Prince George turns 13 today – the same day as Count Felix of Monpezat, a Danish royal whose grandmother, former Queen Margrethe II, stripped him and his siblings of their princely titles in 2023.
Born on 22 July 2013 at St Mary’s Hospital in London, George is the first child of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. His arrival marked only the second time three generations of the royal line of succession were alive simultaneously. At his christening in October 2013, he was given seven godparents, including William’s cousin Zara Tindall and her husband Mike.
“Prince George turns 13 on the same day as Count Felix of Monpezat, whose grandmother stripped him of his title.”
George made his first major royal appearance at eight months, joining his parents on their 2014 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Since then, he has taken part in public events such as Trooping the Colour. Away from duties, he has inherited his late grandmother Princess Diana’s love of dancing – Prince William told BBC Radio 1’s Teen Awards: “George is doing dancing as well, he loves it. And my mother always used to dance, she loved dancing.”
He also has a fascination with storms. During a visit to a children’s hospital, Princess Catherine told a young boy: “Yes, I know all about those. George likes storms, too!” An interest in aviation, following his father’s service as a search and rescue pilot, has seen him attend air shows. He is a keen Aston Villa fan and has visited Wimbledon with his parents and sister Charlotte. From September, George will attend Eton College, following his father and uncle.
Meanwhile, Count Felix of Monpezat – born on 22 July 2002 – is the younger son of Prince Joachim and his first wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, and grandson of Denmark’s former monarch Queen Margrethe II. In 2023, Felix, his brother Count Nikolai, and half-siblings Count Henrik and Countess Athena were removed from their royal and HRH titles as part of a modernisation Margrethe described as “a necessary safeguard for the future of the monarchy”. The four are now styled Count or Countess of Monpezat, retaining their places in the line of succession.
Margrethe later acknowledged she “underestimated” the impact, saying: “I have made my decision as Queen, mother and grandmother, but as a mother and grandmother I have underestimated how much my youngest son and his family feel affected. … I now hope that we as a family can find the peace to find our way through this situation ourselves.” The decision did not affect the titles of King Frederik’s four children.
As Prince George enters his teenage years, the contrast between his protected royal upbringing and the Danish royal family’s public recalibration highlights the challenges facing modern monarchies.