Prince George, 11, was seen alongside his father, Prince William, meeting World War II veterans on Sunday (5 May), marking a significant public appearance that has since stirred up debate.

Newly released photos of the young royal have drawn attention following his participation in the VE Day Parade, commemorating 80 years since Germany’s surrender in WWII. He was accompanied by his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as siblings Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, during the Buckingham Palace celebrations.

The Wales family gathered together on the Palace balcony, where several interactions between them quickly went viral. One standout moment featured Prince Louis expressing his boredom to Prince William during the ceremony, pointing out the lack of entertainment.

Another light-hearted scene showed Louis copying George’s gesture by dramatically flicking his hair out of his eyes in an exaggerated way.

Later in the day, George joined his father to speak with British veterans and survivors, listening as they shared personal stories from the war.

While many of the photographs from the outing have been warmly received, they have also triggered a wave of criticism online. Some viewers questioned whether George should be placed in such prominent public roles at such a young age.

One Reddit user commented: “Those poor kids. I wish he could have a childhood to himself.”

Another criticized Prince William and Kate directly: “The Wales’ are so lazy they are going to have all of the kids as full working members in their teens.”

A third added: “His parents are putting him to work instead of leaving him a child and getting off their lazy asses to work.”

Someone else remarked: “What happened to keeping them out of the public eye and giving them a normal upbringing?”

“Poor kid,” another user shared. “Still remember during the football they had him in a suit and tie. Sure he would’ve been more comfortable in a football shirt and shorts!”

On the other hand, many defended the decision to involve Prince George in royal duties early, pointing to tradition and preparation for his future role.

One user explained: “Given his future role as both POW and King is going to heavily focus on this, a few engagements on the weekend where he goes and sits with some oldies and chats and probably learns something is actually super valuable.”

Another added: “They are not making George work, he is preparing for his future role as king. Sadly, it’s a life in training preparing to be the king, it’s been William’s whole life.

“I think William does a much better job than Charles has at balancing preparing to be king and giving his children a life away from the public as much as possible. God forbid that William and Kate prioritize this time with their children whilst they can.

“Once William is king, it will be much more difficult for him to be as present and give his children privacy.”

Another Redditor echoed that sentiment: “It was wonderful to watch the young royals today. Prince George really engaged with the veterans, such an intelligent young man.”

“George seemed to have a grown-up assignment today—pay attention, engage, show respect,” someone else concluded. “He did a great job!”