Prince George’s Surprise Royal Debut Follows in Dad Prince William’s Footsteps at 12

Prince George is following in his father’s footsteps.

The eldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton made a surprise royal appearance over the weekend, accompanying his mother to the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance event at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Stepping in for his dad, who was returning from a week-long trip to Brazil for the 2025 Earthshot Prize, George, 12, joined Kate, King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family for the Nov. 8 concert, marking his first time attending a Remembrance Day event.

The annual ceremonies honor fallen soldiers from the U.K. and the Commonwealth, culminating with Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, which is the anniversary of the end of fighting in World War I. George attended a similar event back in May, meeting with veterans at a Buckingham Palace tea that King Charles hosted in honor of World War II soldiers.

A palace insider previously told PEOPLE that William and Kate are being cautious when it comes to involving George with royal events as he grows into his role as heir to the throne: “It’s a slow game, and it gets him used to it on the couple’s terms rather than anybody else’s.”

Prince William began to be introduced to royal duties at around the same age. In fact, when he was also 12, William and his then-10-year-old brother, Prince Harry, accompanied their parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, to the Heads of State Victory in Europe Remembrance Service, marking the 50th anniversary of VE Day.

Like Remembrance Day, VE Day honors fallen soldiers. However, the latter event takes place on May 8 every year, marking the end of warfare in Europe during World War II.

At the event, held in London’s Hyde Park, William and the royal family sat front and center on stage, squinting in the spring sunshine. Despite the glare, the family had smiles on their faces, with Diana lovingly holding Harry’s hand.

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The family also met with local children during the service, shaking hands and receiving flowers.

Despite their display of unity, however, trouble was brewing between Diana and Charles. The VE Day anniversary came just a few months before the Princess of Wales’ jaw-dropping interview with Panorama journalist Martin Bashir, which many consider the final nail in the coffin of their life together.

By the next summer, they would be divorced, and the following year, on Aug. 31, 1997, Diana died in a car accident in Paris. Tragically, one of William’s next royal engagements would be walking behind his mother’s coffin on the day of her funeral.