There are those who would argue that a major British sporting event isn’t really major at all if the the Royal Family don’t attend in some capacity.
In the last number of years, Prince William and Kate Middleton have taken their eldest son and future king, Prince George, to several events, including various football and rugby matches.
On Sunday, the young prince got to see the thrilling Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios play out on the legendary tennis court.
However, some royal fans expressed concerns for George – as well as a degree of anger towards William and Kate – after spotting a particular detail.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are likely to soon take a well-deserved vacation, coinciding with the fact that their children are set to leave school for the summer holidays.
According to Hello Magazine, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will leave Thomas’s Battersea School on July 8, while four-year-old Prince Louis’ pre-school, Willcocks, is closing for the summer on July 6. That means the royal siblings will soon experience an entire summer together, playing and enjoying the great weather as only children can.
It will also likely mean that William and Kate will take a step back regarding their official duties. Given that the Queen’s recent Platinum Jubilee was a hectic period, to say the least, we’re sure the royal couple are looking forward to something of a break with their children.
So, what do William and Kate have planned for their children this summer? Well, one big happening regards the family’s home – they’re reportedly moving out of Kensington Palace.
As relayed by several media outlets in the UK, William and Kate are thought to want to move closer to the Queen and to Kate’s parents, who live in Berkshire. With that in mind, Windsor is likely to be their new home, leaving the family with more space and freedom at the significant royal estate.
The frontrunner for their next home is said to be Adelaide Cottage, within walking distance from Queen Elizabeth’s private apartments at Windsor Castle.
Moreover, the Royal Family has their Norfolk home of Anmer Hall, where it is very likely that Prince William, Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will spend plenty of time this summer. William has previously spoken highly of the Norfolk home.
“We spend as much time as we can here, it’s very peaceful,” the future king said on one of the Apple Time to Walk episodes.
Not only does their Norfolk vacation home mean plenty of fun for the royal children, but it’s also helped them learn the importance of hard work. Well, at least in the case of Prince George.
The 8-year-old prince – third in the line of succession after his grandfather, Prince Charles, and his father – seems to have found an interest in farms.
While visiting a local goat farm in Wales in March, Kate revealed that George likes to help around the estate. Prince William reportedly asked the farm owners about a robot silage sweeper – which was kept in a barn – and the owner, Gary, revealed that he usually moves feed with it.
“That was George’s job at half term – moving feed,” Kate revealed.
Interestingly, it’s not the first time the royal children have helped out with the farming on the grounds of their country home. In 2020, when speaking to elementary school teacher Rhian Roberts – who also owns a dairy farm – William explained that his children have helped deliver lambs during their time off.
“We’ve been lambing with the children this week,” William told Rhian. “Charlotte wasn’t sure at first, but George was straight in there. Louis loves the tractors.”
“They are starting to build their happy memories here.”
This summer might also include Prince William and Kate Middleton visiting Queen Elizabeth’s Scottish estate Balmoral. The 50,000-acre estate has endless opportunities for the royal children to explore and have fun, including horse riding, cycling, and fishing. Needless to say, it’s the ultimate summer holiday spot.
“George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us and they are starting to build their own happy memories here too,” William said last year.
As the royal children grow up, they will naturally understand that they live a completely different life than anyone else. They will, of course, attend school and learn all about life, but they will most likely never have a “normal” job.
As mentioned, Prince George is third in the line of succession, after Prince Charles and his father, William. Like many princes before him, sports and athletics have thus far been a big part of his childhood. In George’s case, this has meant trips to watch high-profile football and rugby matches, as well as, more recently, tennis.
Besides playing some himself, he was seen accompanying his parents last weekend at the Wimbledon men’s tennis final.
It almost feels like these days it’s not quite a major British sporting event without a Royal Family member in attendance. In fact, one could even say that it’s not a major British event without having Prince George – or one of his younger siblings – present to steal the show.
Just weeks ago, little Prince Louis went viral thanks to a series of hilarious pictures from the Queen’s Jubilee. This time, though, it was George’s turn to get the people talking, even if some viewers were left concerned.
Prince George was dressed in a blue suit and tie as he accompanied his parents for the Wimbledon men’s final to watch defending champion Novak Djokovic’s win over Nick Kyrgios.
Kate Middleton looked stunning in a black-and-white dress, while Prince William donned a brown jacket over a blue button-down shirt, along with dark blue pants.
The match lasted some three hours, giving photographers plenty of time to get some great shots of Prince George as he took in the action.
He was seen laughing, picking his nose, having conversations with his parents – it largely looked like he enjoyed watching two of the best players in the world battle it out on the legendary Wimbledon Center Court.
“It’s too hot”
However, there were pictures that appeared to show George in discomfort as well. Temperatures in London soared to 28C (82F) on the day, and the young prince was clearly feeling the heat.
“[It’s] too hot,” George told his dad, “as reported by Sky.
William replied: “Oh you’re hot, are you? It’s very warm today […] It’ll be fine.”
As reported by the Daily Express, royal fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Many of them were concerned.
“Poor child having to wear a suit in this hot weather,” one user wrote.
“Why do they dress him in a suit and tie and in this heat. He’s a boy, not a grown up,” another stated.
A third said, “Poor Prince George, he must be boiling in that suit.”
Ultimately, it was Novak Djokovic who emerged as champion once again at Wimbledon. Afterwards, not only did he get to enjoy the adulation of fans, but also that of the Royals. Shortly after having his name added to the honors board in the All England Club for the seventh time, Prince William and Prince George congratulated him.
George could be seen beaming as he watched Djokovic play, even giving the legendary player a thumbs up. But that was nothing compared with the fact that the young prince got to lay his hands on the trophy when Djokovic gave it to him to hold.
In a clip on Wimbledon’s official Youtube channel, George is seen being handed the trophy by Djokovic, with former tennis player Sue Barker exclaiming: “Oh no, look at that. That’s special, isn’t it.”
Prince George listened dutifully as his mother explained a bit about the famous trophy, and he had the chance to look at the engravings of all the previous winners.
“It’s a bit heavy,” he was heard to have said.
Of course, the Wimbledon final wasn’t the first time Prince George had watched tennis. By all accounts, the young royal is a big tennis fan, and once even got a private lesson from Roger Federer.
The Swiss tennis player confirmed that he had visited George at the home of Kate’s parents – Carole and Michael Middleton.
Moreover, it turns out that the young prince had excellent technique.
“At that stage, it’s all about just touch the ball, it’s already good. Same with my boys. I think I have a little advantage that I actually spent some time, you know, with him,” Federer said.
“I’m the only player he’s ever met. Then you have a little head start in who is your favorite player.”
According to Hello Magazine, Prince George has been taking tennis lessons since he was five.
The family actually has their own court at their country home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Who knows, perhaps George is a future Wimbledon champion in the making?