Prince George’s godmother has revealed the young royal’s birthday tradition inspired by Princess Diana.
British psychotherapist Julia Samuels, 64, formed a close friendship with Lady Diana after meeting her at a dinner party in 1987. She is also godmother to Prince George, who celebrates his 11th birthday today.
Speaking of the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, she previously revealed that she buys the “feisty and sassy” young royal “impossible” noisy toys that the Prince of Wales, 42, “takes days to put together” in a running joke inspired by Diana.
Speaking about George, Julia said: ‘He’s amazing. He’s funny and feisty and sassy and God, they [Diana] would have loved him so much. It is heartbreaking for all of them.
Julia followed in the footsteps of the princess, who was godmother to her son. She said: ‘So I do with George what she did with us: give impossible toys that make a lot of noise and require a lot of work.’
Prince George’s godmother has revealed the young royal’s birthday tradition, which was inspired by Princess Diana (Photos of William and Diana in 1991)
The therapist, who has published two books on grief, also discussed her memories of Princess Diana. She said: ‘What I felt then and how I look back on it now are at the extremes of the spectrum.’
‘Then I felt a little bit indignant that people were crying and wailing when they had never met her. It didn’t make sense.
“But it didn’t take long for me to realize that people felt like they knew her, that they connected with her vulnerability. And that it was a wonderful tribute.”
She said, ‘You never think that one person can change the world and then you see someone like her.’
‘By being as open and honest and vulnerable and authentic as she was, it changed the world and it certainly changed Britain. She had an absolutely lasting effect on us.
‘Now I feel immensely proud. In those early days it was a visceral reaction, like: shut up.’
When asked if she was a “good” godmother to George, she replied that she was “pretty good.”
Julia explained that she had a long-standing tradition with the Wales’s, saying: ‘I was a little surprised when I heard how big the present was, which William had to spend days putting together.
Prince George, who was born in 2013 at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, celebrates his 11th birthday today (seen with William at the FA Cup final, 2024)
British psychotherapist Julia Samuels (pictured), 64, became friends with Princess Diana after they sat next to each other at a dinner
“And then you put all the machines together and it makes horrible honking noises and flashing lights and stuff like that. It makes me laugh and it makes George laugh.”
Julia is one of Prince George’s seven godparents and was a touching tribute to William’s late mother.
She met and befriended Diana in 1987, when the two sat next to each other at a dinner party.
William is now Royal Patron of the charity Child Bereavement UK, of which she is the founder, patron and board member.
The foundation supports families and professionals when a child dies or when a child loses a loved one.
The second in line to the throne has endured one of the most turbulent periods in recent royal history.
He had to cope with the passing of his beloved great-grandparents, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, in April 2021 and September 2022 respectively.
George has also seen his father’s relationship with his uncle, Prince Harry, deteriorate in recent years.
But this year has been the hardest of all. His grandfather’s cancer diagnosis in February hit the family first, while his mother’s was announced the following month.
Prince George has made several public appearances recently, including at the 2024 European Championship final in Berlin
Kate, 42, announced her shocking health update in an emotional video message in which she told the public she was undergoing “preventative” chemotherapy.
The princess said she and William had ‘done everything they could to process and arrange this in complete privacy, in the interests of our young family’.
This came after Kate was not seen for weeks following major abdominal surgery at The London Clinic in January.
As a sign that his mother’s treatment was going well, George accompanied her to Trooping the Colour to celebrate the King’s official birthday in June.
He rode in a carriage with Kate, Charlotte and 6-year-old Louis during the procession and stood with his family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Despite his family’s problems, George continues to shine in all his public appearances.
His attitude shows that the young prince is well prepared for his future responsibilities as monarch.
George Alexander Louis was born on July 22, 2013 at 4.24pm at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.
It has been the traditional choice for royal mothers since the Duchess of Gloucester gave birth to her son Alexander there in 1974.
The next day, George made his public debut in his mother’s arms on the steps of the Lindo private wing, where the international media had been sitting outside for days.
It was the same hospital where his father, Prince William, was born 31 years earlier.
The bells of Westminster Abbey rang in honour of the birth and a wooden and gold donkey outside Buckingham Palace officially announced the birth.
While it took Charles and Princess Diana seven days to announce William’s name, George’s was revealed two days after his birth. Weighing in at 8lb 6oz, he was born third in line to the throne.
His great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, saw her third great-grandchild for the first time on July 24 at Kensington Palace.
Shortly afterwards, Kate and William took George to her parents’ home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, where he was introduced to her parents Carole and Michael and her siblings Pippa and James.
George went on his first royal tour at just eight months old, when his parents took him to Australia and New Zealand in April 2014.
Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince William are photographed at Trooping the Colour in 2023
The following year, on May 2, 2015, Princess Charlotte was born in the same hospital as her older brother.
The youngest of the trio, Prince Louis, was also born at St Mary’s on April 23, 2018.
As George grew older, he joined his father for sporting events, including cricket, rugby and football.
He attended Aston Villa matches, the FA Cup final and the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain earlier this month.
As George approaches high school age, there is also speculation about where he will pursue his next education.
Prince William was educated at the prestigious Eton College, while Kate attended Marlborough School in Buckinghamshire.
William and Kate visited both homes to explore options for George.
But earlier this year it was revealed that the couple had added Oundle School in Peterborough to their list of options for their eldest son.
This £34,000-a-year mixed school in north Northamptonshire dates back to 1556 but has a modern philosophy. Its website states: ‘We have a responsibility to ensure that every member of the school community takes action, both individually and collectively, to make the environment more sustainable.’