Prince William has been out and about this week, doing actual royal work and actual events with real people. Duchess Kate is still feeling sick/barfy, so she’s still staying at Kensington Palace, one would assume, although I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear at some point that Kate has decamped to Bucklebury, to her parents’ home, for several months. In the meantime, William has been trying to lean into this idea that he’s a working royal now (whatever “work” means, amirite?) and these photos are from his appearances in Liverpool on Thursday. When he was taking a tour of a hospital yesterday, he talked briefly about his children:
“George rules the roost and Charlotte isn’t far behind,” William laughed. However, he’s not quite sure he’s ready to see her grow up so fast. “I think she’s going to be trouble when she’s older,” William admitted. “All fathers say that.”
As for George, the 4-year-old started school at Thomas’s Battersea in the London borough of Wandsworth last week. Though the toddler appeared a bit nervous in the photos taken of him heading onto campus for the first time, William assured it was all the parents getting emotional.
“Most of the parents are in floods of tears,” he joked. “And the children are absolutely fine!”
William said George has been adjusting to student life quite well — so far.
“We are all seeing how long that lasts before he doesn’t want to go!” he told hospital patients. “George has been really easy. He hasn’t said, ‘Have I got to do this for the rest of my life?’ ”
Right now, I’m getting the vibe that Charlotte has a big personality. Maybe that’s just her age, maybe it’s because she’s the “baby” (for now), but doesn’t it seem that way? Anyway, I don’t think George rules the roost. I think the entire family is subject to the whims of William’s moods, actually.
This week, a woman tried to break into George’s school and she was caught, thankfully. I think the school is going to review all of their security measures. It also wouldn’t surprise me if George is pulled out of this school at some point, as the commute to and from the school is already leading to some headaches. People Mag also had a story this week about the commute:
As Prince George begins academic life at his new school, Thomas’s Battersea, a royal source told PEOPLE that his parents, Prince William and Princess Kate remain committed to dropping George off and picking him up from school. Though their royal duties may not always allow it, William and Kate have promised to take George to and from school “as often as they possibly can,” a royal source previously told PEOPLE and reiterated again on Wednesday.
Yeah, just wait. I have the feeling that this won’t be sustained. I also have the feeling that it’s William and Kate once again play-acting their idea of normalcy. It’s like it would never occur to them to use their royal privilege to make it easier on George and just enroll him into a school close to Kensington Palace.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
All his comments on his kids seem to focus on their (perceived) rowdiness, bossiness, and/or uncontrollable behavior. Odd.
I mean, this is how I and a lot of parents talk about kids at this age. Seriously, toddlers are often rowdy, bossy, and difficult to control. And that is perfectly normal.
What’s odd about it? Everyone’s toddlers are rowdy. Standard small talk amongst parents.
Yeah, I mean, maybe it’s just me but I don’t spend a tonne of time talking about my 4-year-old nephew’s thoughts on Kierkegaard or Cartesian duality. I tend to discuss his amazing technique at matchbox car racing.
Yes, they are! But, cute. They seem like such devoted parents whatever other criticisms they get. I kind of got it before, regarding not many duties etc. But, after re-watching the event around Diana’s death, and the SOP of the royal family, I think William and Harry are well-rounded and caring. They were dealing with a royal family that had to change and, likely, conflicting messages around that and their own trauma. It seems clear their children feel safe and loved. I’m always rooting for parents who provide that for their kids. Probably because my work means I’m around many who can’t/don’t.
When my nieces were that age the only time they weren’t on a path of total destruction is when they were sleeping.
Toddlers are crazy. His description is pretty much spot on for 95% of parents with tiny kids. There’s nothing odd about it. Plus-he’s being asked-what’s he going to say? He’s not going to want to reveal actual anecdotes.
Right. Like he is going to say they are little angels the whole time? How much would the common people hate that. I am sure they are normal kids that have their ups and downs, and he is a normal father who adores his kids and tries to downplay that for the media to be relatable.
I love my 4-year old, but he’s a d–k. I regularly tell other people that’s he’s a d–k. We are working on strict discipline, so I hope one day he will shed his d–kish behavior, but until then, he’s a d–k.
