Prince William and Princess Catherine are taking a different approach to their children's upbringing that will "pay off" down the line, royal commentators believe. Despite the extraordinary responsibilities that await, the Prince and Princess of Wales are reportedly determined to give their eldest son a grounded upbringing that is not defined by duty.

It comes after he celebrated his 13th birthday on Wednesday and prepares to begin at Eton College, the prestigious Berkshire school attended by his father and uncle, and numerous former prime ministers. The commentators said the Prince and Princess have intentionally minimised the number of live-in staff and been selective about public appearances, rather than taking a "Windsor" approach.

Associate Editor at the Telegraph Camilla Tominey said they were avoiding "mistakes" made by the late Queen Elizabeth, in The Daily T podcast.

Ms Tominey said: "We're going to talk in a minute about how they're trying to avoid some of the mistakes that the late Queen made, probably because she's a woman of her generation, but just on that point of the pressure on George."

Royal Correspondent India McTaggart added: "On that point, I do think that they've approached it really well by drip-feeding him into certain things like VE Day or the Platinum Jubilee."

She said they were "sort of nursing him through", with a hands-on intentional approach to parenting. This approach has been evident throughout their children's lives, whether it's taking them to sports events, school runs, or encouraging their children to spend time outdoors.

"I think that that will pay off in the long run because probably that slow introduction to the global stage will benefit him a lot," added Ms McTaggart.

Ms Tominey described it as a "more Middleton upbringing than a Windsor one", by prioritising immediate family over family firm.