Princess Diana, Prince Harry and Prince William.Photo: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty
Princess Dianawanted to give her kids a normal upbringing despite their royal status, and nowPrince WilliamandKate Middletonare using that philosophy with their own three children.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are introducing their kids —Prince George, 8,Princess Charlotte, 7, andPrince Louis, 4 — to elements of royal life, such as joiningQueen Elizabethon the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour or bringing them along on royal tours. But at the same time, they try to maintain privacy and normality for the young siblings, including ordinarytrips to the supermarketorsnacking from the trunk of the carwhilePrince Williamplays polo.
It’s a cue they’re taking from Princess Diana, who frequently took her sonsPrince WilliamandPrince Harryon kid-friendly outings, like trips to the amusement park or McDonald’s.
Royal parents often relied on nannies while they carried out their public duties — in fact, whenPrince CharlesandPrincess Annewere young, they were only able to see their monarch mother at two appointed “meetings” each day. Even whenPrince AndrewandPrince Edwardwere born in the 1960s, it was a “nanny-dominated world,” biographer Ingrid Seward previously told PEOPLE.
Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Charles.David Levenson/Getty
Although they have help from trusted nannyMaria Turrion Borrallo, Prince William and Kate followed Princess Diana’s lead when they took Prince George on tour to Australia and New Zealand when he was just 9 months old, and they broughtPrincess Charlottealong to Canada when she was just 2.
More recently, as part ofQueen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee weekend,Prince GeorgeandPrincess Charlotteaccompanied their parents to Wales for their first official visit — a big moment for George, who is set to someday become the Prince of Wales when his father is monarch.
Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Can’t get enough ofPEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates onKate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Meanwhile,Kate “runs things at home with the kidsand the schedules,” a friend told PEOPLE.
“She is hugely involved in every single part of their day,” the friend added.
Kate and Prince William, both 40, are present parents, from being there for school pickup to letting thechildren argue over what songs to play during breakfast. They also prioritize time outdoors whether rain or shine, from family bike rides to visits to the beach in Norfolk.
“Kate likes to keep an ordinary life,” a source said.
And that “ordinary life” includes chores! Kate revealed during an outing earlier this year thatPrince George’s job during a break from school was"moving feed" for farm animals.
Kate Middleton and Prince William with Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George at Trooping the Colour 2022.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
A source previously said that Kate “wants to emulate her upbringing, living in the countryside with a close-knit family. She desperately wants that normality for her own kids.” That might be part of the reason the family isplanning to relocatefrom their London home at Kensington Palace to a new residence some 30 miles west in Berkshire, the county that houses the Queen’s primary residence, Windsor Castle.
Although the children’s schooling was the primary reason to make the change, there are other benefits: Berkshire is also home toBucklebury, where Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, raised Kate and her two siblings and where they still live.
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony on June 5.Samir Hussein/WireImage
However, their children’s time in the public eye is never far from the couple’s minds.
“They know what’s coming[as they near the throne] and want to give their kids as normal a start as possible,” an insider previously said.
source: people.com
