RAISING a King

HOW KATE AND WILLIAM ARE CHANGING THE MONARCHY AND PAVING THE WAY FOR THEIR SON GEORGE TO TAKE THE THRONE

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The crowd went wild. Every time Aston Villa scored in their winning UEFA Champions League quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain on April 15, every corner of Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, erupted with glee, including two very special fans in the VIP box: Prince William and Prince George, who were photographed screaming and pumping their fists. “They’ve been enjoying a few outings away from the rest of the family recently,” a source says of the father and son. “It’s good bonding time.”

Their biggest bond? They’re both future kings. “William sees his role now as partly being heir to the throne, but equally as important is being father to the future monarch,” royal expert Robert Hardman tells In Touch, adding that the prince and his wife, Princess Kate, are “making sure that George, and really all three of the children, don’t grow up dreading their royal existence.” And although William and Kate have stepped up their royal duties amid King Charles’ cancer battle, the pair, who have already hinted at how they plan to foster a more modern monarchy, have made it clear that their family’s well-being guides their decisions. “It’s about making sure they understand what works for them,” adds Hardman. “They want life to be as normal as it can be.”

NEW PROTOCOLS

Rule No. 1: Prioritize the kids over the institution. “Whatever royal tradition might dictate on any particular point, they will both very much have the view that what matters most is what is best for the children,” says Hardman, author of