Happy Birthday, Prince George! Let's help him celebrate by leaving him alone

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Hard to believe is was not that long ago that I stood in the Ottawa's Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, refreshing my twitter feed on my phone for updates about William and Kate's baby. Finally receiving the news that George had arrived and rushing out to the local drugstore for newspapers and magazines lauding his arrival. As he was overdue, I had brought my laptop with me on vacation but because there was no free Wi-Fi in the hotel I was staying at, it was very frustrating to not be able to blog about it as much as I would have liked. First world problems.

It has been two years of celebrating every rare public appearance, noting his outfits and his reaction to the birth of his younger sister, Princess Charlotte. By appearances he seems to be a regular toddler, taking joy in playing in the park with his mother or attending royal events such as Trooping the Color and his sister's christening, for the most part unaware of his extraordinary circumstances and predetermined role in royal history.

By the expression on his face in the photo above, I get the sense he is on the cusp of understanding he is of interest to others.  He may not be able to put it into words but I see it in his eyes. The wariness to strangers is multiplied by a million in his case. Every parent tries to protect their child from harm and his are no different. People complain that his parents don't release enough photos of him or that he is not seen in public enough. Paparazzi photos are slowly appearing, with the focus on what he is wearing instead of the obvious invasiveness. With the growing, apparently insatiable interest, I can't say I blame William and Kate for trying to shield their children to the best of their ability.

So happy birthday little prince, here's hoping the public allows you and your sister, to have a carefree and normal childhood.


Though somehow I doubt it.

© Marilyn Braun 2015

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