What Prince George Calls Queen Elizabeth

Prince William and Kate Middleton's oldest son, Prince George, may be third in line to the throne, but he's also a normal child. According to The Mirror, George is just like any other 8-year-old boy who likes to be silly and spend time with his family. According to royal expert Duncan Larcombe, the young royal can be quite the handful when he's out of the public eye.

"Although Prince George might be future King of the Castle, he's not King of the Castle yet. He's not Little Lord Fauntleroy. He's a rascal (almost) eight-year-old — full of mischief and always playing tricks and pranks on his younger sister and brother," the author told OK!.

"Hopefully George can enjoy all the benefits of Royal life, but without the extraordinary, weird impact of growing up in a goldfish bowl," Larcombe added, revealing William and Kate have made it a priority to keep their children as down to earth as possible. It appears that little George seems to have a sweet side as well, and it was evident back in 2016 when the Duchess of Cambridge opened up about the bond that her son shares with his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, per Hello! Magazine.

According to PureWow, Queen Elizabeth is accustomed to being addressed as Your Majesty and other respectful titles that recognize her place at the top of the monarchy. However, when it comes to her great-grandchildren, it appears that she offers a bit of leniency concerning her royal title. The outlet reveals that as Prince George was growing up and beginning to speak, he often called the queen "Gan-Gan" because that's all he could manage at the time. Back in 2016, George's mother Kate Middleton opened up about the special relationship her son has with Queen Elizabeth and even admitted the sweet nickname he has for his great-grandmother.

"George is only two-and-a-half and he calls her 'Gan-Gan,'" Kate said, per Hello! Magazine. "She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay and that just shows her love for her family," the Duchess of Cambridge said of the queen. Meanwhile, now that George is nearly 8 years old, the young royal may call Queen Elizabeth something a bit more mature. After all, the little prince is growing up quickly, which has become clear with his recent wardrobe changes (via People). Despite his age, one thing seems to be clear — Queen Elizabeth appears to be smitten with her adorable great-grandchildren.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince George have a pretty close relationship. In fact, some sources have said that the queen even sees a little of herself in the young prince. According to The Sun, Prince George is notably shyer than his sister, Princess Charlotte. That's something that the queen herself can relate to, as she was said to be calmer and shyer than her own younger sister, Princess Margaret. 

Of course, Prince George is also his own person. A source reportedly close to the family explained to The Sun that even though most of the world will forever have the image of a newborn George in their minds, he is definitely growing up. "While the outside world sees him as an infant, George is very much his own man. With younger siblings Charlotte and Louis taking a lot of the attention at home, George is learning to be more independent."

However, like his great-grandmother before him, it sounds like Prince George has an almost innate awareness of the responsibility that comes with inheriting the throne. "Yes, he has been protected from some of the realities about being third in line to the throne, but it is almost as if he is hard-wired to feel a sense of responsibility."