Breaking with centuries-old tradition, Prince George is not expected to enlist in the military before becoming king, several media outlets report.

"The prince, who is second in line to the throne, is allowed to avoid normal military service if he wishes. The monarch is the commander-in-chief of the British armed forces." George's father, uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-grandmother all served in the military, true to centuries-old precedent."

"The tradition of royalty joining the military, even for a short time, gives the monarchy definitive legitimacy," wrote historian Dominic Sandbrook. However, in anticipation of George's 10th birthday this coming Saturday, a longtime friend of William's said, "In theory, for example, if George pursued a career as an astronaut, and that is what he wanted, nothing would prevent him from later becoming king. Now the rules are different. He would not necessarily have to follow the old formula of joining the military and then living a life of royalty."

This new mindset of being able to shape one's own destiny, rather than simply following a predetermined path, applies to George's younger siblings as well, says the friend: "For example, can Charlotte become a doctor? She's less kamaboko-shaped now than she was when William and Harry were growing up."[9

Historian Hugo Vickers said this is important because it "shows that times are moving on. He said, "I'm all for people keeping up with the times as long as they don't throw tradition out the window. Perhaps the military is not the best path for Prince George, but I hope he receives something like the non-competitive Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Medal instead. For Prince Charles, his naval service in the 1970s was very helpful. It was a way for the King to show the country that he was in a paid position, and it was a duty that did not involve using his knighthood for commercial gain. Military service allowed members of the royal family to have a normal sense of life, gave them some freedom, and taught them all sorts of time management and presentation skills that proved to be important for royal duties. What obviously doesn't work is the case of the royal family embarking on a for-profit business. It doesn't always work."

Just this past Friday, George, along with other family members, went to the Royal International Air Tattoo, where he was given the task of partially raising the ramp of a large C-17 transport aircraft and, according to the Daily Mail, "sat in the cockpit " I was overjoyed to "press a few switches"

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This is all part of the Crown Prince and Princess's attempt to give George (and his siblings) as normal an education as possible. If any of the three Welsh children had a particular passion, their parents would be happy to let them pursue it," a source close to the palace said.

"Military service," Sandbrook writes, "is the last tradition that takes royal youth out of a life protected by impossible privilege. But he also says, "Times change, and the system changes with them. ...... He also admits, "Who can blame him if he wishes to pursue a different profession?

Commenting on the decision, General Sir Richard Barrons, former commander-in-chief of the Combined Armed Forces, said, "The army will feel a little disappointed, but only so." Royal biographer A.N. Wilson said, "This is a big change from the way things have been done, and I think we should say, 'Sorry, we can't pick and choose. ' It feels like a bit of an insult to the military. One way is for Prince George to join the Army and then go into a profession that interests him, such as an artist or pastry chef. Otherwise, it would be like having a president in a suit as head of state."

William trained at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and served in the military for over seven years. He served in the Blue and Royals Regiment of the Household Cavalry, trained as a pilot at RAF College, and became a full-time pilot in the RAF Valley search and rescue team in Anglesey, North Wales, the Daily Mail reported.

Harry also went to Sandhurst and joined the Blue and Royals. Harry served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and was the first member of the royal family to serve in a war zone since his uncle Prince Andrew, who flew helicopters in the Falklands conflict in 1982. Prince Charles served in both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and his father, Prince Philip, attended the Royal Naval College of Britannia and saw combat off North Africa with HMS Valiant. Queen Elizabeth (then Princess Elizabeth) served in the Army Auxiliary during World War II. Princess Elizabeth was the first woman of the royal family to serve in the active military and was trained as a driver and mechanic.