Princess Catherine's family values

Protecting her children from the potentially damaging slings and arrows of royal life comes first for the new Princess of Wales, whose popularity is soaring as she focuses on nurturing under-fives, despite criticism from online trolls.

- JULIET RIEDEN

On July 22, Prince George turns 10. It’s a milestone birthday not just for the double-digit status, but because it takes the golden-haired eldest Wales son closer to his destiny in a year when everything is changing for his family. George’s parents are now the Prince and Princess of Wales, titles that come with huge responsibilities and an increased workload. His grandfather is now King, and George and his two siblings have become the focal point for the future of the monarchy, their every move scrutinised, commented on and chipped away at on social media.

When I was watching the young prince hanging on to his grandpa’s robes, nervous but perfect as a pageboy at the Coronation on May 6, in a set-piece display of regal pomp and ceremony, I couldn’t help but wonder if in that moment the terrifying reality that this would someday be him flashed into George’s mind. He would be crowned. He would be draped in cloth of gold as the world watched on. He would dedicate his life to God and his people.

And if he did sense that – as I’m sure his father, William, was also pondering on that day in Westminster Abbey – how did it make George feel? It’s a lot for one so young.

Protecting George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from their accident of birth is something both Catherine and William take very seriously. Being born royal comes with a pile of privileges and precedencies – palaces to run around in, carriages to ride through the streets in and a lifestyle the rest of us can only dream of – but it’s also a tough gig for those who are as close in line to the throne as these three siblings. This is a gilded cage with significant downsides.