The British royal family could break new ground: As the “Daily Mail” reported, Prince George (9) may not have to do military service before he becomes king. In doing so, he would be breaking with a centuries-old tradition.
Because normally heirs to the throne complete a service in the armed forces. The monarch is the supreme commander of the British armed forces. But since Crown Prince William (41) and his wife Kate (41) rely on a contemporary education, experts assume that George could have the freedom to go his own way. This is backed up by a friend of Prince William’s, who was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: “Theoretically, nothing prevents George from pursuing a career as an astronaut if he wants to, and then becoming king. The rules are different now , he wouldn’t necessarily have to follow the old formula of going into the military.”
The historian Hugo Vickers commented: “This is significant because it shows that times are advancing.” For King Charles III. (74), however, his military service was very helpful. “It showed the country that he was employed and that he would not use his title for commercial purposes.” Because Vickers is of the opinion: “What clearly doesn’t work are the cases in which members of the royal family undertake commercial ventures. It always goes wrong.”
It remains to be seen what career George will actually take. His father William was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and served in the armed forces for more than seven years. His grandfather Charles served in both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force between 1971 and 1976. His great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) served during World War II in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, a branch of the Army that women could join.
