Prince William and Kate Middleton are raising three young children in the public eye, but as witnessed in the Princess of Wales's recent cancer update video, they're giving their kids as normal of a childhood as possible.
In the moving clip— released to announce that Princess Kate had finished chemotherapy treatment—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, look like any young children as they romp through the forest and play on a beach in shorts and sneakers.
The kids play cards with their grandparents, Carole and Michael Middleton, climb a pile of logs with their parents and enjoy a picnic in the video. And while they look like any family enjoying a late summer outing, George, Charlotte and Louis certainly don't live average lives.
However, insiders say the Prince and Princess of Wales "make their own rules" when it comes to raising the future generation of royals. This means a more relaxed attitude to palace life mixed with the notion that the kids are, after all, members of the Royal Family.
The couple does employ a nanny, but they don't rely on a huge team of staff to take care of their children, preferring a more hands-on approach.
And while Prince George will be King one day, he's not immune to being "told off" by his mom, with one friend of the princess telling People, "when you see her behind closed doors with the children, she's a very confident mom, and she's no pushover."
The friend noted that "the children get told off if they act up" but the couple runs "a normal, busy family home with kids running around and knocking things over. There's no airs and graces."
"She is doing that to help her children be more grounded and keep their reality in check," an insider added. "That's what really matters to her."
Part of the kids' more "grounded" upbringing includes their schooling. While King Charles was forced to attend boarding school in Scotland, William and Kate have kept their kids close to home, sending them to the nearby Lambrook School, roughly a 15-minute drive from their Windsor home.
As for Prince George's next move, it's highly possible he could follow in his father's footsteps and attend Eton College, which would check several boxes. Royal author Ingrid Seward told the Sun that the princess "probably doesn't want him to go to boarding school at all, and it's possible that he won't."
Not only does Eton offer a world-class education, but it's a stone's throw from their Adelaide Cottage home, with Seward noting it seems "very likely" that's where George would continue his schooling.
Even though royal fans get an occasional glimpse of George, Charlotte and Louis at royal events or on social media, William and Kate have also been keen to keep them protected from public life as much as possible.
However, we have seen more of the royal trio as they've grown, and now that Prince Louis is six, he's been attending more events like Trooping the Colour and his mom's annual Christmas carol concert (which btw, is officially on for 2024).
Prince Louis's cheeky antics, of course, became one of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, but his royal parents seem to take his spirited behavior in stride—like when he sweetly danced to a royal band at Trooping the Colour.
Whether it's dressed up at Buckingham Palace or running through the woods, it's clear that William and Kate are doing their best to give George, Charlotte and Louis a taste of both worlds, just like Princess Diana did with her sons.
Describing the late royal as "so much fun to be around," an insider told OK! that Prince William drew parenting inspiration from his mother.
"She encouraged her kids to play and express themselves," the source said. “William feels a responsibility to show that he’s evolving and modernizing with the times. It’s not a burden to him, it’s a privilege."
A focus on being relatable and down-to-earth in the family's recent video is something royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Us Weekly was "unique and deeply touching."
He pointed out that the royals don't often openly show affection, adding, "I think there are important exceptions, and I think this was an exception."
At the end of the day, Fitzwilliams said, "It reminds me of the Queen’s comment: ‘Well, protocol is rubbish.’ They make their own rules."
