Kate and William have told George he will be king one day as young prince 'did not know he was royal'

However, as the young royal's tenth birthday approaches, Kate and William have decided to tell George about his role within the Royal Family.

A friend of the family told The Sun: "William and Kate wanted to protect the children as much as possible, particularly from the concept of them being royal and everything that entails.

"In effect, George did not really know he was royal. The Queen and then-Prince Charles were seen through the prism of family – as great-grandmother ‘Gan-Gan’, and grandfather ‘Pa’ – rather than their royal roles.

“At events like Trooping the Colour, George was told that Gan-Gan is a very special lady, very popular and well-loved, and that’s why all the family were with her to clap for her on the balcony.

"[They told him] anything ‘royal’, like the picture of the then-monarch and her three heirs in Buckingham Palace, was done for her.

“They did not tell him until relatively recently that he will, one day, be King."

The friend continued: "It was a delicate balance to protect his childhood and innocence.

"But also it meant explaining to him that his grandfather and father will die one day, which is a very tough concept for any child to grasp.

"It’s also very tricky for what it means for his siblings, Charlotte and Louis."

On Friday, the Prince and Princess of Wales and all their three children made a surprise visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo.

William and Kate visited the aircraft that transported the late Queen in 2022 ahead of her funeral.

The children were shown planes and helicopters as they enjoyed the family day.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have all broken up from Lambrook School in Berkshire.

George will celebrate his tenth birthday next week on July 22.