King Charles 'fully supports and appreciates' the 'informal and fun' way Kate Middleton and Prince William are raising their children as his own childhood, as well as his mother's before him, was 'not ideal', a royal expert has claimed.
- According to a royal expert, King Charles's less than 'ideal' childhood has given him a strong appreciation for the 'normal' way Prince William and Kate Middleton are raising their children.
- The late Queen, claims the expert, also 'fully supported William and Catherine’s way of bringing up their children' as she recognised the issues with the 'traditional' way she was raised.
- In other royal news, the unusual detail on Prince George's birth certificate that caused confusion.
Raising three royal children with the eyes of the world scrutinising your every move must be a challenge for Prince William and Kate Middleton. There are setbacks, such as, despite Prince William's 'scrupulous' parenting rule to ensure his children all feel equal, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis still know there is a difference between them and Prince George.
But, despite the pressure, the Wales family seem to be thriving with Kate proving she is 'leader of the family' and Charlotte showing the world that she's her mum's mini me during her debut Wimbledon appearance. A lot of that is likely down to William and Kate's 'modern' approach to royal parenting, like how they've ensured Prince George won't be forced to follow in Prince William's military footsteps or the fact that their youngest, Prince Louis, is being encouraged to pursue his current dream career of being a Wimbledon ball boy.
But what does the King, and what did his mother Queen Elizabeth before him, think of this 'modern' approach? According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, they 'fully support' it.
Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine, "Things change from generation to generation and you have to remember that the late Queen had absolutely no experience of what school life with other children was like. She never went to school and was educated exclusively by governesses.
"By sending Charles off to school, she broke with tradition and he in turn broke with tradition and agreed to follow Diana’s wish and send their two boys William and Harry to Eton - as opposed to Gordonstoun in Scotland."
These small deviations from the traditional upbringing for royal children, according to Jennie, leave 'no doubt' that both the late Queen Elizabeth and King Charles would 'fully support' Kate and William's 'modern, hands-on way of parenting.'
She said, "I’ve no doubt that both the late Queen and King Charles fully supported William and Catherine’s way of bringing up their children.
"They will have made it clear that for as long as possible they could put the children before royal duties. Their time living in Anglesey, Wales was precious, as was their time in Norfolk when William was a helicopter pilot. Life was then as normal as life as a member of the royal family could ever be.
"Now, of course, duty is beginning to take over because of their senior position as Royals and the fact that there are fewer royals to go round. Although the Queen was a strong believer in tradition, and so is Charles, I think both recognised that their childhoods were not ideal - or at least they didn’t have the benefit of the modern, hands-on way of parenting.
"I think the late Queen would have appreciated, and the King does appreciate, the way these three young children are being brought up in a bubble of love, security, and as much normality as possible," the expert added.
"One parent is almost always on hand for the school run and to welcome them home. As well as this, their birthdays and holidays are kept as free as possible and life at home looks to be informal and fun.
"You always want the best for your grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and I think William and Catherine – and particularly Catherine – would be the object of much admiration for the way they are nurturing their bright young family and embracing a slightly more relaxed approach to royal life."
