Growing roles for a growing future king, Prince George

The future king, Prince George, may only be ten-years-old but his increase in royal duties is growing as fast as he is – in particular, with larger events including the funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, many speculated if they would see the Wales children at the funeral. To many’s surprise, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, 8, joined their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, for the event at Westminster Abbey. Not only were they in attendance, they were part of a procession that followed the casket as it made its way into the Abbey.

The attendance was confirmed by Buckingham Palace the night before the funeral in the release of the Order of the Service. The program listed the two children, who had moved up in succession to be second and third in line to the throne. It was a heavy task for the young royals as the world watched the funeral of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. In addition to the world watching at home, the cathedral was filled with world leaders, public figures, European royals, and politicians.

Come several months later, in May 2023, George had a prominent role in his grandpa, King Charles’s crowning. This created a historic first, marking the first time in modern royal history that a future monarch was officially involved with the Coronation service. George became the youngest future king to play an official role in the ceremony.

In contrast, his grandfather attended Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953, although he only watched the service with his sister, the Princess Royal. Her Late Majesty and her sister, Princess Margaret, did the same when their father, King George VI, was crowned in 1937.

George was one of four Pages of Honour, while Queen Camilla was supported by her three grandsons. The future king wore a red coat and black dress pants as he concentrated on helping carry the train of his grandfather’s robe down the aisle of the Abbey. In response to including family members in the service, Buckingham Palace said at the time:

“The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”

In addition, Kensington Palace issued a statement: “We’re all very excited about Prince George’s role in the coronation, it will be an incredibly special moment.”

As Prince George enters a new decade of life, the world will continue to watch him grow, not only into adulthood but into the role of a future king.