He’s a chubby-cheeked two-year-old who currently makes the news for waving shyly and scampering down hills in front of an adoring public.
This little boy may only just be celebrating his second birthday, but the world already has high expectations for Prince George.
However the royal toddler may have to wait a while yet before he will get to perform the tasks that befall the head of state.
If history’s anything to go by, the young prince is unlikely to inherit the throne until near the end of this century.
The two-year-old could face a wait of at least 60 years to become king, if the Royal Family maintains its impressive tradition for surviving well past the UK average life expectancy.
The Queen turned 89 this year – six years over the current life expectancy for women in England and Wales.
History suggests she has a good chance of seeing her platinum jubilee in 2022, when she will be 96 years old. The Queen Mother was 101 when she died in 2002, and showed little sign of deteriorating health until nearing her century.
If the present Queen enjoys a similarly long life, it is likely that the Prince of Wales may not become king until some time in the middle of the 2020s. By that point he will be approaching his late 70s.
Presuming that Charles remains in as strong health as his mother, he could be king for 20 years or so. This would leave the Duke of Cambridge waiting until at least the mid-2040s to take his place on the throne, when he would be the relatively youthful age of 63.
The current average life expectancy for men in England and Wales is 79, but this is forecast to rise over the next 15 years in step with that for women, with both averages reaching the late 80s by 2030.
Were William to repeat the longevity of his predecessors, he might well rule for up to 30 years, enjoying his silver jubilee around 2070 – by which point his son George would be 57 years old.
Sixty years sounds ages away! At that point, in 2075, William would be 93 – one year younger than the current age of Prince Philip. If long life and good health is passed down through the generations of the Royal Family, George may be in his late 60s by the time he becomes king.
The long reign of Elizabeth II represents a break with modern history. Her father, George VI, was 56 when he died, while previous 20th century monarchs George V and Edward VII died at the ages of 70 and 68 respectively.
