Prince William and Kate Middleton are preparing for a “daunting” lifestyle change after their eldest son Prince George turned 13 on Wednesday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales released a sweet tribute to their son on Wednesday, featuring a portrait of the young royal wearing a black blazer and white button-up.
Kensington Palace also released a video of George waving to the camera and playing on a beach alongside his brother Louis, captioned: “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for George today!”.
As the 13-year-old reaches his teenage years, reports say his parents are “battling” the milestone which signals a major shift in Prince George’s life: he’ll be starting at the prestigious Eton College in just a few weeks.
“It’s nerve-racking for William and Kate; they can’t help but worry about how he will cope with it all,” a source told New Idea.
“It’s also a huge milestone for them; their first child is leaving home.”
Although Eton is just a 10 minute drive from Forest Lodge where the family live, William and Kate are reportedly “concerned” about the transition for George, who has spent most of his life at home.
“This is a massive step for George,” the source said.
“He’s hardly spent a night away from home, and now he’ll be living at Eton for most of the term.
“Home won’t be far away, but it’s still pretty daunting.”
Despite his parents’ apprehension, it is reported George is excited to follow in his father and uncle’s footsteps to Eton — both Prince William and Prince Harry attended the highly prestigious school.
George previously attended Lambrook Prep School alongside his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte (11) and Prince Louis (8).
It’ll be a major change for Prince George — the all-boys College is “highly competitive” and costs £63,000 (about $120,206 AU).
It is believed William and Kate have been preparing George for the inevitable scrutiny that comes with being a public royal at such a high-profile school, after his appearance at the Wimbledon men’s final.
“William and Kate have been doing their best to prepare him, but the pressure on him is immense; he has so much to live up to,” the source said.
“You could see at Wimbledon that he’s still quite nervous in the spotlight, and school is only going to bring a whole new level of attention because every boy there will know exactly who he is.
“There’s a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders, and that’s only going to grow as he gets older.”
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