Prince George’s birthday ‘shrouded in secrecy’ as Prince William, Kate Middleton protect heir: experts

Prince George will be celebrating his 10th birthday Saturday, but details about the big day are being kept top secret by his doting parents.

The elder son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, is second in line to the British throne. He is turning double digits July 22.

Royal watchers can expect a new photo of the prince, likely taken by his mother. The 41-year-old often shoots the royal portraits of her three children that are shared on their birthdays every year. She is also a patron of the Royal Photographic Society. 

But royal experts believe that, aside from keeping up with this tradition, the family will be celebrating out of the spotlight.

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“They’ve always been intensely secretive and private about his birthday,” royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Fox News Digital. “They’ve never released anything … in terms of a birthday party, and what they do is shrouded in secrecy.

“We are starting to see him a lot more in public these days, but they’re still very keen on keeping him private property rather than public property. His parents have been incredibly hands-on, and they’ve followed a very similar upbringing Kate would have had with two siblings, a close-knit family. … They’re focusing very much on the value of the family.

“They’ve built quite a unique family unit.”

It’s believed the family may embark on a summer vacation, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, they traveled to the Caribbean island of Mustique in 2019 for the young royal’s birthday. The tropical getaway was a haven for Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II’s younger sister, in the ‘70s. 

The outlet noted the Prince and Princess of Wales have been traveling to Mustique for years, and they even brought along Middleton’s family for one special outing.

The family has also traveled to Jordan, where Middleton lived from age 2-4 for her father’s job at British Airways. It was the setting for the family’s 2021 Christmas card photo.

The outlet also reported the family may want to stay closer to home. Some of their other favorite travel destinations include the Isles of Scilly and the Lake District.

“If it’s anything like their previous birthday celebrations, it will be very low-key — a strict family and friends affair,” Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital.

“Like Princess Diana, William and Kate are hands-on parents, and they know how important it is for all of their kids to stay grounded, especially George,” Andersen said. “Both of George’s parents have proven they have the common touch, and they are doing what they can to instill that in him. The last thing they want is for the future king to come off as a spoiled brat. In that effort, they appear to be succeeding.”

Andersen pointed out that the late Princess of Wales, William’s mother, wanted to expose her two sons to life beyond palace walls.

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“They haven’t gone as far as Diana did to expose their children to some of the harsher realities of life,” he explained. “Diana took her sons to pediatric wards and homeless shelters so they would know about the problems of real people. 

“[She did this so] William and Harry didn’t get too full of themselves or feel as if they were better than other people. Diana also made sure they stood in line with everybody else to go to the movies, pick up Kentucky Fried Chicken (her favorite fast food) or go on an amusement park ride.”

“We haven’t seen a lot of that with Diana’s grandchildren yet, but William and Kate are trying to make sure they behave themselves at school and in public,” Andersen added.

Royal author Katie Nicholl recently gave some hints on how the family will be spending time together this weekend. Sources told her George will have a party either at Windsor Castle or the family’s home in Norfolk, but it won’t be “showy,” ET reported.

“A lavish party, where there’s a huge expense, is just not William and Kate’s style,” Nicholl told the outlet.

Loved ones, as well as George’s friends from both his former and current school, will be present for the festivities, she revealed.

“[Kate] still always bakes the cake,” said Nicholl. “She will be doing a tea party. I’m told there’s going to be something of a football theme involved in the celebrations.” 

But everything “will stay very firmly behind closed doors.”

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“What is so important is the way William and Catherine are handling matters,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “The balance between public and private seems ideal. … He always looks happy. 

“William was, of course, fortunate in that both his parents adored him. But he did suffer during the 1990s when things went catastrophically wrong publicly. … In contrast, George’s parents have a harmonious relationship.”

Fitzwilliams revealed that while “a lot hangs on George’s shoulders,” his parents want to focus on giving him “as normal a life as possible when young.”

“They have normal childhoods in all the way they can,” British royal expert Shannon Felton Spence told Fox News Digital. “The release of the birthday portrait is a great example. It satisfies the public curiosity. It’s become a tradition and something we expect, and yet it is usually in play clothes and taken by his mum in the backyard.”

“The first time that balance between duty and normalcy was ever even attempted was with Princess Diana,” she added. “William is continuing that philosophy and setting appropriate boundaries that allow for the children to just be children.”

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King Charles, George’s grandfather, ascended to the throne upon the death of the queen in September. William, 41, is heir to the throne.