How Kate Middleton and Prince William Are Getting Prince George Ready to Be King

Prince George may be a tween, but his parents Kate Middleton and Prince William reportedly already have a plan in place to get him ready for his responsibilities as a future king. According to a royal author, the 11-year-old prince has started preparing for the day he ascends the throne with a slow and steady approach.

Hands-on parents Kate and William are “gradually” integrating their eldest son into royal engagements and press events as they “don’t want to freak him out,” royal author Rob Jobson told Us Weekly in a new interview fresh off the release of his book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen.

In addition to having George attend “situations where the press are there” to get him used to the public attention, his parents have also encouraged the young royal to spend extra time with his grandfather, King Charles, to get some special insight on the job.

“I think it was very important that he played that part as a page boy at the King’s coronation,” Jobson told the publication. “It gave him a real sense of the grandeur and all the expectation. I thought that was quite important actually for George.”

The expert also said it was likely that Prince William was drawing from his own experience growing up to get George ready to ascend the throne without overwhelming him. “Spending more time with his grandfather, who’s actually doing the job, doesn’t then necessarily freak George out,” Jobson commented.

This “gradual” approach reportedly has Kate’s stamp of approval, as the royal expert recently told Hello! Magazine that the Princess of Wales has “made it clear” that she’s got her own approach when it comes to parenting,

“With her children, she made it very clear to both the late queen and to the Prince of Wales, as he was—now the king—that she’s not going to be rushed into doing things that she doesn’t necessarily want to do,” Jobson said, saying it took a lot for Kate to go up against her fellow senior royals.

“That takes quite a lot of courage, because you’re in a very alien world,” the expert added. “But I think she realizes that she only has one shot at this. She’s got three young children, and they have to come first.”