Raise a King: Parenting Secrets from William and Kate Middleton

Simple difficult children

“Whoever you are, let your children just be children,” Prince William once shared this thought with the press.

The heir to the British throne, the eldest son of King Charles III, Prince William of Wales and his wife, Princess of Wales Kate Middleton proudly admit that their children usually behave … just like children. And they seem to like it as much as their parents.

“George, Charlotte and Louis not only can be playful, fun, spontaneous and even daring, they are actively encouraged in this by mom and dad. And look with pride and admiration when they do it,” says body language expert Judy James.

And this despite the fact that the parental responsibilities of William and Kate are very different from what ordinary moms and dads should do – parents are required to acquaint the prince, princess and future king with the rules, traditions and etiquette of the British royal family. And at the same time, do not forget that these are three small children who yearn to receive as much pleasure and freedom as the children of the average English.

“What do we see during public events? First of all, how well they cope with the usual aspect of upbringing, with what makes them like many, many other families, ”the expert continues.

Kate and William know when to be firm with their kids and when to relax. “Their methods include staying fully attuned to their children, but not fussing or showing signs of worry over the little things,” says Judy James. And yet, at times, Kate has to be firm. The expression on the face of the princess is often tense, while William, on the contrary, prefers a rather free and playful demeanor. It is the father who often strokes the children’s hair, touches their cheeks to show their love and support, to give each child exclusive, undivided attention. At the same time, the family of the newly minted Prince of Wales looks like a very close-knit family group in which everyone has their own role.

It is already clear that all three children are aware of royal etiquette, their smiles and manners improve with each appearance, showing that, despite the feeling of freedom, their parents successfully instill in them the traditions of the royal family, the rules of which they always adhere to.

It is known that William and Kate are very practical parents. They don’t shower their children with expensive gifts to, in Kate’s words, “raise a new generation of emotionally intelligent royals” and help their children feel “worth the attention itself.”

Not so long ago, Kate Middleton and Prince William posted a short video on the social network showing how they enjoy walking with children in the fresh air. In the video, they hug babies, climb the sand dunes of a beach in Norfolk with them, then sit by a fire in the countryside and walk in the garden of their residence in Anmer Hall. Kate can be seen laughingly chasing Prince Louis around the garden, while Prince William touchingly hugs Princess Charlotte.

According to sources close to the court, Kate is deeply passionate about the importance of laying a solid foundation for the life values ​​of her children. It is known that she very often consults with experts on child development, but at the same time does not neglect the opinions of ordinary Britons. So, the princess organized an online survey called “Five big questions about children”, in which each parent could share their opinion with her.

In one of the interviews, the princess admitted that she specifically focuses on outdoor games. “It is in these moments of nature exploration that children learn to think of themselves as free independent beings who can make their own decisions and discover what they are capable of,” she says.

And he adds: “Obviously, all families with young children experience difficulties, ups and downs sometimes, but it is moments like these that really balance all the problems. You get a true sense of joy, enjoying nature and its beauties with your children. It may sound a little mundane, but that’s how it is. By running, jumping and playing, children develop physical strength, spatial thinking and learn to correctly determine how far they are ready to go for their dream.

nature helps

It’s no secret that Kate and William are raising children in a family known, to put it mildly, for tensions between its members. However, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are growing up calm and happy thanks to the efforts of their parents.

In many ways, this is a consequence of the fact that Kate grew up in a very large and friendly Middleton family, so she simply cannot imagine what could be otherwise, she is interested in family ties and has a positive attitude. As a mother, Kate is never averse to rolling up her sleeves and helping teachers personally with school events: sports days, exhibitions, fundraisers and the like never go without her participation. By the way, older children, by decision of their mother, refused to be called high-profile titles at school. They are simply called George and Charlotte Cambridge.

It is known that Kate and William love to invite their children’s school friends to their home for tea. “There should be a lot of friends and tea,” William once said either jokingly or seriously. The parents of princes and princesses insist that none of their children be treated differently by their peers.

“George may be king in the future, but for now he is a little boy. We raise all our children with strict rules, but with an emphasis on emotional intelligence, kindness, creativity and communication, rather than punishment, says Kate. “We teach children table manners, how to write thank-you notes, and how to give people small courtesies so that these skills become automatic. If George is naughty, and he is on occasion, William is good at explaining to him what is wrong with what happened.

It is known from royal court sources that Kate and William “encourage George and Charlotte to write articles, sketch, photograph and create weekly magazines of the family, which are admired by the grandfather and the entire Middleton family.”

Last year, Kate announced the founding of the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, which confirmed her desire to become a philanthropist and expert in child education.

Without nannies and staged photos

When the British press talks about Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, the term “modern monarchy” is often used. Last but not least, they are called so precisely because of the independent upbringing of children.

Prince William and Prince Harry once had royal nannies Barbara Barnes and Olga Powell. But William and Kate did not want to hire royal nannies. This is a big change from how British royalty were brought up in the past.

“Children of the British aristocracy were traditionally brought up by nannies, governesses and tutors, not by parents. The great Queen Victoria saw her little children for no more than one hour a day, and when she saw them, they were well-groomed and behaved in the best possible way, ”says a source close to the royal family.

From a very young age, William and Harry interacted with kings, queens and their children. For example, with King Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife, Queen Sophia of Greece and Crown Prince Philip of Spain. William and Kate try to keep their children from communicating with representatives of other famous dynasties whenever possible, giving them more time to communicate with their peers.

All “natural” photos of William and Harry as children are actually staged – the princes could not be photographed outside the opportunities provided personally by Queen Elizabeth II for certain photographers. Today, the children of William and Kate are filmed by everyone who is not lazy at numerous events, and parents do not interfere with this in any way.

It is worth noting that Prince Charles became the main violator of age-old traditions – he turned out to be the first royal father who was present at the birth of his child and devoted at least some time to raising his sons. He himself at one time was also raised by nannies. According to historians: “Charles was seen by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, half an hour after breakfast, looked at him briefly at lunchtime and spent half an hour with him at the end of the day.”

Princess Diana was known for trying to make her sons’ privileged lives ordinary. For example, one Christmas she stood in line with her two children for 15 minutes at a London department store to buy toys and meet Santa Claus.

“I was very small, but it made a lasting impression on me, in a good way. We are all human and mistakes are inevitable. But, in the end, in my family today there is a sense of loyalty, devotion and community of children and adults, and I think that this is transferred to other members of our extended royal family, ”Prince William shared.