The youngest members of the royal family may still be children, but that doesn't mean that they're not already being prepared for what their lives will look like when they grow up. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and baby Prince Louis are all being prepped for their future as working royals — even though they're just 6, 5, and 2 right now.
Although the children won't officially be working royals for several years, Kate Middleton and Prince William are likely eager for them to join that rank of the family, especially now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have stepped down as working royals. Someone's gotta help fill that gap so Kate and Will don't have to take care of everything on their own.
Why not their kiddos?
Fortunately, the littlest royals are already stepping up in major ways, and they have been practically since birth. It's a little bit like when a child is born into a household with a prominent family business, and the parents start the kids out working at said business from a young age so they are primed to take it over when the time comes. Only in this instance, the royal kids really don't have much of a choice in the whole matter — and the family business is being head of state of the UK and a bunch of Commonwealth countries. Casual.
For Prince George, it's especially important to get him on the working royal track early, because a lot will be expected from him throughout his life. He'll be king one day — just like his father — and that's a whole different type of commitment and responsibility than his younger siblings will have even as regular working royals.
Here is how George, Charlotte, and Louis have been prepping to take over their own family business of being in a monarchy.
Royal Tours
Prince George will be king some day, so he's been prepped for his working royal life since he was a baby. Before he was even a year old, Kate Middleton and Prince William took George along on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Working royals frequently have to visit the Commonwealth countries, and George has already been to several of them. He's got a leg up now for when he has to visit on his own.
Charming the Press
Having a relationship with the press is part of what a working royal has to deal with. (Even Prince Harry begrudgingly dealt with the media for years.) Princess Charlotte is already a natural when the cameras are around. In this photo, she turned around — seemingly unprompted — as she headed into the hospital to meet her new baby brother and gave the press an adorable wave.
Photo on a Stamp
Queen Elizabeth is on the country's money and their stamps, which means that Prince George will also be one day. He got a taste of that when he posed with his great-grandma, grandpa, and dad for a special stamp featuring the UK's current and future monarchs. Soon, he won't even have to stand on a stack of books to be tall enough for the picture.
Charity Work
For Princess Charlotte's fifth birthday, Kate posted some photos of her daughter's charity work. The whole royal family has been doing everything they can during this tough time, and even the little ones have pitched in as Princess Charlotte helped pack and deliver food to those in need. Giving back is an important part of being a working royal, and Kate and Will have empowered their kids at a young age to do so.
Royal Events
There are certain events that all royals have to attend — suchas weddings and the Queen's birthday parade known as Trooping the Colour. So far, the young princes and princess have been spotted at nearly all of these important occasions, and they'll continue to show up as they get older and become official working royals. Even Prince Louis was working on his wave during last year's Trooping the Colour ceremony.
Greeting Fans
Last year, for the first time, Charlotte and George joined their parents at the Sandringham Christmas church service. While there, Charlotte stopped and spent some time greeting the gathered fans. She even gave this woman a hug. Young Charlotte is already working on her royal outreach skills, and they're only going to get better as she grows up.
Official Portraits
Part of being a working royal is having to sit for official portraits, and sometimes, even paintings. George stood with Prince William, Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth for this photo in January used to ring in the new decade. George even got to wear pants for the occasion, proving that he's growing up and leaving his shorts and knee socks days behind him.
Supporting Royal Patronages
Prince George got to help out last Christmas with an event that supported the armed forces. (He helped make desserts that would be given out as part of the Royal British Legion's Together at Christmas initiative.) When he becomes an official working royal, he'll get patronages of his own, but for now, he gets to help out the causes that his family champions.
Etiquette Lessons
According to Cosmopolitan, both Prince George and Princess Charlotte are already taking lessons in etiquette as they make their way toward being working royals. Royal etiquette expert Myka Meier told the magazine that the children start at age 2, learning to shake hands and curtsy. She added that they have "gentle lessons right before an event or when meeting an important guest to help prepare them."
That would explain why they're already so well-mannered.
Meeting World Leaders
When he's king, Prince George will be tasked with keeping relationships with a number of world leaders. Good thing his family got him started young. In 2016, George met then-President Barack Obama. The young prince was only about 3 at the time, but he still took it all very seriously — shaking the president's hand and everything.
Bouquet Gifts
At almost every engagement that the Duchess of Cambridge goes to, she gets handed a bouquet of flowers. It's just part of the job. (Reportedly, the bouquets are later donated to charities and hospitals.) Charlotte's already a pro at graciously taking the gifts, like when she was handed this small bunch of flowers on a trip to Berlin.
Supporting Fellow Royals
OK, to be fair, Louis didn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter when it came to attending the garden his mom designed at the Chelsea Flower Show, but having the kids tag along to other royals' events is a great way to get them accustomed to life as a working royal. Charlotte and George have also been in a couple of family weddings, so they're used to helping out.
Meeting Subjects
When George visited New Zealand, Kate took him to an event for local parents and their children. As New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth, these kids will all be subjects of George's when he's head of state one day. Guess it's good to get the meet-and-greets started now, huh? That way he'll be really used to them when he's the king.
Clapping for Healthcare Heroes
Even little Prince Louis got in on the action to thank the health care and frontline workers with a round of clapping. All of the kids participated, and it was a wonderful way for Will and Kate to get their children involved in this tough time. They'll likely deal with a lot of crises as working royals, and showing them how even small actions can help show support is a great learning lesson.
Prepping for the Next Stage
Charlotte is 5, George is almost 7, and they've already begun preparing for the next phase of their lives as royals. According to Express, their parents frequently talk to them about the realities of being a working royal. George also knows he'll be the king one day. Reportedly, William told George about it by comparing it to characters from a storybook where there are kings and princes and princesses.
