Prince William Expressed Concerns For Prince George's Generation After Son's Litter Picking Experience

Oct 15, 2021

Prince George is not like any other kid in the world — he is most certainly going to be the King of England one day, so the young prince spends his days preparing to take on a role and responsibility that almost no other child in the world is expected to have. Like other people in his family, George will be raised as a royal and will be spending the rest of his life serving the British public. 

He certainly has great role models to look up to; his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth is thoroughly loved and respected by not just the British but the world over, and George's father Prince William has shown himself to be a strong and capable leader who will firmly fill the shoes of the King of England when his time comes. 

Though he is not in the public eye as much as his parents are, people are always thrilled to get a glimpse of him whenever possible. Most recently, George attended a couple of Euro 2020 football matches that took place in August 2021 with his parents and looked extremely grown-up in a matching suit with his dad. 

In the past, both William and Kate Middleton have expressed that despite their children being princes and a princess, they aim to raise them just like any other children. This includes their children participating in school events. During an interview with BBC on October 14, 2021, William opened up about an experience that George had at school when their class went litter picking as part of the school activities. 

Town & Country Mag reported that William said during the interview, "So George at school recently has been doing litter picking and I didn't realize but talking to him the other day he was already showing that he was getting a bit confused." 

He explained that George was "a bit sort of annoyed by the fact they went out litter picking one day and then the very next day, they did the same route, same time and pretty much all the same litter they picked up was back again," and added "And I think that for him he was trying to understand how and where it all came from. He couldn't understand, he's like, 'Well, we cleaned this. Why has it not gone away?'"

PEOPLE reported that during the interview, William also opened up about climate change and his concerns about it, saying "And you know, for me, it would be an absolute disaster if George is sat here talking to you or your successor, Adam, you know in like 30 years’ time, whatever, still saying the same thing because by then we will be too late." 

William takes this subject very seriously and to do his part, he introduced the Earthshot Prize, which is created to tackle some of the most pressing current issues.

Jason Knauf, who is the chief executive of the Royal Foundation, said about the prize "The challenge the Duke set himself was, 'What is the maximum positive personal contribution I can make in the next 10 years in the fight against climate change? What am I going to do in the next decade that means I can look my children in the eye and say that I did my bit? Every aspect of the Prize bears the stamp of his contribution.'"

With a father who is so responsible and active, it is no wonder that George and his siblings have a sense of responsibility that they have developed early on. Being a prince means that George was born into a life of public service, and he began his duties in a small way by volunteering.

In 2020, George and his whole family helped to deliver homemade pasta to the elderly and vulnerable near their Norfolk home, according to Reader's Digest. George and his sibling helped to prepare the packages, and one onlooker said, "They got drenched as it was pouring with the rain but I think they just wanted to do their bit." 

A source told Us Weekly that William and Kate have a "strict but fair" parenting style, and that even though George is to be king in the future, they do not spoil or coddle him. The source added, "The royals are renowned for being 'stiff upper lip,' but William and Kate have a more modern approach to parenting and are moving away from that mentality. Open communication is key for them. … [But they] set boundaries and have rules in place."

It is important to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge that George has a very regular upbringing. "He’s not called Prince George at school and is simply known as George, he mixes with children his own age," the source told Us Weekly. "Kate and William don’t shower him with expensive gifts nor do they over spoil him.…George makes his bed every morning.…All the children have impeccable manners and always say please and thank you."

What do you think about Prince George's experience with litter picking? Do you agree with Prince William that it is time we tackle climate change before it gets too late? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones as well.