Princess Kate is "aware of the pressure of raising George," royal expert says

He's a King-in-waiting, after all

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge speaks to their son Prince George of Cambridge prior to the Guinness Six Nations Rugby match between England and Wales at Twickenham Stadium on February 26, 2022 in London, England.
(Image credit: Photo by David Rogers / Getty)

Prince George turns 10 on 22 July, an important milestone for any child — but perhaps even more so for a future King, as he prepares to take on more public appearances and duties like he did this past year.

As such, George's mum Princess Kate will likely be feeling the pressure ramp up, as it can't always be easy to be raising a child with such a significant future.

"Kate’s a very confident mother. But even so, she’s acutely aware of the pressure of raising George as the future monarch. It’s a very heavy burden to carry," royal expert Angela Levin told OK! ahead of the little boy's 10th birthday.

She continued: "George’s 10th birthday is a milestone. I think all parents wish their children wouldn’t grow up so fast, and it’s no different for Kate. In fact, George still sometimes holds her hand when they walk about, although that might stop when he turns 10!"

As he grows up, Kate has been a huge help to George in helping him find his confidence, Angela says.

"I think she’s gently moved him into a position where he seems comfortable when there are a lot of people around," she continued.

"When he was younger he’d cling to his parents and find it awkward to shake hands with people. Now, particularly when they take him to a sporty event, he’s relaxed and happy with people around him."

We last witnessed the perfect example of this over the weekend, when Kate and William brought George and his younger sister Princess Charlotte to the Wimbledon men's final.

After the game, the royals met some of the ball boys and girls and learned more about their role during tennis tournaments.

Previously, George has also had the opportunity to meet sporting champions such as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer (who even gave him private tennis lessons!!!). His position certainly comes with a lot of pressure, but there are definitely perks, too.

Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn is a celebrity and royal news writer for Marie Claire. As a London-based freelance journalist, she writes about wellness, relationships, pop culture, beauty and more for the likes of InStyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red. Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, Iris is especially interested in debunking diet culture and destigmatising mental health struggles. Previously, she was the associate editor for Her Campus, where she oversaw the style and beauty news sections, as well as producing gift guides, personal essays and celebrity interviews. There, she worked remotely from Los Angeles, after returning from a three-month stint as an editorial intern for Cosmopolitan.com in New York. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, she interned at goop and C California Style and served as Her Campus' national style and LGBTQ+ editor. Iris was born and raised in France by a French father and an English mother. Her Spotify Wrapped is riddled with country music and One Direction, and she can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.