The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are presumably on vacation right now, but I’ll be damned if I can find any royal reporter speculating or reporting on where they are or what they’re doing. William and Kate have always been very squirrelly with their vacations and these days, I don’t even think their vacations even get reported on. Of course, I also wonder if William and Kate are even vacationing together, or if it’s more like Kate took the kids somewhere, maybe with Carole and Michael Middleton in tow. Who knows. This is all relevant because Us Weekly has a story about how William and Kate have approached “modern parenting,” but mostly I think they’re Victorians and they’re raising the kids the old-fashioned way – with aristocratic separations and nannies.
Letting the kids be kids! Prince William and Duchess Kate “are strict, but fair” while raising Prince George before he inherits the throne, a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
“The royals are renowned for being ‘stiff upper lip,’ but William and Kate have a more modern approach to parenting and are moving away from that mentality,” the insider notes. “Open communication is key for them. … [But they] set boundaries and have rules in place.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 39, want George, now 8, and his siblings — Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3 — “to express their emotions and ask questions to enable them to grow up as healthy adults,” the source adds. George is currently third in line for the British throne after his grandfather, Prince Charles, and his dad, William. Until that fateful day when he becomes king, “Kate and William want George to have a normal life” and “don’t want him to grow up too quickly,” per the source. Their search for normalcy even extends beyond the home.
“He’s not called Prince George at school and is simply known as George, he mixes with children his own age,” the insider tells Us. “Kate and William don’t shower him with expensive gifts nor do they over spoil him. … George makes his bed every morning. … All the children have impeccable manners and always say please and thank you.” Though they’re part of the U.K.’s most famous family, the royal couple are “raising their kids to be well-mannered and not take their status for granted.”
The kids might not get spoiled on a regular basis, but George was given the royal treatment while celebrating his 8th birthday on Thursday, July 22, complete with a Zoom call from Queen Elizabeth II. “Kate and William surprised George with a football cake,” a source told Us after the future king’s big day. “He received lots of lovely presents — a nature explorer set and a cool watch! … [The queen] sent him a lovely gift as a surprise.”
Personally, I think it’s weird that William, Kate and the media separate George from his siblings so much already. It bugs me that everyone is already reinforcing that George is different, special and unlike his younger sister and brother. But sure, I do think the Cambridge kids are probably being raised more like Middletons than Windsors. I think the kids are always going to be closer – both physically and temperamentally – to the Middletons too. Which is a whole other conversation!
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red and Kensington Palace.
My guess is that the royals idea of “spoiling” and my idea of “spoiling” are probably pretty different. Like of course George probably has every toy ever invented and while he may make his bed, that’s probably the extent of housework for him. But I just sort of figure that’s par for the course with any absurdly wealthy and privileged family. So maybe in the context of the wealthy set, him making his own bed is a big deal?
If George makes his own bed, I will buy a hat and eat it. Carole doesn’t even make her own bed because she being the queens mom would think that is beneath her.
I don’t think he does either but I’m sort of laughing that the examples of them not being spoiled are him making his own bed and being well-mannered.
I could picture him doing his own bed. Not necessarily well, but I could see the parents making him do it to give him a sense of motor skills and coordination.
That doesn’t necessarily mean I think he’d continue making his bed as an adult. But to make sure he can actually move about in a coordinated way, I could see the parents stressing it in the early years.
I assume royals are sleeping on really silky sheets that are pressed with precision. So as an adult I could see him being like “whatever, I can’t get this perfect.”
I don’t really think of US weekly as a source of royal sources though. So who knows what George is doing.
Exactly Becks, being normal would be treating him the same as his siblings and not putting him on a pedestal above them because he was born first.The parents could also help by not being practicing stuck up assholes.
The system puts him on a pedestal though. That is essentially his status and destiny as dictated by the system itself. None of us has to agree with the system, but it is there whether we like it or not.
I think no matter how much his parents might try to invite equality between siblings, the system will eventually show the difference.
Questions
In no way can George’s parents benefit or exist within the system and not also participate in it in the context of holding George above his siblings because of birth order. It’s not as simple as just the system taking over. It’s also his parents accepting this life for him before he was ever conceived. And as we saw with Harry. Because you’re born into the system does not mean you must remain and repeat the cycle.
