Prince George's 11th birthday marks last year before 'morbid rule' kicks in: expert

Prince George will celebrate his 11th birthday on Monday.

Royal experts told Fox News Digital that the oldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who also share daughter Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, will likely have a joyful celebration with two birthday parties, a game of soccer and a cake personally baked by his mother. 

However, they noted that the prince's birthday is expected to be more "low-key" amid his mother and his grandfather King Charles III's cancer battles.

"William and Kate have done pretty much anything they could to make George's childhood a relatively normal one — as they have with all their children. But this has obviously been a tough year for George, Charlotte and Louis, with both their mother and their grandfather waging very public cancer battles," "The King" author, Christopher Andersen, told Fox News Digital.

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"So, it's likely they'll stick to the usual plan and have a low-key party at Windsor attended by cousins and a few school friends," he continued.

The royal expert noted that Middleton had previously shared that she has "good days and bad days" as she undergoes chemotherapy treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. 

In a June social media post, Middleton gave an update on her health and revealed that she would attend Trooping the Colour, which marked her first public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March. On June 14, Middleton received a standing ovation when she stepped out at Wimbledon with Charlotte.

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Andersen also pointed out that George's next birthday will mark the beginning of a lifestyle change for the prince and his father after a "morbid rule" kicks in.

"This may be the last year George will be allowed to fly with his father," he said. "Starting at age 12, heirs to the throne are required to take air trips separately to preserve the line of succession should an accident occur."

"When William turned 12, he began flying in a separate royal jet apart from his father and brother Harry," Andersen added. "It's a morbid rule, but then again, when they turn 16, all senior royals are also asked to help plan their own funerals."

While William and Middleton's children are currently going through a rough time with their mom's and grandfather's health issues, they have been "distracted" with several fun events.

Last month, George and Charlotte made a surprise appearance alongside their father at Taylor Swift's concert in London. 

George, who is an avid soccer fan, also attended the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between England and Spain with William on July 14.

"It's not hard to see that part of the strategy here is to spend the summer keeping the kids distracted," Andersen told Fox News Digital. "Taylor Swift, the World Cup, Wimbledon — this swirl of activity makes it almost impossible to dwell on the negative."

Prince George's birthday will also be a joyful event. Royal expert Hilary Fordwich predicted he will have a "more low-key birthday," and noted that he will have two birthday parties.

"He usually has one at Amner Hall in Norfolk, where they have spent summer holidays, and then another party with his school friends back in London at Kensington Palace at a later date," Fordwich said. "There will be plenty of age-appropriate children’s activities. In past years, there have been magicians and a 'royal bouncy castle' in the palace gardens."

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Andersen added that George's birthday celebration will likely include a game of soccer given the prince's love of the sport.

"On the heels of England's near-victory in the World Cup, George is more besotted with soccer than ever," he said. "It's almost certain that whatever they've planned party-wise will at some point involve kicking a soccer ball around. And both William and Kate are famously good at it."

Fordwich noted that "sadly" the prince's birthday present "won't include an England win."

"It was heartache for him and Prince William in Berlin as they watched the England squad defeated by Spain," she said, recalling that George "actually caused a bit of a controversy back on his sixth birthday by wearing an England jersey supporting England over any of the other countries in the United Kingdom."

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While he won't get a win from his favorite soccer team, he will most likely get a cake baked by his mom. 

Andersen told Fox News Digital that if Middleton is having a "good day" in regard to her health, she will "almost certainly" follow her tradition of baking George's birthday cake.

Fordwich agreed that the princess will most likely bake her son's cake, noting that she has previously mentioned she "loves cooking."

The royal commentator recalled that Middleton opened up about her birthday tradition for her children on 2019's "A Berry Royal Christmas" show. 

"I love making the cake," Middleton said at the time. "It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up 'til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it."

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Andersen and Fordwich both predicted that the royal family will adhere to another annual birthday tradition and release a new portrait of George to mark his big day.

"Each and every year, Princess Catherine has broken with royal tradition by taking her children’s official birthday photos," Fordwich said. "If a picture does tell a thousand words, over the years all the photos of her three have consistently exuded immense happiness and depicted a totally normal upbringing."

"The only nod to the public will be the release of a new photograph of George, presumably one chosen by his parents that will make us all gasp by showing how much the prince has grown," Andersen told Fox News Digital. "Buckingham Palace usually gets into the act by releasing a separate image that underscores George's royal status. Last year, it was an aerial view of George at his grandfather's coronation."

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