Kate Middleton is quietly reshaping the future of the monarchy which Princess Diana once dreamed.
The Princess of Wales is seemingly breaking Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of formal parenting by following in the footsteps of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Lady Diana’s approach towards Prince William and Prince Harry’s parenting
In The i Paper in December, a former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond revealed that Princess Diana broke the cycle of formal parenting.
"I remember [her] telling me that she wanted her [sons Prince William, 42, and Prince Harry, 40] to be brought up in a way no other royal princes had been. And she did her best to give them an idea of what life beyond the palace walls is like," she wrote.
From taking William and Harry on surprise trips to McDonald’s to theme park outings, she aimed to show them life beyond palace wall before her sad demise in 1997.
Princess Diana, Prince Harry, and Prince William at Eton in September 1995 (Photo: Getty)
Princess Kate’s approach towards George, Charlotte, and Louis’ parenting
Similar to Diana, Princess Kate is also committed to ensure that her kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, grow up with a sense of normalcy, despite the weight of their royal titles and future responsibilities.
"Being a good mother is what's most important to Kate, and she works at it," the source told Life & Style, calling her parenting style "hands-on" and "playful, but firm."
They continued, "Kate prioritizes being present, engaged. She cooks with them, does silly dances with them - her ‘Little Grape' and her ‘Lou-Bug.'"
The insider further shared that she focuses on "the simple things," like "watching a fire on a really rainy day … going for a walk together.”
Queen Elizabeth’s approach towards King Charles and her other kids' parenting
According to biographers, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip maintained a distant, scheduled and formal relationship with their children, now King Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne.
In her 2017 book Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, author Sally Bedell Smith wrote that the late queen and Prince Philip "only saw their children after breakfast and tea time."
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with Anne, Charles, Edward and Andrew at Balmoral in 1972 (Image: Getty)