There are a lot of privileges George will have. Some shortcomings, but also a lot of privilege. Giving it up also means giving up that privilege. So, truthfully, if I were a parent I’d probably accept this life for him too. With the massive inequality going on right now, the alternative isn’t necessarily something I’d want to submit to either nowadays. We all have to suffer in some way — suffering with privilege seems more attractive at this point in time.
Exactly. Once you’ve told your firstborn child that he is Royal Special, a child of destiny, simply for having made it here alive, everything else is shutting the barn door after the cows have escaped.
Fan fic. But I did hear from a blog I follow that they are rumored to be vacationing in the Isles of Scilly (?) which is apparently where they went last year and Charles owns a house there.
They only went there last year because Europe was closed for travel due to covid. Kate is somewhere sunny with the kids, likely Mustique and Billy is gardening.
As normal as people who have full time staff to meet their every heart’s desire but what the heck do I know, I am a commoner.
On another note, what is different about Kate’s face in those pictures at the football match? She looks totally different
Maybe they got a new intern to photoshop her face. Doesn’t know all the same things that the last intern usually did to her face.
It’s tougher to photoshop from a distance. This was tried years and years ago and the results were awful. So, since Kate is so heavily photoshopped that when we do see her less corrected she looks off.
They want them raised as healthy adults so they don’t shower him with expensive gifts – yet both mother and father throw his uncle and aunt to the wolves and show behavior that is toxic. This story gets a MASSIVE eye roll from me. Children mirror behavior.
Also, how the heck can they slip in out on vacations without a single report????
And lastly, that second pic of George (the look of disappointment) he looks like his father – not a good thing.
Lol the kids have good manner ?? What a bs ?? Charlotte was rude to the photographer at louis christening. Good manners kids wont say things like that. That photographed quietly doing his work and charoltte was rude and none of her parents correct the behavior. Rather than louis , these kids didnt even go near archie speaks volume. Only stupid people will believe this shit.
Hanna, Charlotte has a habit of being rude to photographers and she has been labeled as ‘Spunky”. Mind you, Princess Estelle of Sweden has never exhibited such behavior (that I have seen). Makes one wonder what is said in private that she hears about the reporters and the public (their interest in the BRF) for her to react in such a way.
Yes Estelle and oscar behaves well in public and before camera too. They are not moody looking or irritated by the camera. That’s the opposite of cambriges kids. George always look grumpy and rather be somewhere and charoltte being rude and does gymnastics in public . I dont like when little girls exposing themselves on public like that. It’s not kids facult its parents , they should know better. I mean in the park I saw little girls in beautiful gown or dress. When the wind blows or very playful they expose themselves and those perverts disguise as parents hawk around these kids.
Kids in public should be dressed appropriately that’s what victoria does to her kids. They behave like royal kids with good manner and beautiful modern coats and dress.
Who can i blame ?? Kate barely kept herself from constant flashing.
To be fair, Princess Estelle is a unicorn. I’ve never seen a child more suited to be a royal.
Charlotte is still very young. I think it’s more important for now that she feels comfortable in front of the cameras rather than being reprimanded in public.
Both Estelle and her brother are being raised to be seen. They always look comfortable. The Cambridge kids are being raised to loathe being seen doing royal “work”.
@hanna “I dont like when little girls exposing themselves on public like that. It’s not kids facult its parents , they should know better.”
I can’t believe I’m reading this. I don’t have kids and don’t plan to but everyone knows it’s cruel to blame parents for misbehaving children, whoever they are. They’re children! Also, don’t sexualize little girls ffs. Don’t slutshame little girls! Phewww
@hanna lololol as IF the answer to men’s pervy behaviour is to restrain/change the behaviour and dress of a little girl – come on now
i don’t doubt these kids are spoiled but we can’t really know and it’s unfair and unhealthy to expect young children to make a flawless performance of diplomacy and decorum in large crowds of strangers – children at their ages are learning and testing personal boundaries and i would much rather instill a strong sense of self than have a perfect china doll, ESPECIALLY if there are pervy men around
@ElleV. I agree. I feel like people are being way too harsh about a very young child who has to deal with bizarre circumstances. Remember the Christmas walk? I’d much rather Charlotte be a “rude” child capable and comfortable with pushing back than a polite, perfect child overly concerned with turning out a perfect performance with the public.
