Prince George's Life Is About To Drastically Change Now That He's 12

For the uninitiated, July 22, 2025 is a big day for Prince George: He turns 12 years old. The future king looked so grown up in a new portrait that his parents, William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, shared on Instagram. The proud royals wished their eldest child a very happy birthday (and they're probably wondering where the time has gone since first introducing him to the world — a mere day after Kate Middleton gave birth to George). Since that special day in 2013, the Prince and Princess of Wales have welcomed two more children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

But, now that their big brother is 12, a major change is about to take place for him. George will no longer be able to travel with his father; they must take separate flights. As the next two in line for the throne, it is royal protocol that the successors must travel separately, just in case there is an attack or an accident. This way, both heirs aren't suddenly removed from the line of succession.

It's a gruesome thought, but naturally George isn't the first 12-year-old to go through it. His own father had to do the same thing once he turned 12, as former pilot Graham Laurie confirmed to the Daily Mail, recalling, "We had to have a separate aircraft and we could only fly all four together when they were young with the written permission of Her Majesty." Similarly, this means that besties George and Charlotte will also have to be separated, assuming the princess travels with the rest of her family while George is in a different plane.

Prince William has a strong relationship with his eldest son, Prince George, so he'll be able to guide him through the new travel restrictions accordingly. Still, how do you explain to your kid, "Hey, yeah, so we can't fly together anymore in case the plane goes down and we both die?" That's a frightening concept for an adult, let alone a 12-year-old child, but the Prince of Wales will probably know just the right thing to say to ease any potential anxieties.

When William was 12, his life was pretty similar to George's: Spending time with family and participating in official duties while naturally also following royal rules and protocols, many of which are outdated nowadays. But when his younger brother, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was 12, the boys both lost their mother, Princess Diana. Hopefully, this will never be a connection that uncle and nephew share.

In side-by-side photos of William and George at age 12, they initially look dissimilar. But on closer observation, they clearly bite their lip the same way and have the same teeth and eyes. One big difference is William's face is longer while George's is rounder. Likewise their hairstyles are a sign of the changing times.