The Prince and Princess of Wales are committed to raising their children as ‘normally’ as possible, despite the unique circumstances of their extraordinary family background
The Prince and Princess of Wales may one day ascend the throne, yet they seem determined to root their kids in normality. With their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, standing second, third, and fourth in line for sovereignty, leading an average life seems a tall order.
Yet, Kate and William are doing everything in their power to nurture a down-to-earth childhood amidst their extraordinary lineage. “They can never be normal and nothing will ever really be normal about their lives – how can a child have a normal upbringing when he’s told at the age of six that he’s going to be King? ” Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe told OK! magazine.
“But the things they can control, they do, especially in terms of what their children are exposed to and which events they take them along to. The way William and Kate are bringing up their children is very much based on the Middleton model – that small family unit of three kids, the same as with Kate and her siblings. They don’t live lavishly, but they do live very comfortably.”
True to the grounded approach, it’s reported that household tasks aren’t beneath the young royals; with no resident domestic aides at Adelaide Cottage, the kids, say palace insiders, “expected to muck in”, reports OK!.
‘They absolutely do menial tasks,” Royal expert Katie Nicholl reveals. “They are far more ordinary than many might imagine – the kids even have to do chores in return for their pocket money. It’s about them wanting to have a normal, happy, ordinary family home and lifestyle which, at Adelaide Cottage, they are really achieving.”
Balancing high-profile Royal engagements with family life must be challenging for the couple. “Their approach from day one has been different,” Katie explains. “The children understand their place in the line of succession and George knows he will one day be King, but William and Kate cushion all of that with fun, family and a wealth of experiences.”
Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, play a crucial role in keeping the children grounded. They regularly assist with childcare and have been particularly supportive since Kate’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year. “Having Kate’s family so intrinsically linked with them is key,” Katie asserts.
“The Middletons bring a great dose of normality and stability to those children’s lives. They’re there on the bucket and spade holidays, they’re there for the parties and they’re there to step in when William and Kate need them. They really are just loving, normal, down-to-earth grandparents.”
The young royals enjoy a tight bond with King Charles and Queen Camilla who, although they aren’t as hands-on as the Middletons, still provide Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis with an invaluable peek into their future roles within The Firm. “They’re getting a very different experience with them,” says Katie, author of ‘The New Royals’.
“They’re getting a taste of life at Balmoral, Christmas at Sandringham and, on a more epic scale, events like the Coronation and the Queen’s funeral. So the children are getting the best of both worlds.”
For the Duchess of Cambridge, embedding strong moral values in her children is top of her parenting agenda with Prince William. “My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect and honesty, and I realise how central values like these have been to me throughout my life,” she has expressed.
“That is why William and I want to teach our little children… just how important these things are as they grow up. In my view it is just as important as excelling at maths or sport.”
Her recent sickness has only deepened this conviction. “This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved,” she conveyed in her health update video that went public on 9 September.
Kate, a fervent supporter of early childhood education, emphasised last year the importance of not spoiling kids with excessive material possessions. “It’s not about the number of toys they’ve got or the number or sort of trips that you go on with them,” she stated.
“It’s just making sure that they’ve got the right emotional support around them, and that comes from the adults in their lives.”
Prince William, who had an extraordinary childhood himself, strongly agrees with his wife’s down-to-earth parenting approach. “As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family,” he claimed in 2016. “I love my children in the same way any father does and I hope George loves me the same way any son does his father. We are very normal in that sense.”
Like his mother Princess Diana, William is deeply committed to teaching his children philanthropy and awareness. Just as Diana took him and Prince Harry to visit homeless shelters, William plans to share similar experiences with his own offspring.
“My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I’m really glad she did,” he shared earlier this year. Discussing his intentions to carry on her legacy, he continued, “I think when I can balance it with their schooling, they will definitely be exposed to it. On the school run, we talk about what we see. When we were in London, driving backwards and forwards, we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets and we’d talk about it.
“I’d say to the children, ‘Why are they there? What’s going on?’ I think it’s in all our interests, it’s the right thing to do, to expose the children, at the right stage, in the right dialogue, so they have an understanding.”
Katie Nicholl thinks it’s apt that the Prince is imparting his parents’ fundamental values to their grandchildren. “It wasn’t just Diana – Charles also wanted his sons to have a better understanding of life outside the Palace walls,” she states.
“William and Kate’s children are probably more aware of homelessness than most kids from privileged backgrounds, because it’s something their dad fervently campaigns for and has done since he was 18. I believe their eyes have been quite wide open from a young age – and that is largely due to William and Kate’s hard work.”
As our future King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales could have had their pick of royal residences. But Adelaide Cottage, nestled in Windsor Home Park, has provided their family with a peaceful retreat – particularly as Kate has recovered from her chemotherapy treatment this year.
In this OK! collector’s edition, we take a look at the home life William and Kate share with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. With the help of royal biographers including Katie Nicholl and Duncan Larcombe, we delve into the couple’s partnership and reveal how they are doing their utmost to protect their children as their family heals from one of the toughest years of their lives.
