Prince William Waited ‘Until the Last Minute’ to Tell Prince George He Was Going to Be King — Here’s Why That’s So Powerful! Imagine growing up with the weight of a crown waiting for you in the distance, but not knowing the moment it would be handed over. That’s exactly what Prince William did with his son, Prince George. He waited until the last minute to tell George that one day, he would be the King of England. Why? Because William wanted to protect George’s childhood for as long as possible, shielding him from the heavy expectations and responsibilities of royalty. In a world where royal protocol often dictates everything, this decision was about prioritizing the emotional wellbeing of his son. Prince William understood that, as a child, George should have the freedom to play, laugh, and dream without feeling the pressure of his future throne hanging over his head. But when the time came, and George was old enough to understand his destiny, William sat down with him and shared the truth. It was a defining moment in their father-son relationship, and one that most of us will never experience: the passing of not just a title, but an entire future

King Charles and Prince William both grew up knowing they would one day take the throne, and now it’s 12-year-old Prince George’s turn to ponder his future role as King. He’s slowly being introduced to royal duties by his parents, such as in May, when the Prince and Princess of Wales brought him to a special VE Day tea party with World War II veterans. And while George’s destiny as the future King might have been set in stone since his 2013 birth, it’s not something he was made immediately aware of, according to one royal author.

“He really has had a period of a normal childhood,” royal author Robert Lacey told People in its new cover story highlighting Prince George’s future role. The Prince and Princess of Wales were so keen to let George grow up normally as long as possible that he wasn’t actually told that he’d become King until he was “around seven,” per the outlet.

“William deliberately delayed this news until the last possible moment,” Lacey said. “It shows special care and thoughtfulness—it also tells us something about how William felt about the weight of the crown.”

Prince William and Prince George standing under a Union Jack flag — Prince William brought Prince George on a rare public engagement in May to meet World War II veterans.

Prince George and Prince William sitting next to each other in blue suits at Wimbledon — George joined his parents at Wimbledon this summer.

It’s unknown exactly when the Prince of Wales was told he’d become King one day, but in his book William and Catherine: Their Lives, Their Wedding, royal biographer Andrew Morton wrote that Prince William “genuinely had no idea that he was any different from anyone else” until he started school.

“His innocence of his position was soon ended by fellow pupils, who left him in no doubt who he was,” the author continued. “On one occasion a classmate reportedly asked him: ‘Don’t you know the Queen?’ William looked at him and replied: ‘Don’t you mean Granny?’”

When it comes to Prince George, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been careful to give him as many “normalizing experiences” as possible, including taking part in sports and activities like any other school student. As for his future title, “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,” Lacey noted.