Prince George is only 11 years old, but his life may soon change with the madness of the public; This means her parents may have to prepare for a battle over her privacy.

When he was George’s age, his father Prince WilliamIt was at Ludgrove boarding school, where the headmaster was said to have banned newspapers in the library and ordered that pupils be restricted from watching television to be protected from stories and gossip about the royal family.

Then everything changed when William was 15. The young Prince of Wales was suddenly viewed very differently by the public and the media following his tour of Canada in March 1998, which led to what was nicknamed “Willsmania”.

Monika Vriend was among the crowd in Vancouver when a woman held up a sign that read: “William, I’m the one you’re looking for.” Canadian Press back then it was, “Like in the days when the Beatles came out, people were going crazy and fainting and couldn’t believe their own eyes that the princes were there.”

That visit described in the last season netflix sherry CrownHe was about three months away from his 16th birthday.

The interest was undoubtedly well-intentioned, but it shows how short childhood is for the royal family and has triggered intense demand for stories about her private life.

Prince George is only 11 years old and these 4.5 years will undoubtedly feel like a lifetime, but the moment when his need for privacy for the adults in his life accelerates may be soon.

TV debates about the future of the monarchy are often framed as George’s generation being a long way from when they will start to fill the headlines more than their parents; A big part of that is because they’re still so young.

But, King Charles IIIThere is no doubt that Mr. Wendy, who took his sons to Canada in 1998, less than six months after their mother’s death, did not fully plan for the “madness” that ensued.

And in that regard, William may have limited time to decide how to react if a similar avalanche of attention suddenly engulfs his heir in the age of social media, where public discourse is even harder to control.

Journalism professor Tim Luckhurst, principal of South College at Durham University in the UK, said: news week: “I don’t think interest in the royal family has ever waned.

“I think the royal family sells newspapers, they sell magazines, they sell television programmes, they are extraordinarily popular and they have always understood that there is actually a Faustian pact between them and the popular press, whether in print or online.”

Born in July 2013, George was four years and six months shy of William’s age at the time of his visit to Canada; That’s a long time in the context of her life so far, but it could go by quickly for her parents, who are currently busy with urgent health matters. and legacy.

After all, Harry and Meghan moved to California just four years and seven months ago, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold.

To put this time period into context, it was exactly four years ago that the Sussexes sparked outrage by commenting on the last US presidential election and the date by which the next president would complete his term in January 2029. Kamala Harris or Donald TrumpGeorge will be just two months away from the “Willsmania” era.

And if William’s -and Prince Harry‘s – if life experiences weren’t warning enough, show business is full of cautionary tales.

The death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday, October 16, has also triggered discussions about the impact of fame on child stars.

Fellow X Factor contestant Rebecca Ferguson says Payne would be “alive today” if she had never joined the show Sharon Osbourne He said: “We all let you down.”

There’s nothing to suggest George’s story will be as tragic as Payne’s, but there are still warning signs in recent royal history that the road may be bumpy.

Princess Kate’s first few months of 2024 show how quickly stories about the royal family can explode; especially since royal privacy has been a factor in the spread of conspiracy theories and speculation.

The Princess of Wales disappeared from public view following abdominal surgery and a cancer diagnosis, which she chose not to make public.

Amidst the information vacuum, accounts on

But the frenzy became so intense that the palace was eventually forced to back down and announced his cancer diagnosis in March.

Not only that, but in September, she pulled back the curtain even further to reveal footage of unprecedentedly intimate moments involving her three children: George, Princess Charlotte And Prince Louis— in a video announcing the end of his chemotherapy, but calling for more time to be given before a full return to work.

Luckhurst said: “There is almost no way to completely control social media.

“There are two ways forward. One is to ignore this, and the second is to go after absolutely clear and direct frauds with real aggression and use the law to the best possible effect.

“Social media is the big nightmare of today and the best thing to do as a public person is to completely ignore it because people will say things on social media that they would never say in print and get backlash. As long as social media exists, stop doing that.”

Conspiracy theories about Kate’s marriage to Prince William ran rampant during the “missing” scandal, but George and his siblings will also have romantic lives one day, sparking heated debate on social media as well.

Still William and Kate I can’t stop gossiping and nor Prince Harry and Meghan Markle We were able to stop the media from writing stories implying that their marriage is on the rocks— even after a passionate kiss in public as recently as August.

None of this bodes well for the experience George, Charlotte and Louis will look forward to as they get older and the demand for content about their private lives begins to increase.

But Luckhurst praised William and Kate’s “nearly flawless” work to establish a more positive relationship with British newspapers and publishers, pointing out that the early days of their relationship were a model for the future.

William and Kate met while they were at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, and the prince offered some photo opportunities in exchange for being largely alone.

They still maintain this approach and send photos of Kate on the children’s birthdays to the media.

This prevents them from putting up with what Prince Harry said in his book not being able to resistCalled the Wall: “Before skiing Klosters we always had to walk to a designated spot at the foot of the mountain and stand in front of the Wall, a group of seventy or so photographers arranged in three or four towering tiers.

“While we were squinting, fidgeting, and answering my father’s ridiculous questions, they would point their lenses, shout our names, and shoot us.

“The Wall was the price we paid for an uneventful hour on the slopes. But if we got in front of the Wall, they would leave us alone for a short time.”

Another issue is the international media, which has historically been at least as problematic as the British press. it was french closer The Australian press, which published topless photos of Kate privately sunbathing, interrupted Harry’s tour by leaking that he was deployed as a soldier in Afghanistan. TMZ A newspaper that published nude photos of her partying in Las Vegas.

TMZ also published long-lens photos of Kate allegedly in Windsor during the health crisis and paparazzi photos of Prince Harry and Meghan in New York in May 2023. german magazine Bunte They also released drone footage of their son, Prince ArchieIn 2020, he plays on the private court of Tyler Perry’s Los Angeles mansion.

But Luckhurst remains optimistic about the groundwork William and Kate have done so far: “Kate and William are an almost perfect example of offering access and real collaboration when it’s in their interest and the public shows a real interest without compromising their own interests.” compromise their privacy or values.”

Jack Royston news week‘s chief royal correspondent in London. You can find it in advance at X excitement-most @jack_royston and I read his stories news week‘s Royal family’s Facebook page.

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