17 things you didn’t know about Prince George

Like many youngsters in 2020, Prince George had a low-key birthday during the coronavirus pandemic. And there’s one royal honour he didn’t receiving this year: the tradition of the ringing of the bells at London’s Westminster Abbey was a no-go, as the Abbey was closed until August. But the young prince might not even have noticed, as he’s currently spending time with his family away from London at their country estate, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk. His mum, Duchess Catherine, revealed in a podcast that the family enjoys the “simple things” like being “outside in the countryside and we’re all filthy dirty.” A recent pic taken by the Duchess is proof, showing Prince George and his siblings, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, roughhousing in the grass with their dad, Prince William.

Here are the official residences of the British royal family.

As with any family, there are squabbles between Prince George and his younger siblings. Duchess Kate recently revealed at a gardening event that the siblings are having a sunflower-growing competition – and Prince George hasn’t exactly been happy with the results. “The children are really enjoying growing their sunflowers – Louis’s is winning so George is a little grumpy about that!” she said. And in typical older-brother fashion, he has also wanted to take over his sister’s school assignments. “George gets very upset because he just wants to do all of Charlotte’s projects,” Duchess Kate told ITV.  “Spider sandwiches are far cooler than literacy work!” We’re not sure what spider sandwiches entail, although they do sound enticing for a little boy.

Don’t miss these rarely seen photos of royal siblings.

Duchess Catherine and Prince William strive to teach the future king of England about the importance of giving back to those in need. Not even a spring rainstorm could stop Prince George and his family from delivering homemade pasta to the elderly and vulnerable near their Norfolk home, in a photo released for Britain’s Volunteers Week in early June. The young prince had even helped prepare the packages himself, along with his siblings. “They got drenched as it was pouring with the rain but I think they just wanted to do their bit,” one onlooker told The Daily Mail.

At the school Prince George attends, Thomas’s Battersea in London, the young prince is just like any other student, which is exactly how his parents want it – Prince William and Duchess Catherine haven’t even told Prince George yet he’ll be king one day. “George is really happy at school, [and] his nickname is P.G.,” a classmate’s parent told Vanity Fair. “He’s very popular and has lots of friends, and there’s very little fuss made about who he is,” the parent said. “Either William or Kate do drop-off, and they are always very friendly.” Prince George’s little sister, Princess Charlotte, joined him at the school last year.

Read on for some little-known facts about Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren.

Although Prince George is not allowed to have an iPad, he still gets in screen time while he watches his favourite show, Fireman Sam, as his parents revealed in a BBC radio interview.  “Fireman Sam is taking an awful lot of interest,” Prince William said, noting that he has to watch along with his son. “You have to pretend you’re really into [his shows] because George gets very upset if you’re not showing due diligence to the characters.” The creators of Fireman Sam even gave a nod to the young prince in their 30th-anniversary episode, “The Prince of Pontypandy,” in which an unnamed royal family makes an appearance.

Royal watchers know that following tradition, Prince George had always appeared in public in shorts, even in winter. But the youngster is growing up and has begun breaking this protocol. His first public appearance in long pants was at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Last December’s Christmas card also featured the young prince in laid-back jeans, described by one British newspaper as a ‘royal shock’. Then again, Prince William and Kate’s Christmas cards are always fantastic, regardless of what the young prince is wearing.

Read on for the etiquette rules everyone in the royal family must follow.

Like any good big brother, Prince George has passed on his clothes to his little sister, Princess Charlotte. In that same Christmas card, Princess Charlotte is wearing a sweater Prince George wore in a 2016 photo with his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Charlotte also wore the same hand-me-down sweater in a photo with their newest sibling, Prince Louis, following his birth in 2018. And this spring, Princess Charlotte was spotted wearing the exact same sneakers Prince George wore the year before, both without socks, no less – although whether she inherited his stinky shoes or is simply wearing a new pair of the same style has not been revealed.

Don’t miss these unbearably cute Princess Charlotte moments.

As a toddler, Prince George was something of a handful – so much so that his parents decided to leave him at home when they went on a 2016 trip to India. When asked why the young prince was not with them, Duchess Catherine reportedly replied, “Because George is too naughty. He would be running all over the place.” Maybe now that he’s older, he can accompany them on their next trip there. “The next time we come we will definitely bring them,” the Duchess said.

Discover the parenting rules the royals have to follow.

There are some ways Prince George is just like any other ‘normal’ boy – and some ways his Royal life is very, very different. For example, at his christening, he received not one, not two, but seven godparents to assist, counsel, and support him in his very important royal role. According to the Prince’s official royal biography, they are: Mr Oliver Baker, Mrs David Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Mr Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, The Hon. Mrs Michael Samuel, Mrs Michael Tindall, and Mr William van Cutsem. Just who are these people? They range from childhood and college friends of Prince William and Duchess Catherine to family and other members of the aristocracy. No Royals, though, made the cut, possibly so that the young prince will have others to turn to outside ‘the firm’ as he grows up.

Prince George’s grandmother, the late Princess Diana, was known for her dancing, such as when she took to the floor with John Travolta at the White House. And the grandson she never got to meet has apparently inherited her skills. “George is doing dancing as well, he loves it,” Prince William shared. “My mother always used to dance, she loved dancing.” Prince George’s school, Thomas’s Battersea, includes ballet class for young students, so he can enhance his natural talent.

Find out which ‘facts’ about Princess Diana just aren’t true.