LOL!!
+1
Me nephew is a d-k too and he is 6. The funny thing is that other people outside consider him to be awesome and go crazy after him. I want to strangle those people.
He doesn’t give a f-k about rules and discipline in fact he has his own set of rules. It’s a war
LOL!
Just proves they havent a clue what patenting is about. Nanny Naria is their patent. These two lazy entitled older middleton kid willnot caanot – beleive the public is desperate so throwing a few bits of bonex of begative pieces on the younger kiddies will get everyone oooohing! Poor sop.
he was talking to an old lady in a residential home, I think you are taking things a bit seriously Royalsparkle
You clearly don’t know any toddlers.
You have two routes with kids that age: their rowdiness and strong will/destructive tendencies, or their unparalleled brilliance and giftedness. Of the two, I’d go for parents saying the first, every time.
I’ll criticise the Cambridge’s laziness and willingness to spend public money on personal wants all day long, but not this.
Eh – people who were asking for ‘proof’ that his hour long daily commute would pose a security risk….here you go. And this was at the school. Imagine how much higher the risk is on the road – for him AND everyone around him.
I mean, hes super cute – but I don’t much fancy my taxes – literally tens of thousands of sterling a day – protecting one little boy, just because his parents are either too stupid or too selfish to send him to a school closer by. Not when school teachers who teach non-royal kids are having their salaries capped/reduced. Nope nope nope.
And before the ‘I would also send my child to the best School possible’ brigade turns up – there are plenty of fantastic schools MUCH nearer their primary home. Including a branch of the very same School they have selected for him.
@ Clare: I see what you’re saying, BUT Is it really necessary to second guess a parents choice of school though? Surely, they would have taken the time to consider a huge number of options and come up with a decision they feel best satisfied their aspirations/safety and logistical concerns etc? Why not just trust that they’ve chosen the best as they see fit?
Yes, it is, in this instance.
Given that other people (tax payers) are picking up the tab for their decision. Not to mention the added inconvenience to people who share the roads. Like I said, they are either stupid, or selfish, because the inconvenience and cost are obvious.
Basically they have made this choice despite the added cost and inconvenience to the people who pay their bills. I don’t believe they have considered ‘logistical concerns’ I really don’t. This is another whim, like moving a tennis court a few meters, or renovating a home they don’t live in…while regular people are buried under inflation that isn’t matched by pay rises, and a crumbling NHS.
Again – if nothing else, this is extremely selfish and a repeat of their ‘me,me, oh pooooor me’ approach.
I can’t argue with the other stuff, namely the unnecessary and extravagant renovations, wardrobes, holidays and other insensitive spending profligacies.
BUT I still believe there is a tendency for us to be a little heavy handed with our criticism of this couple and this is a case where i believe that’s the case. Without a thorough examination of how they came to decide on this school, I think its unfair to come to the conclusion that they’ve been as flippant about the decision as you’re suggesting. Especially considering just how inconvenient the choice is for THEM.
For example, we have no way of knowing if George has some sort of learning quirk which requires specialist attention, with that school being the most convenient to provide it. Obviously, we would hope that’s not the case, but my point still remains that we just don’t know.
Having said that, I also can’t argue with the “me, me, me” tendency especially from William. I suppose this personality trait makes people think/assume the worst of him at all times.
+100
Clare.
For the two laziest of the RF – they are the most expensivevinsitive snowflake users of tax payer Ducht funds. Waity dont need to have a P Sec or Office. She do no WORK for the betterment of GB people. with her lazy delucate snowflakley Entitled status used to better the carol the middleton family and partners by association to whiny Willnot.
Tbey only appear at fun events or when waity Kannot is pushed by The Firm to make a meet greet appearance.
Not seeing the proof. What does the commute have to do with the stalker?
It isn’t proof of anything. A stalker could also have either entered or attempted to enter a school closer to the palace.
I think the stalker just shows how many crazies there are out there, not including terrorists, and that a long commute in traffic, with narrow bridges to cross at the same time every day, is foolish. And I would bet his security detail would agree.
