People: Princess Kate is a great mom because she’s not an aristocrat

Prince George will turn 10 years old on July 22, so People Magazine gave him a cover story this week which makes it sound like the heir’s heir is being raised by a single mother. That might even be true! In fact, it’s likely the truth. People’s sources emphasize that both Prince William and Kate are “working to ensure he has a normal childhood while simultaneously preparing him to someday take the throne.” Doubtful, but let’s see where this goes. Some highlights:

Normal vs. royal childhood: “It’s a massive balancing act,” one palace insider tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story. “William and Kate are doing the right thing, protecting him so he can have as normal a childhood as possible, but he’s also dipping into duties as a future monarch.” The insider adds, “He’s getting firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a royal and a monarch and firsthand experience of being a normal boy.”

George got an official role in a coronation. “He was terrific,” says a close family friend. Prince William and Princess Kate, both 41, were aware of the pressure their eldest child would feel in the spotlight but felt he was ready for the task. Adds a guest, “The service was emotional and family-oriented and very inclusive — and George played his part.”

George is great because Kate is so common: But at home, Prince George has a very different upbringing than previous heirs to the throne, thanks in large part to his mother’s childhood outside the royal fold. “Coming from a different background, she appreciates the importance of having family time,” says a source close to the royal household. “She wasn’t brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day.”

Most evenings: Although they have the help of longtime nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, Princess Kate regularly drives her kids to school and makes sure she or Prince William is home most evenings for their return. The family of five often gathers in the kitchen to make kid-friendly dinners and decorate cakes.

Carole & Mike’s heavy involvement: Kate’s parents are also heavily involved in Prince George and his siblings’ lives, with Carole Middleton taking George to his favorite candy shop, Mable’s Paint Pot, and on other outings in Kate’s hometown of Bucklebury.

Family foundations: Prince William and Princess Kate “consciously set out to achieve a sense of normality,” says a close source, and the couple was expressly permitted by Queen Elizabeth and then-Prince Charles to focus on family above royal duties. “Royal families over the generations haven’t had the chance to get those foundations right, but they have,” says a friend.

[From People]

“The service was emotional and family-oriented and very inclusive — and George played his part.” The service was terribly white and “George played his part” is basically setting the bar at “the kid didn’t screw up.” Which is true, he did not screw up. He did fine. I think George is a normal kid most of the time, but he understands that he’s being treated much differently than his siblings, and that different treatment is reinforced at home and around the Middletons. But really, the point of this People story is to praise Kate for being such a normal mother. Only one nanny! So middle class! She’s not a Victorian mother! The bar is always set so low.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images, cover courtesy of People.