Prince George | |||||
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Born | Prince George of Cambridge 22 July 2013 St Mary's Hospital, London, England | ||||
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House | Windsor | ||||
Father | William, Prince of Wales | ||||
Mother | Catherine Middleton |
Royal family of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms |
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Prince George of Wales (George Alexander Louis; born 22 July 2013) is a member of the British royal family. He is the eldest child of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. George is the eldest grandchild of King Charles III and second in the line of succession to the British throne behind his father.
George was born at St Mary's Hospital, London, during the reign of his paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and was third in line before her death. His birth was widely celebrated across the Commonwealth realms due to the expectation that he will eventually become king.
Prince George was born at 16:24 BST on 22 July 2013 in St Mary's Hospital, London, during the reign of his paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. He was the first child of Prince William and Catherine, then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. [1] His birth was announced by press release and followed by the display of a traditional easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. [1] [2] Celebrations were staged in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms [3] and the newborn was widely hailed as a future king in the majority of British newspapers. [4] [5] His name was announced as George Alexander Louis on 24 July. [6]
George was third in the line of succession to the British throne at the time of his birth. For the first time since the reign of Queen Victoria, three generations in direct line of succession to the British throne were alive at the same time: George; his father, William; and his grandfather, Charles. [7] George was christened on 23 October by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. [8] [9] [lower-alpha 2]
George spent his first months in Anglesey, Wales, before his family relocated to Kensington Palace in 2014. [10] [11] He embarked on his first royal tour with his parents in April 2014, during which they spent three weeks in New Zealand and Australia. Although George appeared only twice, the BBC described the "nine-month-old future king" as "the star of the show". [12] The then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott predicted in the Parliament House, Canberra, that George would one day be welcomed there as King of Australia. [12] Australian media called him "the republican slayer", after polls showed the lowest support for republicanism in the country for 35 years. [13] [14] In June 2015, George made his first public appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour parade. [15] From 2015 to 2017, his family lived at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, where he started at West Acre Montessori School Nursery in January 2016. [16] George met Barack and Michelle Obama on 22 April 2016. The encounter later prompted Barack Obama to joke that "Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe... a clear breach of protocol." [17]
George started primary school under the name George Cambridge in September 2017 at Thomas's School in Battersea. [18] [19] [20] In 2022, the family relocated to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park. [21] Since September 2022, George and his siblings, Charlotte and Louis, have attended Lambrook, an independent preparatory school in Berkshire. [22] [23]
George took part in his great-grandmother's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June 2022, including the Trooping the Colour carriage procession. [24] Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022 and was succeeded by George's grandfather, who took the regnal name Charles III. George moved up to second in line for the throne, behind his father. [25] [26] He served as a page of honour at his grandfather's coronation on 6 May 2023. [27] [28] George and his siblings occasionally accompany their parents on royal engagements, [29] tours, and diplomatic visits. [30] [31]
Clothing and other products used by George are often sold out, which has been termed as the "Prince George effect". [32] His parents have been adamant about maintaining their son's privacy as he grows up. [33] In August 2015, Kensington Palace stated that they wanted all global media to stop taking unauthorised photographs of George, saying that "a line [had] been crossed" in paparazzi methods of locating and photographing him, including surveilling the family and sending children to bring George into view. [34]
In the British satirical sketch programme Newzoids George was depicted as a rebellious, foul-mouthed character with a lewd sense of humour. [35] The 2016 children's book Winnie-the-Pooh Meets the Queen , written in honour of the 90th birthdays of both Queen Elizabeth II and the fictional character of Winnie-the-Pooh, features a cameo appearance from George, to whom Piglet presents a red balloon. [36] The 2021 animated sitcom The Prince stars a fictionalised eight-year-old George who makes life difficult for his family. [37] The show was cancelled in February 2022 after the first series drew criticism for satirising royal children. [38]
George is a prince of the United Kingdom with the official style "His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales". [39] [40] During the reign of his great-grandmother, he was styled "His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge". [41]
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a member of the British royal family. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is fifth in the line of succession to the British throne.
Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her activism and glamour, which made her an international icon, earned her enduring popularity.
The British royal family comprises King Charles III and his close relations. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is a part of the royal family. Members often support the monarch in undertaking public engagements, and pursue charitable work and interests. Members of the royal family are regarded as British and world cultural icons.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from his wife's accession on 6 February 1952 until his death in 2021, making him the longest-serving royal consort in history.
William, Prince of Wales, is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of King Charles III. He was born 3rd in the line of succession to the British throne and is now 14th.
Charles III is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor is the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. She is a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and the youngest niece of King Charles III. Born 8th in line to the British throne, she is now 16th.
The use of the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is entirely at the will of the sovereign, and is now expressed in letters patent. Individuals holding the title of princess will usually also be granted the style of Her Royal Highness (HRH). The current letters patent were issued in 1917 during the World War I, with one extension in 2012.
St Mary's Hospital is an NHS hospital in Paddington, in the City of Westminster, London, founded in 1845. Since the UK's first academic health science centre was created in 2008, it has been operated by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which also operates Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital and the Western Eye Hospital.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne.
Anmer Hall is a Georgian country house in the village of Anmer in Norfolk, England. Built in the 19th century, it was acquired by the Sandringham Estate sometime after Queen Victoria purchased the property, and has previously been leased to business owners, civil servants, and members of the British royal family. It is currently the country residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, given to the couple as a wedding gift by Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states over the course of her lifetime and remained the monarch of 15 realms by the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch or female monarch, and the second-longest verified reign of any monarch of a sovereign state in history.
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal Peculiar, and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St George's Chapel was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and extensively enlarged in the late 15th century. It is located in the Lower Ward of the castle.
Princess Charlotte of Wales is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. A granddaughter of King Charles III, she is third in the line of succession to the British throne.
Prince Louis of Wales is a member of the British royal family. He is the third and youngest child of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. A grandson of Charles III, he is fourth in the line of succession to the British throne.