An Inside Look at the Differences Between William and George's Royal Childhoods

Prince Charles was a full-time working royal and Princess Diana was a city girl, so their base from the time of William's birth was Kensington Palace in London. William's mother, Diana, took him to McDonald's, on the tube and the bus, while his nursery was a few streets away on a busy public road. Paparazzi often followed them. His dose of the great outdoors came at weekends when the family decamped to Highgrove in Gloucester.

William and Kate want their children to grow up as much as possible in the countryside, so for the time being their full-time base is Anmer Hall in Norfolk. George can run and play outside in the extensive grounds, and his nursery is hidden away down a private country lane. There are trips to Kensington Palace when needed.

Because Prince Charles was a full-time member of the royal family, he had given up his naval career before William was born. During the young prince's childhood, his father was away frequently and irregularly, fulfilling assorted royal duties.

William has yet to leave his job as an Air Ambulance pilot and so spends a similar amount of time at home to that of many other local parents, providing more of a regular routine.

William grew up experiencing his mother being chased down the street by paparazzi, and his childhood was punctuated by banks of photographers taking pictures on family holidays and first days of school. He witnessed frequent tussles between paps and security.

Apart from big occasions such as Trooping the Colour or the birth and christening of his sister, George is kept away from big groups of cameras being pointed at him. Family members and trusted photographers are on hand to capture holidays and milestones. If paparazzi overstep the mark, legal action is taken.

Charles and Diana had a traditional royal set-up in each of their residences, with huge teams including butlers, chefs, and assistants attached to each property. Additionally, William and Harry experienced five full-time nannies when they were growing up.

At home in Anmer, the staff is minimal — there is one nanny and a housekeeper, and Kate still does most of the cooking. So far Prince George and Princess Charlotte share one nanny, Maria Borrallo.

William's grandmother is the ruling monarch, and as a child that came with a great deal of protocol. He would need to be on his best behavior when he was around "Granny."

George's grandfather Charles is not yet on the throne, and so there is already a difference between their relationships. Additionally, while George's royal grandparents are traditional in many ways, Charles is more relaxed than the queen was, and Camilla is notoriously down to earth. His Middleton grandparents are informal and relaxed.

For most of William's childhood, his parents were in conflict. There were frequent arguments, and as time went on, Charles and Diana led increasingly separate lives.

William and Kate were friends first, and they operate as a team. They have a happy, well-matched marriage with many shared passions and the same sense of humor.

With little brother Harry on the scene, William had someone to play fight with, and things often got physical between the feisty pair.

While George has been described by his father as "a little monkey," his younger sister is "ladylike," so it looks like the dynamic between these two siblings will be somewhat different to that of their dad, William, and uncle Harry.

Because Charles and Diana were so different in their tastes, passions, and ages, they had very different sets of friends, and they didn't mix. William and Harry went shopping in Kensington and took holidays in the Caribbean with Diana and her friends and spent time indulging in country pursuits with Charles and his social group.

William and Kate are the same age, and even before they made joint friends at university, as teenagers their friends all overlapped. Their social group is entirely blended, so there is no real separation as to who does what and with whom.