She was a happy little toddler turning somersaults at a polo event, it’s wrong that strangers years later have opinions on it and cross boundaries to comment on how she should be parented.
I’m far from a Cambridge defender but the only thing in public that sticks out for me re: Charlotte as inappropriate is sticking out her tongue. Her comment to the photographers – eh, she was 3 at the time, whatever. It wasn’t the worst thing she could have said (wasnt it just “youre not coming” or something?) and she seemed to be having a good time at that polo event. She’s 6.
I think Charlotte behaves this way because she is incredibly uncomfortable with being thrust into the spotlight like this, when her mother demands her to perform for the public (I’d say William too but he barely interacts with these kids). She looked scared and unhappy at the Christmas walk, and when she made the remark about the photographers. The sticking out her tongue thing corresponds with it.
The Spanish Princesses too. Beautifully raised, well educated girls. Maxima’s daughters, all those young European Crown Princesses- none of them have a track record of this behaviour and all of them have been seen and photographed since childhood.
I imagine their idea of ‘good manners’ is more about knowing who they need to bow/curtsey to because we know rank is EVERYTHING in that family, or other protocol related stuff. Or which fork to use when eating grouse.
Plus as and when the kids are a) acting like kids and/or b) behaving ‘badly’ it will largely be ignored and covered up for now at least thanks to the invisible contract and embiggening campaign.
Yeah and didn’t William look proud about it too?
Well, she was only 3 wasn’t she? But yes…rude. And she did stick her tongue out at a photographer at that regatta, when she was with CarolE and Keen, and both just laughed and pulled her inside. Yes, typical child behavior, but my mom would *not* have laughed at me lol I’d’ve gotten spoken to, right then and there, and told to apologize if I did that to an adult, even at 3! (I remember doing this with my own nephews when they were that young. That is how you teach/reinforce “manners/good behavior” when kids are young).
Well Harry stuck his tongue out at photographers when he was little and people seemed to think it was adorably cheeky.
If my kid did it I would explain that it was rude and not to do it again, but it’s not unusual for toddlers to do stuff like that, or for little girls to play while wearing dresses in ways that “expose” them. Maybe that’s just a sign that she’s an active kid and should be in more appropriate play clothes instead of dressed up like a doll.
It’s not a big deal if a toddler’s body is seen in public by accident. As someone else said, no need to sexualize it.
Someone commented on another site that some of the photographers would make faces at the children to get them to respond in kind. In that case it would be hard to discipline a child for something supposed adults are doing.
The OG Jan
When Charlotte stuck her tongue out Carole looked upset and flared at her daughter and granddaughter. Appearances are all for her.
Charlotte is raising by granny Carole – that’s I am 100% sure. We know who is raised by Carole – 2 social climbers and poor James whose only fail is that he is a man, if he was a girl, he could marry some other terribly moderately wealthy guy or even some aristo.
I think Carole wants VERY good consort for Charlotte. I can’t imagine Charlotte marries a commoner while Carole is alive. So maybe Charlotte will be the queen somewhere in Europe.
Actually, considering the way UK aristos look down on foreign royals and nobility, I think they might consider it more suitable for Charlotte to marry one of the last few Dukes the UK has.
Plus, there are only, like, 12 still reigning royal families in Europe, and most of the ones I am aware of have female heirs in Charlotte’s generation. And we have to remove three, because one is Queenie, one is the Pope, and one is the Principality of Andorra which is a co-princeship between the Bishop of Urgell and the elected President of France, so 9 other families (of which 6 are Kingdoms, the rest being Principalities and Grand Duchies).
Um, lessee…the Principality of Liechtenstein is possible in that the heir to the heir is 26, male, unmarried with no kids (so he might in the near future have a son that Charlotte could marry), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is possible in that the heir to the heir is a 1 year old boy, the Principality of Monaco has a 6 year old male heir…I suppose it might be possible that some of the Princesses currently aged 15-19 or so might have a first born son in a couple years that could marry Charlotte, but that’s pushing it.
@snoodledumpling Maybe the aforementioned prince Oscar. 🙂 Not the heir but a good foreign match if one is looking at royals. Plus she’d have great parents in law.
