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Prince William and Princess Kate are working to give their children—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six—as close to a “normal” upbringing as possible, a pursuit that draws heavily on Princess Diana’s approach to raising her own sons. Despite their unique roles in the monarchy, William and Kate are committed to instilling values of kindness and compassion in their children, much like Diana, who was known for her efforts to raise her sons with an understanding of the less fortunate.
According to royal expert Duncan Larcombe, despite the family’s best efforts, the young royals’ lives will always have unique challenges. “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?” he told OK! But he adds that William and Kate focus on controlling what they can, including decisions about which public events they attend.
“The way William and Kate are bringing up their children is very much based on the Middleton model,” Larcombe added, referencing Kate’s more grounded family background. Royal expert Katie Nicholl echoed Larcombe’s observations, explaining that the Wales children are encouraged to do chores and earn their pocket money through small tasks.
“They absolutely do menial tasks,” Nicholl noted, underscoring the family’s emphasis on building responsibility. “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.”
Prince William has been vocal about his commitment to making his children aware of social issues, particularly homelessness, an area he has worked to address with his Homewards initiative. This mission is something he credits directly to Princess Diana, who made it a point to expose her sons to different social realities from a young age.
He hopes to instill similar awareness in his children and makes it a point to discuss the issue with them when they encounter homeless individuals during their commute to school. Reflecting on his mother’s influence, William shared earlier this year, “My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I’m really glad she did.” He added that he wants to “balance it with their schooling,” gradually introducing them to these topics.
“On the school run, we talk about what we see. When we were in London, driving backward and forwards, we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets and we’d talk about it.” He continued, explaining how he approaches the subject sensitively with his children: “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.” The couple’s parenting style reflects their commitment to grounding their children in values that align with Diana’s ethos, while allowing them to grow up with a sense of empathy, even amid their unique royal responsibilities.
