The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Charlotte, at the weekend.  While the rest of the world is busy celebrating the new arrival, we are sparing a thought for little Prince George who has been dethroned from his position as the centre of his parents’ universe. However, and we’re talking from experience here, there are some perks to having a little sister. Here’s what we think Prince George can expect now that the Princess has arrived...

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Presents. Lots of Presents. There is always a silver lining. In this case it’s parental bribery. While having a new sibling can be inconvenient, their arrival often coincides with lots of distractions (we mean presents) for the older sibling. You can get her to do anything, as long as you time her. Whether it’s making you a cup of tea, running upstairs to grab your slippers or popping out to the shop to get the biccies, if you take out a stopwatch and say “I’ll time ya”, there’ll be a sister-shaped hole in the door. You have your very own blank canvas. This extends to all areas of the arts. From an abstract painting on her face to playing the backside of the donkey in your next living room showcase, your little sister is on hand for all your grand schemes. She trusts everything you say. You now have someone who hangs onto your every word. You can use this power to pass on valuable life lessons... or you could tell her that the stuffing she just ate is a pig’s bellybutton fluff and watch her turn green. Up to you. You always have a fall guy. Even Prince George will have to learn to share the spotlight, however this does work both ways. When you have royally messed up, you can always count on your little sister to a) do something worse, b) share the blame, or c) cover for you. Speaking of sharing…. If you are a firstborn, sharing will be a relatively new concept when your little sis arrives. But again, this is a two-way street. Remind her of the saying: “What’s yours is mine, what’s mine is my own.” She’ll probably believe you (see point four). Inside jokes No one will make you laugh like your mini me does (and that could be laughing at her or with her). This makes family functions a lot less boring and let’s face it, the Prince and Princess are going to be going to a lot of these!