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.”