Snoodle, I can see Albert being thrilled at the idea of having a British royal princess, especially Diana’s granddaughter, marry his son in the future and be the next consort, but the BRF would probably keel over at the thought of one of theirs marrying into that trashy crew over in Monaco. Even though in reality the BRF is no better.
@Sid If Wills won’t change his mind to the time of his reigning, BRF will be Middleton Royal Family and everything will be up to Carole. And Carole knows nothing about dignity and will be thrilled to be related w/ Albert – money, fame, luxury vacations, TIARAS etc.
Union, I cackled because you are so right. It would be right up Carole’s alley.
Charlotte was 3 years old at her younger brother’s christening. I don’t think she was rude. Her parents probably told her the photographers weren’t coming into the christening and she repeated it to the crowd.
Also, about Charlotte sticking out her tongue at the boat race, I remember at the time reading that she was looking at Mike Middleton when she did it. They had been goofing around and she stuck her tongue out.
Most “normal” non-spoiled children have at least one parent who works a full-time job. I love how they play up that they’re focused on their family to excuse the laziness as if there aren’t generations of Nobel prize winners, presidents, great creatives, inventors, and many others who will accomplish more than any of these people who has one or *gasp* even two parents with a job.
What “spoils” the heirs in the RF isn’t necessarily having possessions but the attitude of the “higher up” child being more important because of a birth position. Once the child understands that and that, even older members of his own family are expected to bow down to him eventually, how do you check his ego?
Maybe singling out George so much is in part related to how worried they are about the future of the monarchy. They want to show that the future-future-future king is growing up without the problems that have plagued his father and grandfather? But I don’t really know what they did when William and Harry were kids so that’s just speculation
They don’t want him to grow up too quickly so they dress him like junior executive for a football game.
Lol, yes.
Like what child would call him Prince George? Only if they want other children to beat him up for being arrogant.
There is no way a person can grow up in THAT FAMILY and not be spoiled and psychologically damaged.
agree – the whole concept of a monarch and divine right to rule is silly and damaging and William is proof
i recently watched two videos of Charles and the boys and Diana and the boys and omg the family dynamics on display
in one clip, harry runs and falls over and starts crying and Charles watches impassively from the sidelines – harry is brought over to the nanny while Charles hangs back until I guess he remembers he’s on camera and goes to sit with him
in 100% of the clips of William, he is being snarky and meanspirited, and in one clip Will won’t stop shoving Charles’ head around and is clearly hurting him while Charles weakly protests
in another clip of outtakes from an interview, off-camera William huffily tells off Diana for being silly while harry giggles
what a nightmare kid Will must have been and clearly both parents never checked him
This. Unless they do the long, hard work that Harry did to break the cycle. Which no one besides him has any interest in doing.
If you can get a media blackout on your affairs, your Botox, your affairs, your wiglets, your affairs, your affairs, your affairs; you can stop them from writing about your child and they would stop if you didn’t leak about them.
They should just issue a blackout on the kids until they’re in their late teens. I just think those kids should have the courtesy of a childhood that can’t be google searched.
Uh, they tried that when William and Harry were in school, the press just couldn’t resist the allure of being the first to publish info on the future future King’s girlfriend. There was a whole ‘documentary’ about it, I think they called it the ‘Pressure Cooker’ agreement?
It is called Re-inventing the Royals. It got benched by the BBC, but it is available on the YouTubes.
To be fair, Kate and William started dating while he was in university and he was still protected at that moment. In the documentary there is a clip where a journalist asks Piers Morgan, why he can’t leave Harry alone. And Piers responds that they do. But the thing is that there were leaks about Harry while he was in high school soooooo…
So he isn’t spoiled because he *checks notes* can make his bed, something any functioning person should know how to do by that age. But he’s still being raised with the belief that he is somehow divinely superior. Got it.
He got an archeological piece as a present from David Attenborough literally. Sure he isn’t spoiled.
Palaeontological. It was a shark’s tooth over 3 million years old.
And neither of his siblings received anything, that we know of. SMH
Children need structure and consequences when they misbehave. Both Will and Kate live lives where they avoid taking any responsibility for their behavior and love coasting on their privileges, and if they raise their kids the same way the cycle of dysfunction will just start all over again with the Cambridge kids. It’s not about toys, it’s about the kids understanding that rules apply to them as well.
