Prince William has shared a rare insight into the different personalities of his three children, while revealing the real cheeky monkey behind closed doors.
The Prince of Wales made the surprisingly frank comments as he visited the national federation of the Women’s Institute (WI) in Sunningdale, Ascot, alongside his wife, Princess Kate. The royal couple journeyed to the WI to mark the third anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth.
Before his children returned to Lambrook school last week, William talked warmly about his children and their summertime activities while sharing some more recent recollections of his family life and hearing anecdotes about the late Queen over tea and cake.
When questioned if his children were back at school, William jokingly responded: “Thankfully, yes” before saying he had “got them off” for the new school year after completing the school run.
Nina Derrick asked, “Is Louis a bit of a handful?” to which William seemed to defend his youngest son, saying that Louis was “a very good boy”.
When it was pointed out that George seemed to be the sensible one, whereas Louis was “a bit of a character”, William said that there was “five years between them” and quipped that while George knew how to behave in public, “behind closed doors it’s a different story”.
Kate said that she and the children had been crafting in every corner of the house” over the summer holidays, and spoke to the women about her bee-keeping, and the importance of “making and crafting” and “community”.
Talking to one group, William acknowledged that it was his grandmother’s anniversary. “I can’t quite believe it has been three years already,” he said, before adding that the time has “gone quite quick”.
He said that the late Queen, who had been a member for more than 80 years, had “loved” the WI.
Acknowledging his closeness to the Ascot racecourse, which hosts Royal Ascot each year, he added, “I think she would have loved a few more wins. She was very upset that she couldn’t win a few more times.
“She used to have an iPad so that she could watch all the foals being born, so wherever she was in the country, she could see. She was very dedicated.”
The WI has a close connection with Elizabeth II as she was a member for 80 years, joining in 1943 and acting as president of the Sandringham WI from 2003 until she died in 2022 at Balmoral, aged 96, after a rule lasting 70 years.
Kate and William have one strict rule for their children, and one way to deal with their poor manners.
Kate and William, the Prince and Princess of Wales, have regularly been seen out in public with their children as the young royals grow and take a more involved role in public life.
The youngest are often seen having fun at major events – from pulling faces to blowing out candles.
However, insiders have revealed that there are some strict rules the children have to follow, and although they do have the help of a nanny, the royal couple are still extremely hands-on with their children, who are said to love taking part in activities such as bike riding and baking.
At their Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage, William and Kate apparently have a set of rules that must be followed at all times, so it’s not all fun and games for George, Charlotte, and Louis.
According to a source, this rule is one they are strict on following – there is to be no shouting in the house. Shouting is completely off limits for the children, and any inkling of shouting at each other is dealt with by removal.
But rather than be sent off to their bedrooms or to the naughty step when they act up, the royal couple have a different approach – the sofa chat.
The source added: “The naughty child is taken away from the scene of the row or disruption and talked to calmly by either Kate or William. Things are explained and consequences outlined, and they never shout at them.”
Don’t be deceived by their royal status – they’re parents too, and when they see behaviour that isn’t acceptable, they clamp down on it like anyone else would.
The pair have been raising their three children to be outstanding Royals, and Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, have been known to be extremely well behaved in the public eye. But what about at home?
It seems that the two steer clear of more conventional forms of discipline, such as the naughty step method.
The step is often a technique where parents send their children to sit alone apart from the family so they may reflect on their actions and return with an apology.
It is generally condemned as a poor approach to assist your child learn from their mistakes, and to be honest, it is not an effective technique.
Instead, many choose to talk to their child about their mistake and work through it together instead of isolating them.
For William and Kate they too like to talk it out. There’s no ‘naughty step’ but there is a ‘chat sofa.’
William and Kate explained that the naughty child is taken away from the scene of the row or disruption and talked to calmly by either one of them.
“Things are explained and consequences outlined, and they never shout at them.”
When it comes to making choices involving the kids, their nanny, Maria Borrallo, works hand in hand with William and Kate.
You would never suspect that it’s a military operation since they put a great deal of effort into raising their three children while maintaining a calm and joyful environment.
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