Prince George of Wales will not be expected to serve in the military before becoming King, a tabloid report claims.
If George, nine, does not fulfil a stint in the forces, it would break centuries of royal precedent.
The monarch is Commander-in-Chief of Britain’s forces and George’s father Prince William, grandfather King Charles, and late great-grandmother the Queen all served with the military.
Prince George news
The report comes just days after George attended the Royal International Air Tattoo. He visited RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday (July 14) with his parents Prince William and Princess Kate, and younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Not only did he sit in the cockpit of a C-17 transporter at one point, he was also tasked with partially raising the aircraft’s ramp.
However, the second in line to the throne reportedly may not be compelled to pursue a stint in the forces when he is older. That’s because, according to the Mail on Sunday, George may be left “free to shape his own destiny”.
And that principle could extend may extend to other members of George’s family, too.
‘The rules are different now’
The tabloid newspaper quotes an unnamed friend of Prince William as claiming: “In theory, there is nothing to stop George from pursuing a career as an astronaut, for example, if that’s what he wants, and then becoming King later.
“The rules are different now, he wouldn’t necessarily have to follow the old formula of going into the military and then royal life.
He wouldn’t necessarily have to follow the old formula of going into the military and then royal life.
“So, could Charlotte qualify as a doctor, for example? I don’t see why not. It’s less of a fishbowl now than when William and Harry were growing up.”
Meanwhile, historian Hugo Vickers said: “This is significant because it shows that times are moving on. I’m all for people keeping up with the times providing they don’t throw tradition out of the window.”
Royals in the military
The Prince of Wales trained at Sandhurst and served in the armed forces for more than seven years. Attached to the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry, he also trained as a pilot at the RAF College. He was a full-time pilot with the search and rescue team at RAF Valley in Anglesey, north Wales.
Prince Harry also went to Sandhurst before joining the Blues and Royals and carried out two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Harry said in his memoir Spare that he killed 25 Taliban fighters.
He was the first royal family member to serve in a war zone since Prince Andrew. Andrew flew helicopters during the Falklands conflict and has since been stripped of his honorary military roles.
King Charles meanwhile served in both the Royal Navy and RAF. He served on guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk, qualified as a helicopter pilot and took command of a coastal minehunter for ten months.
George’s great-grandfather Prince Philip gave up his naval career when his wife became Queen. And she trained as a driver and mechanic with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War aged 19, becoming the first female royal to serve on active duty.
Prince Edward did not serve in the military, but was a Royal Marines officer cadet after leaving university.
ED! has contacted reps for Kensington Palace for comment.
Read more: Prince George’s appearance at royal engagement with Charlotte and Louis today leaves fans shocked
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.