The British Daily Mail newspaper revealed that Prince George, the son of Prince William, the British heir to the throne, may break with centuries of tradition, as he can choose not to serve in the British armed forces before his coronation as a future king.

Prince George, who is second in line to the throne, will be allowed to avoid the usual task of joining the armed forces if he so desires, as he is left with the freedom to determine his own destiny, which will be an important departure for the royal family from tradition since the king is the commander-in-chief of the British forces, as he served George’s father Prince William, uncle Prince Harry, grandfather King Charles and great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth are in military service, upholding a centuries-old precedent.

Expert: Joining members of the royal family in the armed forces gives legitimacy to the monarchy

Historian Dominic Sandbrook said: “The tradition of members of the royal family joining the armed forces, even for brief periods, lends crucial legitimacy to the monarchy.”

But speaking ahead of Prince George’s tenth birthday, Dominic, an old friend of Prince William, said: “In theory, there is nothing to prevent George from pursuing a career as an astronaut, for example, if that’s what he wants to do, and then become king later.” He continued, “The rules are different now. He won’t necessarily have to follow the old formula of entering the army and then royal life.”

Prince William

The late Queen Elizabeth

While the historian Hugo Vickers said: “This is important because it shows that times are moving forward. I am with people who keep pace with the times, provided they do not throw away important traditions,” and continued: “The army may not prove to be the best course for Prince George.”

Vickers continued: “For King Charles his service in the Navy in the 1970s was very useful, as it showed the British that he was a paid worker and it was a role where he would not use his title for commercial gain. All kinds of timekeeping and display skills that prove essential to royal duties.”