With the happy news that the Middleton family have welcomed another baby, a royal expert has shared how Prince William and Kate Middleton have settled into the roles as Aunt and Uncle over the years.
When Kate Middleton's brother James Middleton announced that him and his wife Alizee were expecting their first child back in July, royal fans were delighted for the couple and gushed over the sweet holiday snaps he shared of his pregnant wife. The couple welcomed the baby, their first son who boasts the sweet baby name Inigo, last month and have kept details of their new life as a family-of-three pretty quiet.
Their time is likely being spent figuring out how to play with a newborn, packing away the free baby stuff you can get as a new parent, and finding out which baby products are completely unnecessary. But while Inigo is the couple's first child, they can rest assured that their seasoned family members, who all have children of their own, will be there to help out.
When he was born, Inigo became the seventh grandchild of Carole and Michael Middleton, meaning he has a whole host of cousins already waiting for him to get to the age where they can all mess around together. But as well as having Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Arthur, Grace and Rose Matthews as cousins, the youngster also has an aunt and uncle in the Prince and Princess of Wales. And while they may be busy with their royal duties, the royal couple reportedly 'relish' their relationships with their nieces and nephews.
Speaking to OK! Magazine about the kind of aunt Kate Middleton is, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond revealed, "Kate is extremely close to her brother and sister, and they all live fairly close to one another.
"I’m sure she will have raced over to see her new baby nephew, we all know she adores babies and probably couldn’t wait for a cuddle. Her life is so busy that get-togethers can’t happen as often as she would like, but family is incredibly important to her and I’m sure she sees as much as she can of her nephews and nieces.
"I think she will value and encourage the friendship and support that her children’s young cousins can give George, Charlotte and Louis as they grow up together."
As for Prince William, his role as uncle to the Middleton children is very important as he doesn't get to carry out many of his uncle-related duties with his own niece and nephew, Prince Harry's children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
"The Middletons have been William’s proxy family for more than 20 years," Bond said. "In the crazy royal world he has been born into, Catherine’s family has been his rock, his solid foundation, his role model of a 'normal' balanced domestic life.
"Especially as it seems that William is unlikely ever to play a role in the lives of Harry’s children, he can relish being Uncle to Pippa and James’s brood.
"It’s quite something to think they are growing up very firmly out of the limelight, but they are the nieces and nephews of a future King. I’m sure William sees them as much as possible, but his life is incredibly busy and will only get busier."
The couple's 'busy' schedule is in hot contention within The Firm at the moment, with Kate and William's royal and parental duties seemingly at odds.
According to one royal expert, Kate and William are finding it much 'harder' to balance their work life and parental duties since becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales, with reports sharing that both royals believe there are too many royal duties on their plate, meaning they can't spend enough time with their kids. On the other side of the argument, The Firm believes the pair aren't doing enough and are prioritising their family too much.
"I think that Kate and William are having to take on an awful lot and consider it, you know, but they've been very clear that their first priority is... to be parents to a young family," royal expert Robert Jobson told The Daily Express US.
He added that while Kate 'gives this vision of a swan on the lake…that she's a perfect woman who does not put a foot wrong,' he believes that 'below the surface, she is working very hard to maintain all the links with the King and other members of the royal family, but she would not jeopardise the school run.'
