What Prince William and Kate are really like as parents

November 02, 2018

<h2>Always be hugging</h2>
When the Cambridges visited Essex for a sporty engagement with their Royal Foundation's Coach Core program, the mother of three shared the warmest hug with fan Janet Emery. Kate revealed that this is something she also does often with <a href="/tags/0/prince-george/">Prince George</a>, <a href="/tags/0/princess-charlotte/">Princess Charlotte</a> and <a href="/tags/0/prince-louis/">Prince Louis</a>, saying, "Hugs are very important. That's what I tell my children."
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>Have fun in the great outdoors</h2>
Kate loves spending time with her kids outside the house, from trips to the natural history museum to frolicking on the sidelines at a charity polo match. The 36-year-old, who is on maternity leave until the fall, was every inch the doting mother as she spent the day with her two older children at the Beaufort Polo Club in June 2018, where Prince William was playing in the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>Toy guns are allowed</h2>
She's the ultimate Mary Poppins! While at the charity polo match, Kate's Victoria Beckham tote was stuffed with entertainment for her children, who kept digging in for more fun. George was given a gun set with handcuffs and also played with his multicoloured slinky while Charlotte sat on mom's lap and also bounced around doing summersaults and running.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>The more quality cousin time the better</h2>
Savannah, the seven-year-old daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips, and her sister Isla, 6, are wonderful playmates for their cousins Prince George and Princess Charlotte! In June 2018, the kids had back-to-back playdates as they attended Trooping the Colour and stole the show on the balcony (where Savannah couldn't help but shush the future king!) before playing in the grass the following day at the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy.
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>Screen time is allowed</h2>
<p>Yes, even royals use the iPad to entertain the kids and keep them quiet on long flights! Prince William told Radio 1 that the family watches a lot of children’s programs—George was a huge fan of <em>Peppa Pig</em>, but he’s now moved on to <em>Fireman Sam</em>. And George expects mum and dad to watch the shows with him. “You have to pretend you’re really interested in it because George gets very upset if you’re not showing due diligence to the characters,” William says.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

Kate does the arts and crafts—but William tries to take the credit

Duchess Kate has an undergraduate degree in the history of arts, so it’s no surprise she’s passing her love of art onto the kids. Kate does lots of crafts with her little ones and even gives their creations to a certain special lady. William told Radio 1 that George and Charlotte made handmade gifts for their Gan-Gan, the Queen, for her 91st birthday. But Kate was quick to quip, “Are you taking credit for the arts and crafts?” William, looking quite sheepish, said, “This is putting the marriage on the line.”

Crafting with kids is definitely messy, but Kate doesn’t seem to mind. Along with crafts, she often bakes with George and Charlotte. In August 2016, while in Luton, Kate met teenagers who were making chocolate crispy cakes. She told them, “When I try to do this with George at home, chocolate and the golden syrup goes everywhere. George makes so much mess. It’s chaos.”

Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>They want their kids to be cultured</h2>
<p>If you visit the Natural History Museum in London, you might run into Kate and the kids. She has taken George on numerous trips to the museum to see all the exhibits. In July 2016, during an official visit to the museum, Kate told a guest, “George loves three dimensional sculptures. He does come here quite often.” The future king is cultured! But don’t worry: He’s still a typical kid—he was once more interested in the pigeons outside the museum than all the amazing artwork inside.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>Kensington Palace is an ”open” place</h2>
<p>The British royals are known for their stiff upper lip and keep calm and move on attitude. But William, Kate and Prince Harry are trying to change that with their Heads Together campaign, which encourages people to talk about their mental health. Their #OKtoSay campaign is in full effect at the palace, too. “Catherine and I are clear that we want both George and Charlotte to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings,” Prince William told <em>CALM</em> magazine.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>The Internet is their mummy friend</h2>
<p>Who hasn’t turned to an online forum to unload their worries? Should she be walking yet? Why won’t he sleep at night? Kate is no different. She has reportedly used a pseudonym to post <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/kate-middleton-has-secret-mumsnet-10201672" target="_blank"><strong>questions to sites like Mumsnet and Babycentre</strong></a> on issues she and William differ on—like cartoons before bed.</p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="/royalty/02016042926011/every-adorable-picture-of-princess-charlotte-of-cambridge/1/">Princess Charlotte’s cutest photos so far</a></strong></p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>You’ll see them at the school gates</h2>
<p>Kate wants George and Charlotte to have a normal school experience, like she did, and that means she does the school run as much as possible. <a href="/royalty/02016010621587/prince-george-s-attends-his-first-day-of-preschool/"><strong>George started nursery school</strong></a> in 2016, and both mum and dad did drop-off and pick-ups when they weren’t working. <a href="/royalty/02018010841480/princess-charlotte-starts-nursery-new-portraits-taken-by-kate-middleton/"><strong>Princess Charlotte started nursery school</strong></a> in Jan. 2018, and mom Kate was there to snap some photos of her newest little student, who is attending Willcocks Nursery School in London</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>Bring on the activities</h2>
<p>The royal couple are quite active—they sail, they play football, they ski. And they’re passing that love of fitness on to their kids. If you are walking in the gardens near Kensington Palace, you may spot George racing around on his scooter—with a helmet on, of course. “He goes super fast on it. It’s hard to keep up with him,” Kate has said. George also enjoys fencing (now that’s a princely activity!) and football. Though William admitted that <a href="/royalty/2016101434072/princess-charlotte-football-prince-william"><strong>Charlotte is the more skilled footballer</strong></a>. “George is sort of getting into it slowly, but Charlotte is showing more aptitude,” the proud dad explained. Charlotte is also a keen horseback rider, just like her great-grandmother.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>The more, the merrier</h2>
<p>The Cambridge household is pet-friendly (despite the fact that there are many priceless heirlooms around). Before George was born, William and Kate got their dog, Lupo, an English cocker spaniel. He’s a beloved member of the family and is in many family pics, including the first official <a href="/royalty/0201308031161/william-and-kate-formally-register-the-birth-of-prince-george/"><strong>picture of George after his birth</strong></a> and <a href="/royalty/02016072228157/third-birthday-portraits-prince-george-released/"><strong>George’s third-birthday portraits</strong></a>. Charlotte is a big fan of the family’s other pet—a hamster named Marvin. She likes to rub her face against the hamster and let his whiskers tickle her.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>Tradition reigns</h2>
<p>It’s not surprising that William and Kate are quite traditional parents, especially when it comes to dressing their kids. You’re not likely to find Charlotte in a patterned romper or George in a graphic T-shirt. Instead, the kids wear very traditional British and Spanish clothing for all public appearances. Kate does this so the kids will still look fashionable when people look at photos 50 years from now. <a href="/royalty/02016100530209/why-prince-george-only-wears-shorts/"><strong>George always wears shorts</strong></a> with knee socks and adorable loafers. The Brits tend not to put their young boys in actual pants (or trousers) until they are around eight years old. Charlotte looks adorably prim in smocked dresses and Mary Janes, with either socks or tights.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>But some rules are meant to be broken</h2>
<p>William and Kate aren’t above breaking some rules. For the first few months of George’s life, the couple didn’t have a royal nanny. Instead, Kate’s mum, Carole, helped them adjust to parenthood. And George didn’t even spend his first few weeks in a palace or castle! The new family of three was at Kate’s family home in Buckleberry. The most notable tradition Kate and William have broken is sending George to Thomas’s School, where both boys and girls attend. William and Harry both attended Wetherby School, which is an all-boy’s institution near Kensington Palace. William and Kate are clearly trying to give their kids a very normal—almost unroyal— upbringing.</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

<h2>Wild is good</h2>
<p>The whole world is watching how William and Kate are raising their kids, but the Duke and Duchess don’t seem concerned about making sure their kids are perfectly behaved at all times. In fact, they welcome their wild personalities. Kate has admitted that <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/647935/Duke-of-Cambridge-Prince-George-Princess-Charlotte-William-Kate-handful-at-home-rugby" target="_blank"><strong>Charlotte rules the roost at home</strong></a> and hilariously told guests at Buckingham Palace that she didn’t bring Charlotte because she would be a “running riot.” In 2016, William told rugby players that his kids are “Running around, pushing things, jumping. Please tell me it gets easier?”</p>
<p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>

Privacy is key

It’s unlikely that William or Kate have social media accounts where they share photos of their children—they are too afraid that the media will get hold of personal photos. The couple are fiercely protective of their kids’ privacy, even releasing a letter in August 2015, asking the media to leave the kids alone. “They want both children to be free to play in public and semi-public spaces with other children without being photographed,” the statement from Kensington Palace read. It’s understandable that the couple were upset after paparazzi were seen following George and his nanny, going as far as hiding in cars to get photos of the young prince. Recently, the couple planted 40-foot hedges in front of Kensington Palace so that George and Charlotte can play outside without anyone being able to see them through the gate. At Anmer Hall, the family’s country estate, there is a no-fly zone, so helicopters can’t get photos of the children. Like all parents, William and Kate do enjoy publicly sharing adorable photos of their kids, but they only do it on big occasions like birthdays or christenings.