July 22, 2025
Prince George Turns 12: Solo Flights, Eton Plans, and Blooding Rumors
Happy birthday to Prince George, who turns 12 today—and steps into a new phase of royal life. From now on, royal tradition dictates he can no longer travel with Prince William on official duties, in a move meant to safeguard the line of succession.
As George grows up, so do the decisions about his future. All signs now point to Eton College as his next academic chapter. And when William becomes King, George is expected to inherit major titles—Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall—along with real responsibilities, including stewardship of a 67,000-acre estate.
But one ancient custom may be off-limits. Reports suggest the royals may skip the grisly “blooding” ritual during summer hunts at Balmoral. While some insiders speculate George could be “initiated,” Princess Kate is said to have “put her foot down” on the matter.
Also today: debunking a viral YouTube rumor that Prince William stripped Camilla’s grandson of a title after an alleged bullying incident involving George. The story, based entirely on AI-generated clickbait, has zero evidence—and no basis in fact.
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Caloroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome through Palace intrig Aga.
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I'm your host Mark for Ancis. Happy birthday to Prince George,
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who will find a major change in his life beginning today.
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Once a royal in the direct line of succession turns twelve,
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they are no longer permitted to travel with the person
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ahead of them in line to the throne. That means George,
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now second in line, will have to begin traveling separately
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when undertaking official duties. The custom, which dates back generations,
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is designed to protect the line of succession in the
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event of a tragic accident. Royal watchers will recall Prince
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George's many public appearances over the years, including sporting events
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with his dad and notably unimpressed big brother moments during
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younger siblings Louise antics at trooping the color. But heading forward,
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George won't be able to share a plane, train or
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car with Prince William on royal business, a change that
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may also extend, and to travel with Princess Charlotte and
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Prince Louis. Though it may sound grim, the practice had
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its roots and real tragedy. Princess Stana died in a
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car crash in ninety seven. Before that, Princess Cecily, Prince
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Philip's sister, died in an air accident in nineteen thirty seven.
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Queen Elizabeth the Second's uncle Prince George, was killed in
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a plane crash in nineteen forty two, as was her cousin,
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Prince William of Plaster in nineteen seventy two. Graham Laurie
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King Charles former pilot, once explained how the tradition worked
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during his time with the Royal household. We flew all four,
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the Princess, Prince William, and Prince Harry up until Prince
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William was twelve years old, he told Okay magazine. After
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that he had to have a separate aircraft and we
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could only fly all four together when they were young,
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with the written permission of Her Majesty. When William became twelve,
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he would fly normally in a one to twenty five
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from Norfolk and we would fly the one forty six
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out with the other three on. While the rule might
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put an end to family travel games like uno or
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shared earbuds on long journeys, it's another step in Prince
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George's gradual transition into his future royal role, royal watchers
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believe the Prince and Princess of Wales have made up
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their minds about Prince George's next chapter. According to a
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well placed insider, all roads lead to Eton. George currently
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attends Lamb Brooks School in Berkshire, along with his younger
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siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, but the secondary school
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on the horizon George is expected to move in September
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twenty twenty six. The decision about where he'll go next
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has been the subject of intense royal and media interest.
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While both William and Kate were seeing touring a number
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of top tier institutions, including Kate's own alma Marlborough College,
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Eton College appears to have emerged. The victor, Prince William
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is of course a proud old Etonian himself, and the
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school's proximity to their home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor
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makes it practical as well as a personal choice. The
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annual fees at Eaton exceed sixty three thousand pounds. Marlborough,
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by contrast, may have appealed to Kate for its co
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ed setting, which would have allowed Princess Arlotte to eventually
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attend alongside her brother, but the tide now appears to
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be firmly turning toward the all boys boarding school in Berkshire.
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According to one insider, there's a smugness emanating from Eton
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about a forthcoming announcement. It was like I know something
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and the people at Eton knows something, but I'm not
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going to tell you. That was after William and Kate
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visited Eton. When Prince William eventually ascends the throne and
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becomes king, most likely styled as King William the Fifth,
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he won't be the only one in the royal family
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to receive a significant title change upon his father's accession.
