In recent years, a number of historic royal rules and regulations have been changed to accommodate the younger members of the family. When the Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed their second child, Princess Charlotte, the then-monarch Queen Elizabeth II changed an important rule which dictated the line of succession. It secured Charlotte’s place as William’s second heir, where previously a younger brother – such as Prince Louis – would have outranked her.
And it isn’t the first time that the senior royals have made amendments in order to modernise the monarchy. For instance, William has often been permitted to fly with his whole family – something which breaks protocol as heirs should not travel together – and even the Wales’ parenting techniques are said to buck royal trends.
In accordance with this newfound flexibility to update royal traditions, King Charles is just as open-minded, it seems. According to a new report, the King was ‘persuaded’ to change one specific royal rule last year at the request of his grandson, Prince George.
As reported in the Mail, George – who turned 11 in July – was concerned about his formal attire for the King’s coronation in May 2023. At the time, the young royal was just 9 years old and was chosen as a Page of Honour for Charles’ ceremony, despite the fact that the role is usually reserved for boys between 12 and 15 years old. While those who are selected would usually wear white knee breeches, George was worried that his peers at school would mock him for it. The report claims that George ‘wasn’t keen on wearing tights and becoming a subject of ribaldry at school’.
As per the report, King Charles agreed to make some changes and the eight Pages wore trousers instead. A source at the time said that Charles’ enthusiasm to include the younger royals on the day, as well as his willingness to adapt, was ‘a wonderful sign of the future being laid out by the King.’
They said: “Even though he is only nine, George is very mature and already has a deep understanding of the roles of his grandfather and father, as well as his future role.”