I was asking for proof of how this would affect daily traffic & security risks on the roads, which this article doesn’t prove. I also am not understanding the complaint on your tax money towards his security. Don’t you pay for his security (and the whole family really) everyday regardless if he’s in school or not or where he goes to school? I’m not being snarky, I’m just genuinely curious.
Mellymel – first of all, thabks for being nice while disagreeing. It’s all too easy to be an asshole on the internet, so I appreciate it!
My point was this – they live with a real and major security risk, all the time. His commute increases that risk. For the hour he is on a road, on a bridge, whatever – it increases risk for everyone around him and also adds significantly to the cost of keeping him safe. It’s not the same as him commuting for 5 minutes. Every minute of protection costs money – adding an additional hour+ and a bridge, will end up costing a lot of money. Not to mention the impact on things like traffic etc.
In terms of the stalker being different from an attacker during his commute – my point was that these people require protection not just from the baddies but also the crazies…the threats against them are real, unfortunately. Therefore putting your child at risk more than necessary makes zero sense – to me – not only because it exposes the child to risk, but also everyone the child is near, including pedestrians, people in the car next to him etc.
Okay thanks for explaining Clare! That makes more sense! And thanks for being nice as well. 🙂
Folks are purposely being silly. I understand your point and I agree.
I was actually impressed with how he seemed at ease with George on the drop off day. And the fact Kate wasn’t there made me believe she really does have horrible morning sickness. Usually I’m not down with William at all but he did seem to have a real connection with George. But yes William, you really need to up your workload game.
He has been going to more events than usual this week and last week.
And he really did roll up his sleeves, he really did, meaning not only the expression. Then when I learned he had, per hospital regs, to roll up his sleeves to meet hospital patients in Liverpool very recently, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. But it’s a nice look on William: roll up sleeves when meeting the public and work minimum 350-375 engagements a year now.
“Anyway, I don’t think George rules the roost. I think the entire family is subject to the whims of William’s moods, actually.”
Have you ever lived with a toddler? They are always the center of the universe. That’s just how it works.
We have just got out the toddler phase with our 2nd , and they really do become mini dictators don’t they? Our first born wasn’t so bad , but our daughter my god it was a shock to the system, our whole family life was turned upside down. I’m only hoping her little brother takes the easy road like his elder brother.
@Jessie: call Supernanny! 🙂 🙂
Yup! My toddler bosses me around all the time. “Mama, sit down!” “Mama, shoes off!” “Mama, bed!” etc, etc….
It’s kind of hilarious, but I do have to tell him no quite a bit 😉
Yes, and William has the mood swings and petulance of a toddler!
I was (am) the parent. I rule the roost.
You’re being a bit literal here, I think. My husband and I are the heads of our household – obviously – but many of the choices we make are centered around the needs of the tiny, adorable, irrational, innocent human that depends on us for survival. In that sense, our son is very much the center of our universe.
@lobbit: exactly-I’m the mom of a bunch. They’re older now so my life is sort of “back to normal.” But with babies/toddlers-your schedule runs according to them-feedings, naps, bedtime, diaper changes, meltdowns. Anyone who suggests otherwise either doesn’t have children or have blocked it all out.
I too am a mother of a bunch and my life does revolve around them since my decisions are always with them in mind first.
My toddler is lucky since several older siblings enjoy caring for him and see themselves as little surrogate parents. But they do require a lot of thought and pre-planning or else epic meltdowns are to be expected.
+100
whiny willnot is deflecting his own I am a prince petulance. George seems as scared as can be be, having locked away in the forest – in the first impressive first years. Thank goodness for nanny Maria. Both younger middleton kids are just like other toddler children . But these two are learning taught only one muddleton kid rule the roost – and all need to submit to whiny Willnot I am a Prince.
They obviously chose the school for reason. Maybe a lot of parents Kate knows are sending their kids there…although it seems like most of their friends have a country house they live permanently at and that’s where the kids go.
I’m still with the theory that Kate can’t be the Queen Bee at a school aristocrat and old money parents send their kids to. I mean what do both of them have in common with professional working parents? William just goes along cos I don’t think he is too concerned about school standards, as long as a royal gets a degree through hard work (or erhm connections), their preschool doesn’t matter much. As long as security is there, and there is a personal ride to and from school, the distance is a non issue (to them).
