Prince George Is Turning 8, Making Him Officially Old Enough To Stop Wearing Shorts In Public

Jul 19, 2021

Prince William and Kate Middleton have three lovely children — 3-year-old Louis, 5-year-old Charlotte and 7-year-old George. George is growing up and is on his way to becoming a young man and in fact, he'll be turning 8 years old on July 22. Royal fans are no doubt keeping their eyes peeled as Middleton often treats the public to a portrait of her children on each of their birthdays.

Most recently, George looked quite grown up as he joined his father and mother for two UEFA Euro 2020 Championships soccer matches. He looked like William's mini-me as he donned a smart suit that was perfectly tailored. While George was devastated that England ended up losing the final match on July 11, he was supported by both his parents at the game. It went to show that though George has a very different upbringing to most children as he is set to be the King of England in the future, he is just like any other kid in most other aspects of his life. 

His outfit at the Euro 2020 games also caused a lot of attention and it's about to cause even more, as it's likely that he will be making a big change to his wardrobe following his 8th birthday. Normally wearing shorts and high socks during his public appearances, George is expected to make the switch to long pants after his 8th birthday. It's in fact an English custom for aristocratic boys to exclusively wear shorts, even in cold weather, until around this age before going for a more grown-up look in pants.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Sophie Mirman, who is the founder and creative director of U.K. childrenswear store Trotters, commented on Prince George's stylish Euro 2020 look, stating:

"I thought he looked very dapper and regal. He must have felt very cool and grown-up in his new jacket and tie — matching with his dad was actually very cute too."

She added that she thinks it would've been "rather strange" for Prince William to be dressed in a suit and tie and for his son to wear a polo shirt and shorts, before confirming "it was right for the occasion."

Mirman has even dressed all of the Cambridge children in the past and she explained how the event was a great time for the debut of George's new grown-up look. She added that she thinks the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are "fantastic at judging what to wear and when," and that George "is growing up fast and more of a young man than a little boy now."

The designer and store owner also explained how George has usually worn shorts before and that it's a longstanding tradition among royals and the aristocracy in the U.K. However, there have been exceptions to the rule, with one notable time during the royal family's Christmas Day walk in 2019. Mirman elaborated on the tradition:

"I think it's definitely a look for the royals, and there is this rather strange thing in English schools where children have to wear shorts, even in the winter, with their freezing cold knees — it's almost like an unwritten code."

Mirman even likened George's style evolution to his father, stating to PEOPLE:

"His style hasn't changed, but it's evolved in the way that you would assume it would, and it's very much reminiscent of what the young princes would have worn in the time of Princess Diana. It suits George beautifully." 

Although William followed the shorts-to-pants tradition too, he actually made the transition a little bit later than his son. Ingrid Seward, who is the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, spoke to PEOPLE in 2014 about William's own style journey. She told the publication:

"Prince William didn’t wear long trousers until he went to school at Ludgrove at the age of 8 or 9."

She spoke further on the tradition, stating:

"Boys wear short trousers until they are 8. It is very English. It is shorts until you’re 8 and then 'woo, you’re in long trousers.' They suddenly feel very grown up."

However, the reason behind why young boys wear shorts until the age that they do is apparently because it's "considered very suburban for a little boy to be in long trousers when he is just a little boy.” Knowing the royal family and how it honors tradition, it's no surprise then that the rule about young boys wearing shorts is still honored for the most part until this day.

With George's 8th birthday nearly here, it seems that the future king will be stepping into a different phase of his life journey. He's surely growing up quickly before the world's eyes and we can't wait to see his development.

Did you ever consider why Prince George always wore shorts? Are you a fan of his new mature look? If you learned something from this article then be sure to pass it on to those you know!