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George is widely expected to inherit two of William's current titles,
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Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. The title of
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Prince of Wales has traditionally been bestowed upon their heir
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apparent since the fourteenth century. King Charles received the title
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at age nine and was formally invested at Kennifern Castle
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in nineteen sixty nine. While George is still the young President,
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suggests age is no barrier and it's very likely he
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would take on the role shortly after William's coronation. Alongside it,
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George would also become the Duke of Cornwall. This title
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comes with significant responsibilities, including oversight of the Duchy of Cornwall,
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a historic estate established by Edward the Third in thirteen
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thirty seven to provide income for the air. The Duchy
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spans more than sixty seven thousand acres across twenty three
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counties and includes assets such as Dartmoor and the Oval
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Cricket Ground. As current Duke, William receives income from the
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Duchy to support his family's public and private lives, but
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the role is far from ceremonial. William visits the estate
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regularly off in every four to six weeks and quietly
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meets with farmers, staff and local residents. According to the Telegraph,
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he prefers these visits to remain private and off the
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official record, quietly gathering input on how to modernize and
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support the Duchy's many operations. Should George assume this role
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as a teenager, he'd be stepping into a legacy of
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not just title, but stewardship. Like his father and grandfather
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before him, his duties would begin long before he wears
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the crown. George may be heading for a summer tradition
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steeped in royal history and controversy. According to royal author
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Duncan Larcom, the young heir could be initiated into the
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centuries old royal custom of stag hunting during a family
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trip to the Bowmoral Estate, a move that might involve
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a particularly grisly ritual known as blooding. Larcom, writing in
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Prince Harry The Inside Story, said the Palace has refused
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to comment on claims that Prince George will be initiated
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into one of the slightly more gruesome royal traditions this summer.
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It was reported that he will join his father on
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a stag hunting chute while they visit the bow Moral
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Estate this month. Traditionally, the blood of a hunter's first
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kill has spread on their face, a ritual that goes
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back centuries. This so called right of passage, viewed by
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some royal insiders as a bonding moment in the aristocratic
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outdoor lifestyle, stands and start contrast to how the Princess
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of Wales reportedly feels about it. Tom Quinn, in his
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book Yes Man, The Secret Life of Royal Servants, claimed
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that Catherine, Princess of Wales has put her foot down
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and sisted there will be no blooding for her children.
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That includes not just Prince George, but also Princess Charlotte
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and Prince Louis. Larcom also noted years ago Kate joined
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the Royals on a chute, but it's unclear whether George
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will be expected to follow suit. The tradition of blooding
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has faced increasing scrutiny in modern times. Prince Harry recounted
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his own traumatic experience in his memoir Spare, describing how
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as a boy, he was forced into it during a hunt.
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I tried to pull away, but Sandy pushed me deeper.
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He wrote. I was shocked by his insane strength and
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by the infernal smell My breakfast jumped up from my stomach.
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A widely circulated rumor claiming that Prince William stripped a
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royal title from Queen Camilla's grandson for bullying Prince George
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is completely unfounded. The story, which gained attraction in late
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June and early July, was primarily spread through clickbait stale
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YouTube videos. The video alleged that Prince George came home
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in tears after being bullied at a royal family event,
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prompting Prince William to take the dramatic step of revoking
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any future royal titles for Camilla's grandson and banning him
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from events involving George in his siblings. The video also
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claimed Camilla was furious and King Charles was torn. However,
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no credible news outlets reported on any such incident. The
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video used AI generated images and narration, a growing trend
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in monetized content farming on platforms like YouTube. Three were
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also other fabricated videos from the same creator, including one
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suggesting that Camilla's granddaughter bullied Princess Charlotte, again with no
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evidence or sourcing and the habit reflect to email us
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of addresses the Palasintrigue at gmail dot com. Please follow
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don't forget. We have a new show out called Celebrity Trials.
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If you love true crime, this is your podcast dealing
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with all the current trials going on, plus some classic
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cases in there. Celebrity Trials wherever you get your podcasts.
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I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is
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Palace Intrigue and good terms
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