Spot on
I saw a picture of one of the other royal kids (Maude Windsor?) going to the same school as George. I think it was his cousin…who kind of looked like she belonged in a Harry Potter movie.
Every time a new heir goes to school someone mentions a break with tradition. In old clips on Youtube, Charles apparently broke with tradition by not being schooled at home/private-tutored. Then William broke with tradition by going to a different type of school than his dad. Now, George is breaking with tradition by going to a school south of the river Thames (and that offers ballet for boys).
The move Kate and William have made might not be unusual. It doesn’t seem as though there actually is a regular school that heirs and spares go to. Charles was the first one to go to school with other kids, and he’s still kind of a recent heir. They might have chosen this school because they genuinely liked it (and maybe Charles’s and Wills’s experiences at school informed how they wanted things to go for George. It never really sounded like Charles liked the school Philip chose for him).
It must be a pretty well-regarded school. Not only is George attending, but his cousin Maude Windsor also started the same day. So it’s not like the concept of dealing with high-profile, well-connected, wealthy and powerful families is a foreign concept to the people running it.
It is well regarded.
It is described in the Good Schools Guide as “competitive, oversubscribed and for cosmopolitan parents who want their children to have the best English education money can buy.”
It is also so popular that parents are apparently encouraged to register their children at birth.
Along with ballet and music education, the school also busses the kids to computer suites and science labs. Like other parents today, maybe Kate and Wills are interested in STEM for their kids! (No, I am not a publicist for Kate and Wills, but the more I read about this school, the more I want to go to it myself. And I’m way past the age of starting primary school).
“George has been really easy. He hasn’t said, ‘Have I got to do this for the rest of my life?” Methinks William is projecting just a little bit there…
That thought struck me too.
As Graham Norton would say, “The jokes just write themselves.”
I think so too.
I think the whole practice where titled British people send their kids to boarding school…I can see how that kind of environment, depending on what kind o f person you are, would either really benefit you and set you up for life, or you would really hate it if it just didn’t suit your personality. I wonder if William felt caged at boarding school.
One (horrible) commenter on DM keeps insisting that Charlotte is mentally disabled……has anyone heard anything to corroborate or disprove this please?
The commenter is a troll. Everything about Charlotte suggests she is functioning at the normal two year old level.
There’s always a troll or two (or 100) saying that about EVERY celebrity child. Think about how much of a lunatic you have to be to attempt to spread nasty rumours about a two year old.
Nothing in the footage we have seen suggests that all. Even were it to be true, that is not our business.
The tabs used to say that about the Jolie-Pitt kids, too. It’s just nasty people being nasty.
There’s also the nasty implications that some alleged sins of the parents have led to it, as well. Oh, Angelina is crazy so OBVIOUSLY one of her children has Down’s Syndrome. Oh, Kate is lazy so OBVIOUSLY her child has some development issues.
These people are not only obsessed, they ain’t exactly big on science.
It may be the same person who keeps insisting James Wessex has something wrong with him, because Edward and Sophie choose to raise their kids quietly in the country. DM/DF failing again at any stab at moderating.
Glad to hear this!
It’s always shocking seeing comments attacking little children so casually, but i guess thats the vicious world we live in.
Charlotte seems the most fun one of the bunch. And she seems assertive which is good, because her grandma and mother have messed up ideas about women in society.
I kinda doubt she’ll take off for her parents’ home (although I’m sure she’d love to), since it’d be so far from George, who actually does have to go to school now. She’ll just have to tough it out in her luxurious London apartments, the poor muffin.
Well, we know she won’t be making much of her Two KP kitchens right now unless she runs to the sinks to gag and vomit. Yes, bad morning sickness is a drag (I dry heaved almost every day for almost four months with my daughter who’s now in her 21st year and graduated from school of social work). I thought morning sickness would never end especially the night I was staying at a hotel and I threw up a box of saltines. The sound of my retching at 2am must have woke up and annoyed the hotel guest next door because I heard banging sounds next door along the wall of the bathroom. To this day, I don’t believe I had hyperemesis gravidarum. I had rotten morning sickness. Kate could go shopping and travel and -stay in hotels-. Kate has rotten morning sickness. She’ll get better and give birth to another beautiful baby.
