Prince George’s amazing birthday presents show his lavish lifestyle

Prince George turned 10 over the weekend and his birthday party – and presents – would have been fit for a king.

The oldest son of Prince William and second in line to the throne has received some pretty amazing birthday gifts over the years, including a $40,000 cubby house and toy cars worth $3000 each.

His uncle, Prince Harry, has given him a toy SUV while his father, Prince William, has given him one of his favourite childhood toys – a model Aston Martin V8 Volante convertible sports car.

But it’s not just the royal family that has given George lavish gifts.

Since he was a newborn, Prince George has received jaw-dropping gifts from world leaders and dignitaries.

He was even given an ornamental orb by Pope Francis to mark his birth, which the Pope presented to the Queen during their first meeting at the Vatican.

When shown the delicate and expensive gift the Queen famously said: “He will be thrilled with that … when he’s a little older.”

In 2016, when he was three-years-old, the adorable George made headlines when he greeted then American leader President Obama and his wife at Kensington Palace in his dressing gown and slippers.

George was photographed riding the handmade rocking horse that Barack Obama and the First Lady had given him for his first birthday.

The rocking horse, which had a presidential seal on the saddle, came with an alpaca wool blanket and a polo mallet with a head carved from wood from an old oak tree growing at the White House.

Prince George also received a $40,000 playhouse from his grandfather, King Charles II, for his first birthday, The Sun reported.

The expensive cubby house had a wood-burning stove and a daybed.

It was installed at the King’s home at Highgrove, a luxury country estate worth about $8 million, which Prince George may one day inherit.

One day, the little prince will also inherit the priceless St Edward’s Crown that King Charles wore at his coronation – which may well be the biggest gift he ever receives.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• convertible: a car without a roof
• lavish: very fancy and expensive
• dignitaries: people that hold a high or powerful position in society
• ornamental: decorative
• orb: a globe or round, ball-like object with a cross given to members of royalty
• inherit: given something by a loved one when they die
• coronation: a ceremony when a member of royalty is crowned king or queen

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QUICK QUIZ
1. How old is Prince George now?
2. What are two features of his lavish $40,000 cubby house?
3. How old was he when he was given an ornamental orb by the Pope?
4. What will he one day inherit from his grandfather King Charles II?
5. Who is Prince George’s father?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. 10th birthday celebration
If you were a prince or princess, and part of the royal family, plan your 10th birthday party and gift registry. You can be as lavish as you like as money is not a problem!

Fill out the planner below to give your royal parents!

Party theme:
Entertainment:
Venue:
Food:
Decorations:
Activities:
Gift Registry:
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Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Do you envy Prince George and the lifestyle and privilege he was born into?

What will this mean for his future life as he grows up and eventually is set to become king of England?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.