19 things you didn’t know about Prince George

Can you believe that the oldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton is so grown up? As of July 22, 2021, Prince George is eight years old. Where did the time go? You may have glanced at this big guy and thought that Prince George looks exactly like his father, or you may have laughed over Prince George’s funny expressions, but there is so much more to the future king than meets the eye. We rounded up everything from his favourite foods and pastimes to his secret nickname for his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Although Prince George’s parents want him to have as normal of a childhood as possible, it’s pretty obvious that he is growing up a little differently than most children. Now that George is getting older, Prince William and Duchess Catherine are slowly trying to introduce George to the idea that he may be the future King of England one day. They are trying to prepare him in a fun and childlike way as not to overwhelm him with the idea of so much power.

Lots of children have cute nicknames they like to call their grandparents other than grandma and grandpa – usually instilled at a young age. Prince George is one of them, even though his great-grandmother happens to be the Queen of England. During an interview with Duchess Catherine at the Queen’s 90th birthday celebration, she admitted that her son loves to call her “Gan-Gan.”

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

Did you know that Prince William formerly worked as an air ambulance pilot? Well, like father, like son, because Prince George has a fascination with aircraft. According to Duchess Catherine, “He is now obsessed with the air cadets and wants to join.”

Check out these photos of Prince William acting like a future king.

When the Duchess of Cambridge visited a children’s hospital for Pancake Day, a four-year-old boy asked her about Prince George who was busy at a Montessori nursery making pancakes (one of his favourites!). When the little boy made sure the Duchess knew about a thunderstorm on the way, she replied, “Yes, I know all about those. George likes storms, too!”

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. “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.”

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.