So George was seven when he learned that he is fffk, is that right? Seven. But that certainly won’t make him feel he is more entitled than the rest of the lot, as that is the definition of “spoiled” that most parents measure by. Right.
The is US Weekly – it is most likely pure fiction. Does anyone truly believe that this particular outlet has ANY royal sources?
Not me.
Yeah… this sounds a lot like the “modern” fundamentalist Christianity I grew up in. Yes! Have feelings! Express them! But make sure you come to the same conclusions as us and FALL IN LINE. Because no matter what W&K do, they are ultimately telling their son he has no other future than the one laid out for him.
–
I doubt USWeekly has any legitimate royal gossip/sources.
I’m probably reading too much into it, but this feels like damage control after the backlash over his suit and ‘rich-man laugh’. Look, he’s just a normal kid! We don’t spoil him, we promise!
I have nothing but contempt for the adult royals, but I really do feel bad for the kids. Being fodder for tabloids can’t be good for their self-image.
I think the entire concept of a hereditary monarchy is inherently damaging to everyone involved, especially the children, but I think if I was in this situation and had a FFFK as my child, I’d avoid the whole “you ARE a prince/princess/king,” and instead frame it like “your JOB when you’re old enough is going to be Prince/King,” and then I’d talk about what the job duties are and what sort of job skills he will need. That way I wouldn’t even have to say things like “We don’t insist that the other preschoolers call him Prince (Name), he’s just (Name) to them.” Because he *would* be just (Name). In the same way that I wouldn’t call a child who will be a doctor in 25 years “Doctor (Kid’s name).” Doctor is a job title and when the child is actually old enough to do that job, then they would be called Doctor (Kid’s name). In this day and age, as the royal family are constantly trying to tell us, being a royal is work, it’s a “job” for them. So once my kid is old enough to do real royal work on his own, and not just job shadow me on Bring Your Child to Work Day, then he can be Prince (Name).
this is super sensible and too bad they’re too far up their own butts to treat the role that way
@Amy Too Your comment just gave me a really sad mental image of Prince George doing what kids do and rattling off his career dreams (“I want to be a doctor/veterinarian/astronaut/etc”) and being told that no, he can’t follow his passion because his job has already been decided for him. God, I hate this archaic system and really hope it’s abolished soon.
While INFINITELY more sensible, kinda flies in the face of Ol’ Brenda claiming to be “ordained by God” to rule. So, no way they’d do this. It WOULD make them “normal”, and as much as they bray about how they WANT to be “normal”, they’d rather eat $%#@. “Normal” to them is the Aristo “normal”: live off a trust fund/inheritance, vacation/play as wanted, and not have to have a “real” job, answering to any boss.
This just reads so false to me. In no universe do Kate and William come off as down-to-earth and chill parents, who have instilled a sense of values and kindness into their children. They couldn’t even show compassion and kindness to their sister-in-law and treated Harry like an old shoe. These fools really think we’re going to believe they are such upstanding model citizens? Hate to say it but those kids don’t exactly have a good path laid out for them when it comes to growing into empathetic, kind adults. The one person who could’ve actually influenced them in that way got run out of town with his wife by their mom and dad. 🙄
I mean, isn’t it actually the taxpayers who spoil all of them?
Luna and Ellev , I dont sexualize kids but society does. Do you know why youtube close off the comment section when it comes to video with kids ? Some perverts in those comment section talking in code words and time where you can see kids ( private area ) etc. That’s why youtube close off those comment section . Even when one video of girls practicing ballet is removed because of these. You dont know what these perverts are capable. Child exploitation is a huge market in the world . This might be random thing what the perverts do with that image. I dont know if you know facebook banned an image of boy running semi nude. Why instagram remove images of kids in semi nude form?? There was a documentary on youtube in that one of police officer who is in charge of these child porn said these perverts often use images like this on a software . You should be very careful when dressing kids. There are many perverts disguise as human. Heck even her great uncle is a pedo , great great uncle mountbatten is also one. The world is a cruel place for woman and little girls. Parents should be extra alert when it comes to these things.
@Hanna
give it a rest, you sexualized Charlotte by passive aggressively calling her a flasher. Perverts will go after children regardless of how they are dressed.
