The Princess of Wales is known for her dignified parenting, which we have seen on a number of public occasions, including her famous disciplining of Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. But while she has been praised by some for her gentler style of parenting, Kate is said to idolise the way the Earl and Countess of Wessex have brought up their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex decided that they would not give Louise and James, aged 18 and 14 respectively, the HRH styles and prince and princess titles at birth. The couple, who married in June 1999, made this decision in a bid for their children to live a more 'normal' life, away from the spotlight, whilst still remaining members of the Royal Family and taking part in public events, The Express reports.
Kate is said to admire the way that the Wessexes have balanced being working royals, who are open to scrutiny from members of the public, and preparing Louise and James for the future. Royal commentator Katie Nicholl claims in her upcoming book, The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown: "Kate is said to admire the way Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, are raising their children — Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn — in the bosom of the Royal Family but prepared for life in the real world."
Two years ago, Sophie addressed her decision to not bring her children up as a prince and princess. Speaking to The Sunday Times, the royal said: "We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living.
"Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely."
Lady Louise, the late Queen's youngest granddaughter, turned 18 in November last year, but has yet to publicly speak about which role she desires to have within the Firm. In August, Buckingham Palace announced Louise had received her A-levels and would read English at St Andrews University - where Kate and Prince William met in 2001.
The Princess of Wales's eldest child, Prince George, doesn't have the same freedom to make choices about his future as he is destined to become king after Prince William. As for the future of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, Ms Nicholl believes it could be possible for the third-in-line to play a supportive role to her brother while the youngest member of the Wales family may become a non-working royal.
In an adapted extract from her book published by Vanity Fair, the author also wrote: "George, Charlotte, and Louis, who had starring roles at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, are being raised by their parents with an awareness of their positions and the roles they will one day carry out in support of the monarchy.
"George knows that like his papa, he will one day be king, while Charlotte will likely juggle the role of being the spare with a career. Louis could well be a private citizen undertaking occasional royal duties, like William and Harry’s cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, as well as princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Inevitably, because he is an heir, there will be more pressure on George, something William and Kate are acutely aware of."
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