Prince William is a dedicated dad to his three kids, striving to give them a ‘normal’ upbringing despite their unique Royal status. Both William and Princess Kate are determined to keep Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis grounded.
They’re using lessons from their own upbringings to shape a modern family dynamic. For William, who grew up knowing he’d one day be king, just like George, it’s crucial for his children to have a normal childhood before Royal responsibilities kick in.
He wants them to have the right emotional support as they grow. “As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family,” he expressed in 2016.
“I love my children in the same way any father does and I hope George loves me the same way any son does his father. We are very normal in that sense.”
Prince William is deeply conscious of the heavy duties his children will inherit and is determined to instil in them an awareness of their societal roles and influence. Drawing from his own experiences and the teachings of his mother, Princess Diana, he wants his offspring to recognise that not everyone shares their advantages and some require extra support, reports the Mirror.
Echoing Diana’s approach of taking young William and Harry to homeless shelters, the Prince plans to educate George and his siblings about their privilege. “My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I’m really glad she did,” he expressed earlier this year.
Discussing his intentions to carry on Diana’s work, he further shared, “I think when I can balance it with their schooling, they will definitely be exposed to it. On the school run, we talk about what we see. When we were in London, driving backwards and forwards, we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets and we’d talk about it.”
He elaborates on the importance of these discussions: “I’d say to the children, ‘Why are they there? What’s going on? ‘ I think it’s in all our interests, it’s the right thing to do, to expose the children, at the right stage, in the right dialogue, so they have an understanding.”
Royal commentator Katie Nicholl feels it’s particularly appropriate that the Prince is instilling his parents’ fundamental values in their grandchildren. “It wasn’t just Diana – Charles also wanted his sons to have a better understanding of life outside the Palace walls,” she shared with OK.
“They both came from the same perspective of wanting to raise those boys with an understanding of normal life outside the confines of Royal protocol.”
“William and Kate’s children are probably more aware of homelessness than most children from privileged backgrounds, because it’s something their father campaigns passionately for and has done since he was 18. I think their eyes have been quite wide open from an early age – and that is largely because of William and Kate’s hard work.”
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