Forest

People Magazine’s cover story this week is Prince George at 12: The Boy Who Will Be King. This perhaps would have been more fitting on or around his twelfth birthday more than a month ago, but I think the timing suggests that Kensington Palace understands that the Forest Lodge news landed poorly. This is their pivot: see, Prince William and Kate are so focused on the best way to raise the heir, look at what a normal kid he is, see, that’s our REAL job! I also doubt that People Mag would have felt empowered to put a literal child on their cover unless they got the nod (if not explicit permission) from Kensington Palace. Well, enjoy some highlights about “the boy who will be king.” This actually made me feel sorry for George, btw.

George met veterans on VE Day: “This was the first sign of George taking on future duties,” Russell Myers of The Mirror tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “Even though he is so young, he seems to have grown in confidence over the last couple of years.” For observers, the moment highlighted how William and Kate, both 43, have been carefully preparing their eldest son for the throne. “It’s a slow game, and it gets him used to it on the couple’s terms rather than anybody else’s,” a palace insider says.

George is serious: “He comes across as a serious chap,” the insider adds. “To have the world’s eyes on you, especially when you’re so young, is demanding.” Yet those who know him well say he also has a playful streak.

He does the right things: “He does the right things at the right moment, as any 12-year-old would—and that’s all that matters,” says a source close to the palace.

George has never been to boarding schools: Following a summer in which his mother has been regaining strength nearly a year after chemotherapy, George is returning to Lambrook School in September for his final year alongside Charlotte and Louis. Unlike previous heirs, he has always attended coed day schools. “That chimes with William wanting to do things in a more modern way, putting all three children in the same school,” says royal author Sally Bedell Smith. “It’s a new direction — groundbreaking for the royal family.”

But will he go to Eton next year? But a pivotal decision lies ahead: where he will continue his education next year. For most royal watchers, Eton College — the all-boys boarding school where William thrived — is the front-runner, conveniently close to the family’s new home, Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, where they plan to settle by year’s end.

Forest Lodge is important to George!! William and Kate have anchored themselves in Windsor, determined to give their children as normal a life as possible. At Forest Lodge, they plan to maintain the routines that matter most: school drop-offs and pickups, sports games and everyday family moments — all without live-in staff.

The importance of the Middletons: George’s home life mirrors the happy country-centered childhood Kate enjoyed. Living just 30 minutes away, Kate’s hands-on parents, Carole and Michael, play an unusually prominent role in shaping the life of a future King. “Kate’s family has set the pace, and William has been very happy to take the lead from them,” says royal author Robert Lacey. “Many decisions they’ve made echo Middleton decisions.”

What happens if King Charles passes in the next few years: With King Charles, 76, still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed cancer, questions about the future are inevitable. If George becomes heir to the throne before finishing school, any bestowal of the title Prince of Wales may be delayed by William. “They would want him to focus on having freedom before giving him any royal titles,” the insider says. Adds Lacey: “I imagine that when William talks to George about things like this, he uses words like ‘destiny’ rather than ‘duty.’ ‘Duty’ has a sense of being trapped; ‘destiny’ has a sense of choice.”

A normal kid: “He is the most normal 12-year-old future monarch we have ever had,” says the close palace insider. “And that is a very good thing.”

[From People]

I actually think Sweden’s Princess Estelle is probably the most “normal” yet prepared future monarch – Estelle’s parents seem to be doing a great job of letting her be a kid, but also preparing her for her future role, and including her on all kinds of state events. As for George… this piece absolutely felt like George’s parents using him as a human deflection shield when they got bad press for the Forest Lodge move. The explicit mention of Forest Lodge as part of George’s “normal” life says it all (to me). Yeah, I do feel sorry for those kids.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Kensington Palace.