal parenting traditions to give their little ones a sense of normality as they grow up, and they are trying to prepare their son George for his future role as King in the gentlest way possible. 

This was apparent earlier this year when William and Kate reportedly had a 'bit of an argument' with King Charles over their eldest son. 

Royal author Tom Quinn - whose books about the family include Gilded Youth: A History of Growing Up in the Royal Family: From the Tudors to the Cambridges and Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle - said that William and Kate had a disagreement with the King about George's role at Charles' coronation in May. 

According to Quinn, the Prince and Princess of Wales were concerned that it might put too much pressure on the young royal, who turned 10 in July.

In an interview with The Express at the time, he said: "I've heard from my contacts that there is a bit of an argument going on about whether George should play a more formal role. I've heard that Kate and William are worried that it will be too much for him."

The author claims that William and Kate are keen to ensure that their children aren't 'made to attend formal occasions' in the same way that William and Harry often were when they were growing up. 

He continued: "I think people are remembering this and thinking, 'Well hang on a minute, if George is some sort of a pageboy, or has a similar role at the Coronation, is that going back too far towards the traditional roles?' So I've heard that there is a debate going on quite fiercely at the moment about how to do that."

Ultimately, George did go on to feature in the proceedings as one of Charles' page boys, making history as the youngest heir to be involved in a coronation.