Prince George celebrates his 13th birthday — watch his first public debut
As Prince George approaches his milestone birthday, we take a look back at the moment Prince William and Duchess Kate first unveiled him outside St. Mary’s Hospital in 2013.
LONDON – Prince George is officially a teenager.
Prince William and Duchess Kate’s eldest child celebrated his 13th birthday on July 22nd. According to recent photos, the prince is about the same height as his mother, who stands at 5 feet 9 inches.
For George, adulthood will come with more responsibilities than the average teenager. After all, he too is carefully preparing for kingship. As a child enters adolescence, there are many things to consider, including education, military service, philanthropy, and involvement with the royal family.
There are already signs that George, second in line to the British throne, will mirror some of his father’s life choices. However, he is on the path to becoming a modern monarch, which may mean a break from long-standing tradition.
Let’s see how the life of a teenage prince begins to change.
Prince William and Duchess Kate are taking a softer approach to George, despite the decline in the number of working royals
Prince William and Duchess Kate have worked hard to give George as normal a childhood as possible, despite the pressures of being in the spotlight of the royal family and the ever-watching British tabloids.
“Prince William and Duchess Kate are loving and caring parents. If one of their children doesn’t want to take on royal duties, they won’t be forced to do so, as has happened in the past,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told USA TODAY, adding that he doesn’t believe George will suddenly “become more involved” the moment he turns 13. “Of course not yet,” he says.
Fitzwilliams said that while George may not feel the pressure immediately, there are “serious problems” with the current structure of the British royal family.
“There are only two living royals under the age of 60,” he said, adding that apart from George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, there are currently no prospects for any other working royals, which could put pressure on Wales’ children as they age.
“Prince William and Duchess Kate are reportedly in favor of giving them as much choice as possible, but educational institutions need them and there will be huge pressure to conform to them,” Fitzwilliams said.
Prince George heads to new school with family ties
In September, George plans to enroll at the prestigious Eton College in Berkshire, England. William also attended Eton, joining in 1995, and speaks fondly of his time there.
The boys’ boarding school is a short drive from George’s family home, Forest Lodge.
Prince George’s estranged uncle, Prince Harry, also attended Eton School, founded by Henry VI in the 15th century. Princess Diana’s younger brother, Earl Spencer, also studied here, as have 20 British Prime Ministers, including Boris Johnson.
The school, which provides education for children aged 13 to 18, costs £63,000 (about $84,400) a year, with fees to be paid by families.
Will Prince George uphold the royal tradition of military service?
Military service has long been central to the British royal family, with the king serving as ceremonial commander of the military. Traditionally, senior royals are encouraged to train and serve in the British military.
During World War II, Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a mechanic and driver. This makes her the first female full-time working member of the royal family.
Prince George’s grandfather King Charles served in the Royal Navy and trained in the Royal Air Force, while his father Prince William completed more than seven and a half years of full-time military service in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
Unlike Prince Harry, Prince William was not allowed to participate in combat due to his line of succession to the throne.
Harry spent 10 years in the British Army as a forward air traffic controller and Apache helicopter pilot. Prince Harry completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan before ending his military career in 2015. In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry wrote that he killed 25 Taliban soldiers while serving in the country’s Helmand region, and has since spoken out about his experience to prevent suicide among veterans.
It’s too early to know whether George will undergo military training or serve in the military, but Fitzwilliams told USA TODAY that George “is expected to follow his father into military service.”
Prince George embraces charity work started by Princess Diana and Prince William
As George grows up, his philanthropy also begins to take off.
In December 2025, William took George for the first time to volunteer with Passage, a homeless charity in London that is dear to George’s heart. William, a royal patron of the charity, was taken into care by his mother Princess Diana at the age of 11.
George and William donned aprons and prepared vegetables for their annual Christmas lunch to feed 150 people. While there, George signed the visitor’s register on the same page that his father and grandmother Diana signed during their visit in 1993.
For William, who is next in line to the British throne, the prospect of George becoming king one day will give his family a lot to think about. Top of the list is to bring about “change” within the royal family and beyond, he said in a 2025 episode of “The Reluctant Traveler” starring Eugene Levy.
Prince William said he was focused on creating the environment and influential role the young prince would inherit when he became monarch.
“I want to create a world where my son can be proud of the work we do and the work that has a real impact on making people’s lives better,” William said.
