Entertainment
With all eyes back on the royal family after both the wedding and the birth of Prince Louis, Prince William and Duchess Kate's other children have had their occasional moments of stealing the show. Prince George, in particular, can be a little bundle of energy, if he really wants to. With school out of session, the public is sure to see more of His Royal Highness, it's a good time to count down some fun facts about Prince George that you might not know about the young royal.
Prince George was born on July 22, 2013 at St Mary's Hospital in London. From the moment Prince William and Kate had originally shared they were expecting, Prince George found himself in the public eye. Commemorative coins were issued by the Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, and Royal Australian Mint, and it was the first time a royal birth had been marked in that way, according to The Times.
Being the eldest child of Prince William means that Prince George was born pretty high in line for the crown. He's currently only behind his grandfather, Prince Charles, and his own father, putting him at third in line, according to Town & Country. That means Prince George is pretty much guaranteed to be king one day and, as a result, his birth was widely celebrated.
With all the focus on royal titles and crown succession, it can be easy to forget that, at the end of the day, Prince George is just a kid. So here are some interesting facts to remind us of that, with a little royal flare, of course.
1
Commemorative Coins Were Issued For His Birth
Prince George is the eldest child of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, which means he's third in line for the throne. His birth marked a pretty big event for the royal family and was highly anticipated. In the months leading up to it, many speculated that Prince George's birth would serve as a major boost to the economy, according to The Telegraph, and a source of national pride.
To fully celebrate the new prince, commemorative coins were issued by the Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, and Royal Australian Mint. Not only did the Royal Mint strike lucky, designing the coin after St. George well before Prince George's name was announced, according to The Times, but Prince George marks the first time a royal birth had been marked in that way.
2
He Has His Own Name For The Queen
The Queen can seem pretty intimidating given that she's, well, a queen. And when it comes to royalty, there are a whole slew of titles to use — from Her Majesty to Head of the Commonwealth. In a 2016 interview, though, Kate Middleton revealed that Prince George had his own nickname for his great-grandmother: Gan-Gan, according to Hello! Magazine.
"George is only two-and-a-half and he calls her 'Gan-Gan," Middleton said, according to Hello! Magazine. "She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay and that just shows her love for her family."
3
He Appeared On His First Stamp When He Was 2
To commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday, she sat down with Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George for a new stamp. In other words, as TheTalko pointed out, the picture displayed the order of royal succession.
This picture of Prince George with his great-grandmother, grandfather, and father, was taken when the young prince was only 2 years old. For most children, appearing on a stamp at all, let alone while so young, would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but it's fair to assume Prince George will appear on many more stamps throughout his life.
4
He's Already Learning A Second Language
Multilingualism is important — not only does it make traveling easier, but it can help expand cultural understanding and opens new doors for understanding the world. In 2018, Kate Middleton revealed that Prince George is already learning a second language, according to Simplemost, and it's all thanks to his nanny.
Maria Turrion Borrallo is the nanny for both Prince George and Princess Charlotte, according to People. Originally from Spain, she has already started to teach the children Spanish, according to Simplemost, Middleton confirmed at a charity event that Prince George can already count up to 10 in Spanish.
5
He Had First Day Jitters, Too
First day of school nerves don't go away just because you're a prince. Last year, Prince George arrived for his first day of school looking slightly skeptical about the whole ordeal, according to TODAY.
Prince George was accompanied by only his father, since Kate Middleton was pregnant at the time and suffering from morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum. As reported by TODAY, the form of morning sickness kept her on bedrest.
The young prince, though, was able to conquer his fears after sharing a few words with dad and his new headmistress. According to TODAY, Prince William said that Prince George had a good day at school and jokingly added: “There was one other parent who had more of an issue with their children — so I was quite pleased I wasn't the one.”
6
He's Fascinated By Airplanes
Prince William has gathered a lot of experience as a pilot. In April 2008, according to The Independent, he completed pilot training at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell and a year later, in 2009, he became a full-time helicopter pilot with the RAF Search and Rescue Force.
It seems that he's passed this love of planes onto his son. In 2016, Lucinda Conder received a visit from the Duchess and was reportedly told, according to HuffPost, "George is now obsessed with the air cadets and wants to join."
Prince George's future piloting days are still far away, but it's adorable to see father and son share a common interest!
7
He Loves Thunderstorms
Kate Middleton revealed Prince George's love of storms during the opening of a new Ronald McDonald house. According to Cheatsheet, when a 4-year-old boy asked where the prince was, then followed it up with a comment about a storm coming, Middleton replied, "Yes I know all about those! George likes storms too!"
8
He's A Bit Of A Fashion Icon
Ever since Prince George (and his sister, Princess Charlotte) were born, people have paid close attention to their clothes. Knowing this, fashion brands of all sizes have copied Prince George's looks, according to TheTalko.
After Prince George left the hospital, his swaddle blanket from Aden + Anais sold out, according to E! News. ABC News reported that over 10,000 orders were placed immediately after the baby's appearance, which caused the company's servers to crash. Now, there are even sites that help guide parents to dress their kids like Prince George.
9
He Doesn't Like Playing Rough
In the past, Prince William has talked about teaching his son soccer, according to Marie Claire, but it seems that Prince George might not be all that into it. According to Marie Claire, Casey Stoney revealed that Prince George doesn't like when the game gets too aggressive, explaining:
He said at the moment he’s trying to teach George that football is actually a contact sport, but George doesn’t really like it when he’s palming him off and getting physical.
His sister, on the other hand? She loves the game.
10
He Doesn't Know He's Third In Line For the Throne
That's right.
It seems that Prince William and Kate Middleton don't want to tell their son that he's in line to be the King of England, according to TheTalko — at least, not until he's older.
Can anyone blame them, though? It's extremely unlikely that Prince George would become king anytime soon. The queen is still alive, after all, and then there's his grandfather and father before him. There's no point in weighing him down with information he might not be able to fully grasp yet.
"There'll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world," Prince William once said, according to People, but for now all that Prince George really needs to worry about is being a kid.
As Prince George grows older, it'll be fun to see how his likes and dislikes change with time. But, overall, he's shaping up to be a charming and pleasant little boy.
