Prince George
Prince George doesn't need to know that he will become the future king until he's old enough to understand. Pictured: Prince George waves during a visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on July 8, 2016 in Fairford, England. Getty Images/Chris Jackson

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s shock secret from their eldest son, Prince George, has been revealed.

Prince George will turn 5 years old on July 21, and his parents want him to have as normal a life as possible. Even though he will be the future king, Prince William and Middleton decided to not tell Prince George about his fate.

Prince William previously told reporters (via Express), “There’ll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world. We are very normal.”

The 36-year-old Duke of Cambridge also talked about the pressures he has been facing as the future king and said that he doesn’t want his son to experience the same thing.

Gill Knappett, the author of “William & Catherine: A Family Portrait,” said, “Like his father did, Prince George is enjoying as normal an upbringing as possible, with two parents determined to let him have as much privacy as possible. Although they want his early years to be comparatively free from protocol and formality, they know they have to balance this desire with a respect for royal tradition. Their son, after all, will one day be Head of State.”

Catherine Meyer, the author of “Charles: The Heart of a King,” said that Prince William is trying to delay Prince George’s realization that he will one day become the leader of the royal family.

“With George, they are trying to delay the moment of realization and give him normality before they thrust this on him. But it will be, nevertheless, part of his upbringing both in terms of what he sees his parents and grandparents doing and probably quite soon a beginning of an understanding that he is in public life and what he means,” Meyer said.

In related news, an adorable photo of Prince George was released days before his birthday. In the snap, Prince Charles is cradling him in his arms. The picture is currently on display at the Buckingham Palace.