Kate Middleton and William facing huge Prince George decision as 'reality hits home'

The summer holidays will be a chance for the Princess of Walesto spend precious time with her family before her three children begin a brand new school year. And this summer will be one Kate will especially want to savour as huge changes are on the horizon — not least for Prince George.

Kate and Prince William ’s eldest child turns 12 on 22 July, and when he returns to class in September, it will be his last year at Lambrook School alongside his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, before heading off to secondary education. Recently, George, who is second in line to the throne, has been making more public appearances as he edges closer to his teenage years — and at each one he is being gently guided by Kate.

As he turns 12, as well as the prospect of joining a new school next year, George is of an age when "the reality of his destiny has begun to hit home" according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.

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Jennie tells the Mirror : "He tends to look rather serious when he’s ‘on parade’ these days. Charlotte looks demure, Louis looks impish, but George sometimes looks rather preoccupied to me. And who can blame him? It is an extraordinary prospect to know that one day you will be taking on the huge role that you are now watching your grandfather perform.

"But he’s not, by any means, always a serious little chap. When he’s with his dad at a football match, or fooling around with his siblings and his father, he has a wonderful smile on his face, and seems happy and relaxed."

In May, George completed his most high-profile royal outing to date when he attended commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Alongside Charlotte and Louis, he mingled with veterans to watch a military parade, and made an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the RAF flypast.

In a major step when it comes to his royal life, he joined his parents in chatting to Second World War heroes at a Buckingham Palace tea party. He listened intently to their important stories and asked questions about their experiences. He was led around the engagement by Kate, 43, who beckoned him over to talk to the former servicemen and women, putting her eldest son at ease.

The veterans at the event spoke of how impressed they were with the young prince asking questions about their wartime experiences. Last month, George also joined his grandfather, King Charles, for Trooping the Colour, riding in a carriage and, once again, appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for another impressive RAF flypast.

Of course, George doesn’t have to walk this path alone, with Kate and William with him every step of the way as he approaches his teenage years. Even though his public profile will only increase, George’s parents are determined for him and his siblings to have as normal an upbringing as possible.

This means completing his education like any other young boy, attending football matches with William to watch their beloved Aston Villa, and only appearing at the most prestigious of royal events. In many ways, it is a far cry from his father’s teenage years, when William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, split their time between their separated parents when they weren’t at boarding school.

Then, aged 15 and 12, the boys faced terrible tragedy when they lost their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, after she died following a car crash in Paris in 1997.

However, nobody knows more about how important a child’s early years are in shaping their later lives than Kate — something she has, no doubt, put into practice with her own children.

Jennie says: "I think George’s close and loving relationship with his parents will prove invaluable as he continues to grow up. Catherine is now such an expert on how children develop and the emotions they go through: her support and advice for George will continue to be a key factor in his wellbeing."

One royal who, Jennie believes, will have set an example on how to raise a future King is the mother-in-law Kate never met — Diana. Her approach to parenting, which completely ripped up the royal rule book, saw her insist that William and Harry were shown a life outside of palace walls, while at the same time ensuring they both understood the enormity of their positions.

She memorably took her sons to McDonald’s, forced them to wait in line like everybody else during days out at theme parks, and even took them to homeless shelters to expose them to life outside the royal bubble.

Those childhood visits clearly had an effect on William, now 43, who has publicly declared his ambition is to end homelessness and admits he, too, would be open to taking George to meet those who are experiencing homelessness.

Jennie believes that Diana’s approach, as well as allowing her children to be normal boys, will have no doubt been an influence on William — and, in turn, Kate — regarding how to raise George. She adds: "I think William has drawn on the openly loving and tactile relationship he had with his mother to help him bring up his own children.

"He will remember how Diana insisted that her boys should know more about the real world than royal princes before them. She made them aware of having play days and work days. On play days they could wear jeans, eat burgers and enjoy go-karting. On work days they had to dress and behave as princes of the realm.

"I think William has made sure that his own children have as many play days as possible, but he and Catherine have also gradually introduced them to the formal world of being royal."

The coming weeks are likely to see speculation ramp up about which secondary school George will attend, and Jennie believes it will be a tough decision for William and Kate, who will be considering what is best for Charlotte and Louis as well.

"For so many youngsters, teenage years can be hard, but for a prince, everything is a whole lot harder," she says. “First and foremost, the school has to be able to offer or accommodate 24/7 protection. Then there is the impact on other pupils because, like it or not, George will always be different.

"I suppose Eton remains high on the list — for William the school was a haven at a very, very difficult time in his life following his mother‘s death — but Marlborough College is definitely another contender.

"Catherine enjoyed her years there, especially the sports facilities, and a big plus must be that it is co-educational, so the other two children could join George there."

Both schools boast impressive alumni, with Prince Harry also attending Eton, along with prime ministers such as David Cameron and Boris Johnson, and actors Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston. Meanwhile, former Marlborough pupils include Princess Eugenie, comedian Jack Whitehall and Samantha Cameron, the wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron.

"Personally, I would like to see the siblings at the same school because I think they would be a great comfort to one another during these tricky years,” says Jennie.

"I would also like to see them at a day school, or as weekly boarders, so that they could still enjoy the lovely, cosy home environment that William and Catherine have worked so hard to create for them."

And avoiding prying eyes will be important, she stresses. "William was given a good deal of privacy at Eton, especially after Diana’s death. And I think he will do everything possible to make sure that George and the others are able to negotiate this important growing up stage of their lives without worrying that cameras are around every corner."

But it’s clear that when it comes to the big decision, Kate will no doubt put what’s best for George first — with Jennie saying he couldn’t be more prepared for his future, thanks to his mother and father.

She says, “I think George is pretty lucky to have these two as his parents. And if Catherine needs advice, then I think the best person she can turn to is her husband — who is living out the very same destiny himself.”