Catherine, Princess of Wales and 'protective' son Prince George's bond as the future King of England turns 11

Prince George has a particularly unique bond with his parents simply because of his place in the line of succession.

The young royal, who turns 11 today, has two important role models to watch and learn from as he prepares to one day be King – his mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and father William, Prince of Wales.

His bond with William is one steeped in a shared responsibility as heirs. But with mum Kate, the relationship is very different.

READ MORE: Inside the Princess of Wales' special bond with Prince Louis

George is Catherine's first-born child – and when she welcomed the prince on July 22, 2013, it instantly made her one of the most important people in the world: the mother of the future King of England.

George made Kate a mother and turned the royal couple into a family of three.

When George was born, Kate emerged from the Lindo Wing and presented her pride and joy to the world. Britain rejoiced over the birth of a future King, the first direct heir since William was born in 1982.

William and Kate proudly took George along on his first royal engagement to New Zealand, and Kate's maternal side was on full display as she laughed and doted on her son.

It was a glorious moment of deja vu for royal fans, who remember Diana taking son William to New Zealand for his first public appearance in 1983.

As George grew up, we were offered frequent glimpses of George and Kate's sweet mother-son bond. 

It was clear Kate had a hands-on approach with raising her first-born and was determined to be there every step of the way as her son grew up.

READ MORE: Why we didn't see Prince Louis at the football or the tennis

In a rare podcast appearance on Happy Mum, Happy Baby, the Princess of Wales emphasised how important it was to have a constant parental presence in a child's life.

"I think ultimately if you look at who's caring and looking after and nurturing children in the most vital period from pregnancy all the way to the age of five, you know parents and carers are right at the heart of that, and families are right at the heart of that," she said.

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As Kate welcomed two more children into the family, Charlotte in 2015 and Louis in 2018, the Princess' bond with her first-born remained a special one.

In 2017, during a speech at the launch of the Out of the Blue film series by mental health organisation Best Beginnings, Kate spoke candidly about what it was like to become a mum.

"Nothing can really prepare you for the sheer overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. It is full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together," she explained.

As George has grown older, Kate's one-on-one time with her eldest son morphed into joint appearances at the tennis and adorable public engagements – including his famous appearance at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford.

At Trooping the Colour in 2022, we also learned George had an adorable nickname for his mum, calling her "Mumma" while travelling in a carriage with Kate.

And Kate's role in George's life has only become more and more crucial to his future role as King.

Catherine knows all too well what it is like to have the spotlight thrust upon her and the weight of the crown on her shoulders.

She and William have reportedly been gently preparing George to one day assume the throne, with some experts claiming the prince has known his fate since age seven.

Robert Hardmen, the author of The Making of a King: King Charles II and the Modern Monarchy, told People that William and Kate are working as a couple to help ease George into his life as a royal.

"Crucially, it's both of them – William and Catherine," Hardman said.

Expert Jennie Bond told The Mirror that Catherine is determined her son will not lose any of the magic of childhood because of his royal status.

"George is very lucky to have Catherine as his mother," Bond said. 

"She's showing herself to be an excellent parent in quite difficult circumstances and doing a great job of making sure George grows up as balanced, confident and happy as possible."

READ MORE: Your handy guide to the British royal family line of succession

There's no doubt Kate's cancer diagnosis has resulted in the Princess of Wales prioritising time with family over public engagements, including being at home with her three kids. 

When she shared the now infamous family photo with George, Charlotte and Louis to mark Mother's Day in the UK, experts pointed out that her eldest son's body language proved he was "protective" of his mum.

"Her two boys use protective signals as they pose alongside her, with George leaning in and placing one leg across her in a barrier gesture, while even little Louis sits with his arm extended across her torso, and his hand holding her leg," body language expert Judi James told Express.

In Kate's appearance at Trooping the Colour 2024, George sat in between his mother and father as the car took them to Buckingham Palace.

And the soon-to-be 11-year-old was photographed looking proudly up at his mother as the Wales family gathered on the balcony.

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