+100
Nic919
He sounds fine here. He generally sounds cool when he’s talking about his kids.
I do quite genuinely think William wants to have the close, warm relationship with his children that he didn’t have with his own father.
William isn’t the brightest crayon in the box, but I think his intentions are good here and he is capable of this.
Disagree!
continued Throne Idle Wilnot is all about the PR. and taking the workshy eyes off him to continue being idle – aka snowflake 3d HG.
Waisty keen Kannot/carol all about what status kiddies will benefit the middletons!!
I think the Cambridges will make great parents as long as they are not too indulgent or permissive, something Charles and Diana both got wrong. The way Kate corrected George at Pippa’s wedding and redirected Charlotte on the tarmac makes me believe firm but appropriate discipline may be the rule for George and Charlotte. Here’s hoping.
LOL. My kids are 8 and 6 and still rule the roost. When you have kids life totally and completely changes…
My dogs rule my roost. Especially my bed.
My husband and I exist solely to serve our cat. I am dragging at work today because she urgently needed a belly rub from 4 – 6 am.
Mine likes to mash his face into my hand and then have me rub it. Today he liked it at 5:00 am.
All of us, husband, children, puppy, lovely mellow cat: are ruled by one grumpy, ginormous cat. He rules the roost.
My cat decides when he wants to eat, when I have to get up, and whose lap he is going to sit on. He is a total dictator.
LOL. “Dogs have owners, cats have staff” 😉
Ours woke me up at 3 am to clean her toilet, and a bellyrub at 5 am.
She owns the house and her we are just allowed to stay to serve her.
Reading all these comments by people who serve the whims of their cat(s) brings so much joy to my day!!!
My guess is that George seems a lot easier than his Dad when he started school. He was nicknamed “Billy the Basher” and threatened some tots with “when I am king, I am going to send my soldiers around to kill you”. Charming.
that is what kiddies say though.
Um, no. Not all children go around bullying and threatening violence.
No, they don’t. That is the actions of a brat, not a lively child.
Does William ever have anything nice to say about his children, especially George? Or is this his attempt at humor?
I think it might be his sense of humor. I think Brits (not all, but some) can be kind of self-deprecating. His kid is the future King of England — he, most likely, given the royal privilege and station in life, wouldn’t be inclined to talk the kid up the way Gwyneth does with her kids.
We’ve also seen George longing to meet the Australian bilby. If William claimed the kid was calm and roses, we probably wouldn’t believe him.
I don’t think “rules the roost” is a terrible descriptor though. It sounds kind of amusing to me. Then again I don’t have kids, so maybe that sort of thing would sound kind of interesting and even entertaining to me.
I know the Brits are famous for their self-deprecating humor, but Wills’ humor isn’t that. He makes jokes putting others down. He’s done it to Harry since they were kids, now he’s doing it to his own kids.
Where’d he learn it from? Grandpa Philip? Or is Wills just naturally a jerk?
I noticed that too. His jokes about people seem to have an edge.
My money is on jerk
I think they are absolutely nuts to send this 4 year old further than absolutely necessary. The risks are huge. The stalker has nothing to do with his commute, but highlights the craziness of people. Add in the narrow bridges he crosses every day, at the same time, and my mind creates nightmare scenarios. He is under enough of a risk without that added commute and I bet that his protection is not happy about this extra time added to the daily commute.
I don’t like Kate and William but the fear they must have for their kids must be tremendous. Which is why I don’t get this decision at all. No place is truly safe for their children, but why add to the risk?
I am surprised the RPOs didn’t find the security gaps when checking out this school. Even in regular non royal kid attending schools, adults normally can’t just wander in. This seems really lax.
It makes no sense for a four year old who won’t remember this down the road. This is for them, and they think they are taking control and proving they can do what they wish. But it is for a ridiculous cause. George is 4! All of this is unnecessary. If he were older, I could see making the argument for the importance of attending a specific school, but this is about the parents and their spoiled tone deaf personalities.
semi unrelated: I feel like both kiddos have their fathers nose but Charlotte looks like the queen and George looks like a spencer/middleton
Interestingly, the woman who breeched security is described as an obsessed fan.