Dont be rude I never said she flash . I said she did gymnastics. While I indeed said Kate middleton grown woman flash in public.
You are right, Hanna. All it would take is for Kate to dress her daughter appropriately for whatever outing they are having. Kate is too concerned with looking the part.
Even this term “over-spoil” is ridiculous. You’re either spoiled or not spoiled, right?! … It’s *almost* as if these ‘journalists’ cannot reasonably make the claim that an absurdly wealthy and privileged family are not completely out of touch with the rest of the country.
IMHO spoiling children is NOT the number or expense of their toys. It’s when they are never corrected, made to apologize, told no nor ever face consequences. It’s not about being polite, it’s the time they are not polite they have to say sorry. It’s not about an expensive toy, it’s when a child carelessly breaks the toy and it’s not replaced.
For some reason, I think Charles may have been corrected as a kid. Maybe it’s my perception of Philip as a tough taskmaster?
I still think Charles would likely be “spoiled” because of all that he has but I don’t doubt he was corrected on some level. Same for Anne and Edward. It’s Andrew that’s the question mark for me since in the context of an overall life he’s quite the screw-up. He was considered the favourite and well….
I think it would be impossible not to be spoiled within the context of how they all live. But I do think Charles, Anne, and Edward were probably corrected for behaviour. So think you can still have both sides in an upbringing.
Charles and siblings were raised much more by staff than parents. The staff probably won’t correct the future king. They weren’t even allowed to correct the queens corgi’s. I don’t think Diana spoiled her kids but TOB is supposedly very entitled and obnoxious.
I think Diana may have spoiled her kids to some extent. William and Harry said she used to sneak sweets to them. And their descriptions of her sound like that of a more laid-back parent. But I also think she talked about her problems with William too — so I have no idea what category that fits into. Doesn’t sound quite right to do that.
I feel Charles could been corrected by Philip. I don’t think Philip was totally hands-off, at least in terms of providing “critiques” or “criticisms.” Charles has a certain stiffness to him that I think shows he was required to act a certain way. He’s always acted older than his age and now finally fits the age he was mentally meant to be.
That said, I don’t think it’s possible for people at that level of wealth not to be spoiled — even among self-made rich people (see every celebrity nepotism kid). But since “duty” or whatever is at stake, I think they’d be corrected by their “bosses’ when they do something wrong. Or even the press. Except for Andrew. Have no idea why he turned out the way he did.
I think Diana put more limits on William than Charles did. Charles tended to cocoon William but Harry was thrown under a bus as the ‘bad’ Prince. Because Harry was required to apologize publicly unlike William, I think he turned out better.
I doubt that any of that is happening either. William didn’t get to be who he is because he was corrected throughout his childhood and given limits etc.
The Queen Mother treated William more “special” than his brother and would pay attention to William instead of Harry. That was the problem with Charles.
These people were raised with servants who DRESS THEM every day. Picture Prince Charles. He has a man who literally puts the clothes on his body for him.
I’m sure the younger generation don’t live like that but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
You wouldn’t want poor Mosely to be put out of a job? What use is an aristocrat to the county if he doesn’t have servants?
Ooh, they say “please and thank you”?! Wow, well isn’t that special, look how normal-ish he is!!
“he mixes with children his own age,” –what are they saying? He has to be near mere peasant children? Say it ain’t so!
No, he mixes with Aristo kids his own age. He would only be near peasant children if they were waiting on him.
Will & Kate had some beautiful children.
They are not forcing 7 year old kids to address their child “Prince” and that’s news in 2021? Nothing against them, just the concept of monarchy is something I’ve never been able to wrap my head around.
The Cambridge kids seem perfectly nice- and if their parents are trying to keep the kids being spoiled, that’s good. But the kids like the parents will always be weird. Because it’s weird to be royal, weird to have your life mapped out for you by a government, your family and the majority of a nation and to be the subject of international press speculation from the minute you’re conceived. Nothing will change how weird that is, or how weird that makes you. Plus the actual job is psycho- you have to go around empathizing and being distant all at the same time while people photograph you and pick you apart. Never have a public opinion, never get publicly angry, wear some seriously weird clothes and jewels and sit through amazingly boring and long ceremonies…What they are really teaching George is how to be emotionally controlled because that’s the name of the royal game.