Prince George 'to face his biggest challenge yet' as key milestone approaches

From the moment he was born, Prince George's life has been mapped out in front of him. And, even though his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are committed to giving him a similar childhood to the one his mother cherished, his destiny as the future King inches ever closer.

But the arrival of his 12th birthday tomorrow marks perhaps the biggest milestone in his life since his birth - for a variety of significant reasons. "Being a 'tweenager' comes with a lot of challenges," says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond as she speaks about the second-in-line to the throne's birthday.

"It will seem to George that his world is getting bigger on every level: physical, mental, emotional and social."

Ms Bond continues: "He must already have had a very emotional year and a half since his grandfather and his mother were diagnosed with cancer and now he knows that he is in his last year of being wrapped in the familiar blanket of living with his parents and siblings 24/7 before he moves to big school next September.

"The decision about where he will go and study next has undoubtedly already been made, and I'm sure that George was very influential in it. Nevertheless, it's a big change hovering on his horizon, and it's bound to be quite unsettling."

Anticipation is running high that the prince will attend Eton, Prince William's alma mater, although the Prince and Princess of Wales have visited rival schools, including co-educational Marlborough College, attended by Kate herself.

"I hope that William and Catherine will be radical enough to keep all three siblings together at a day school, possibly with the option of them boarding a few days a week if they choose," says Ms Bond. "But, since William and Catherine both went to boarding school and seemed to quite enjoy it, I fear that George will follow suit. And all of a sudden we shall have to start thinking of him not as a child, but as a young adolescent."

Whichever school he does eventually attend, it will mean George is no longer under the same roof at Lambrook School in Berkshire as his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

But there is one change that may come even sooner than that with George's birthday tomorrow. For when he turned 12, William began to fly separately from his father so as to protect the line of succession in the event of an accident.

The rule has been in place for 30 years. But, say royal experts, the Royal Family's public backing of environmental rights could have implications on its continuation.

"This is going to be a bit of a conundrum for William and will make long-haul flights very tricky," says Bond. "There will be a considerable amount of pressure on them to adhere to the rule, but I'm not convinced that he'll stick to it rigidly."

Referring to Prince William's position as an eco-warrior and founder of the Earthshot Prize, Ms Bond adds: "I suppose he could assuage his conscience by making sure they continue to all take scheduled flights, in which case their carbon footprint would remain the same. It's really very awkward because, like any family, I'm sure they would always want to go on holiday together, including the travel. But it may be a compromise that William will have to make."

This supportive family atmosphere is exemplified whenever any of the three children celebrate a birthday, thanks to a number of traditions thought up by their doting parents.

Owing to an intense wish to protect their children's privacy and not put them through similar intrusive photo calls that Princes William and Harry experienced when they were young, the Princess regularly steps behind the camera and snaps official birthday portraits to release to the public.

And the private way the three Wales children are being raised marks a clear contrast with William's own childhood, says Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine.

"George aged 12 is probably less visible than his father was at the same age, though, having said that, of late we've seen him at Wimbledon, the King's Birthday Parade and the VE-Day 80th anniversary commemorations," he says.

"The Prince and Princess of Wales will continue to be selective about the high-profile events their children attend, but with George as second in line to the throne, there is also a need to familiarise him with aspects of his official life to come. His grandfather, the King, will no doubt be watching that process from a distance with great interest and providing support and encouragement whenever needed."

Royal author Duncan Larcombe agrees. "George's life is very different from when William was 12. By that age, William's parents' marriage was in freefall, and obviously that's not the case for George who was raised in a very close-knit family, where all three children are all treated as equals. Both Kate and William share the role completely of being their parents, whereas Prince Charles, as he was then, was always work first, family second."

Kate is also no doubt aware of the very different circumstances in which both William and King Charles grew up. Since 2022, George and his siblings have been students at Lambrook School, which isn't far from the family's home at Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate.

For the King, things were very different. Although supported by parents, the late Queen and Prince Philip, he felt the closest bond with his grandmother, the Queen Mother, and with nannies. The monarch's challenging time at school has been well publicised and began when he was sent away at the age of 10 to study at Cheam School in Hampshire.

Having experienced independence far earlier, at the age his grandson is now, the King had already been away at boarding school and had been proclaimed Prince of Wales two years earlier. While their upbringings couldn't have been more different, Ms Bond is clear that the King's relationship with his eldest grandson is a foundational one.

"Some of the events of recent times must have been quite weird for George," she says. "His great-grandmother's state funeral and the Coronation of his grandfather were both such historic events and a graphic illustration of the extraordinary position into which he was born. It could all be quite bewildering for a young boy, and I think the King will have taken the opportunity to have one or two reassuring chats with his grandson about what lies ahead.

"And, as George heads towards his teenage years, I'm sure he will want to ask his grandfather questions that really only the King has the knowledge to answer. But Charles also has a great sense of humour so I'm sure it's not all serious stuff. I think he draws great pleasure from being with his grandchildren, reading stories and having a giggle with them."

The same goes for Prince William, as he faced a number of challenges when he was growing up. "By the time William was 12, he had already been living away from home at boarding school for four years," Ms Bond recalls. "He had gone through the emotional anguish of watching his parents tear each other apart and finally separate. He saw his mother in floods of tears and comforted her as best he could. He had been forced to grow up faster than other boys of his age and be an emotional crutch for Diana, which must have been incredibly hard.

"George has been brought up in a bubble of love and in the midst of a very happy family. He has great role models in his parents and his maternal grandparents, who have had long and stable marriages. Like his father, he has a huge and unique destiny ahead, but he has been given the best possible start in life."

Although George - and indeed Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - are benefitting from the type of gentle parenting that is spoken about in the Princess of Wales' early years development work, it is clear that a uniquely special relationship exists between William and his eldest son.

And it's one set to continue, says Mr Larcombe. "We can see for ourselves that George is obviously in awe of his father," he says. "One little clue is when they have appeared together on some occasions, he's worn almost the same outfits and been a little mini-me of his dad." He smiles. "That's quite touching, the way that George obviously looks up to William. William is keen to keep George very much protected and looked after and is clearly very hands-on."