Terrifying, I can’t imagine how having to deal with genuine threats against your children on top of all the usual worries and how stressful that would be. Another poster on a previous ‘George school’ thread pointed out that the Thomas’s branch close to Kensington Palace has a lot of ex pat Russian pupils and that there had been numerous security issues regarding their presence at that site. The poster quoted a Buzz feed article but didn’t provide a link. I’ve looked but can’t find it. If it’s accurate that seems a totally plausible reason to send George elsewhere for safety reasons. The RPO’s would have looked into all of this before deciding on a school and I’m presuming they would have had strong security reasons to send him to the Battersea site aside from any educational preferences they may have had for him.
Security was already a known quantity at Wetherby, and that was the expected school for them to attend. The RPOs didn’t select the school. Common theme seems to be W&K picked the school they wanted while ignoring logistical concerns (length of commute, impact of their commute on London commuters, ability to easily secure the site).
No the RPO’ didn’t select the school but the security services would have had a say in the site chosen, given the security concerns in London and the terrorist attacks both recent and historical, security would have been a paramount concern. Can you imagine the gloating of Daish and their followers if they managed to get anywhere near the BRF? With a distance they can choose different routes everyday, send decoy cars and all the other paraphernalia needed to keep George safe – and his movements unpredictable, if he’s taking the same route every day, five minutes away that would make him more vulnerable. Also there are a lot of foreign nationals living in the KP part of London who have their own security concerns and that would be an extra layer of threat to have to deal with if they are also attending the same school as George. William and Kate are lazy and selfish but given the bigger picture of terrorist threats/lunatics and propaganda wars I can see the point of sending him elsewhere.
They cannot choose from too many multiple routes; the school is on the opposite side of the Thames and requires passing over the same bridge 5 days a week. The longer the travel distance, the more time and opportunity there is to make something bad happen.
What has become clear is these two do not think about security concerns; they make their decision and security has to deal with it. Ex. They went to the same site for vacation at the same time every year for 10+ years running. Massive security concern, but they wanted to go on the annual Middleton holiday to Mustique so they went anyway and security had to deal with the headaches.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, I still think the security services have had a lot to do with the location, we are facing terrorist threats now that we have never experienced before (the bucket bomb at Parsons Green tube station in West London this morning – only the fact that it didn’t detonate prevented multiple deaths/injuries in the wake of the Westminster attack, London Bridge attack, Finsbury Park Mosque and Manchester) and the only thing standing between that child and disaster are the Security Services, terrorists won’t care that he’s a child. While I do believe that William is gyroscopically self centred not even I believe he would put his own preferences above his child’s safety, I really don’t believe any parent would. It’s also worth considering they were going to Mustique before the recent incidents and that the place is a relatively inaccessible private island with a no fly zone, they get to by private plane/yacht so that’s going to be relatively easy to police for security purposes. Also ( and this is my last point because it’s 12.15am here and I’m going to bed!) they missed the family holiday last year. As you know I have very little time for these two, they are useful only insofar as they support all my Republican leanings but I’m giving them a pass on this one.
@ frisbee – did you forgot the IRA attacks.
Their stubbornness is epic. So are the security threats in today’s world. I hope they start listening to advisors who know more than they do, for the sake of the children and all those around them who risk endangerment due to proximity to their whims.
Mustique is not easy to police, it is a privately-owned remote island without a real security force. I didn’t say “the last 15 years” I said “10+ years” referring to the years before they were engaged and the first few years of marriage. I suspect not going to Mustique the last two times had more to do with Zika than not wanting to go to Mustique because they were paying attention for security reasons.
This discussion reminds me of people who overanalyze every bit in the grocery cart of anyone using food stamps as well as criticizing the car they used to drive to the store and the clothes they wear. As though being on any kind of public assistance any time means the public gets to debate your every choice for your family.
At some point, once you have made the decision to use tax money to help support anybody, you really have to back off a bit and let them do for their families as they see fit and recognize that you don’t know the whole story anyway. Otherwise it just gets really tacky. Certainly the royals should at least be able to decide where to send their kids to school without explaining it to you all in detail.