Prince William and Princess Kate's Parenting Decisions With Louis and Charlotte are 'Absolutely Critical' to the Crown
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Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis largely stay out of the spotlight, but they delighted royal fans with an appearance at the VE Day 80th anniversary parade on Monday, May 5. Prince Louis showed off his usual cheeky antics, Prince George got a taste of his role as future King and Princess Charlotte looked perfectly composed and regal, as usual, at the event. But when it comes to the future of the monarchy, royal sources have said that it's Louis and Charlotte who hold the key to Prince William and Princess Kate "getting the family right."
The three Wales children have been raised in relative privacy throughout their young lives, with George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, 7, joining their parents for just a few royal appearances each year. While Prince George is destined to be the future King, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have more undefined paths ahead of them as royal "spares."
A royal insider told People that the Prince and Princess of Wales are trying to "strike a balance between private life and duty" with Princess Charlotte, who turned 10 on May 2.
"William and Kate must be acutely aware of the problems for a royal spare," royal expert Jennie Bond recently told the Mirror. However, she noted the couple has "already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children."
Speaking to People, royal biographer Robert Hardman agreed, noting, "The late Queen was always very conscious of that extraordinary and challenging role of the No. 2. That's why she had a particular soft spot for [her sister] Margaret, for [her son] Andrew and Harry. She understood being second place in a strictly hierarchical family and institution has its challenges. Everyone is conscious of that."
Choosing to move their family to Windsor, instead of living at Kensington Palace in London, was one major move that allowed Prince William and Princess Kate to raise their kids in a more "normal" environment. Like Princess Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales stress the importance of giving their children experiences like other kids their age, whether it's bringing them to local shops, attending their soccer matches or taking family vacations.
Hardman said that the Prince of Wales puts a lot of value in making "the whole royal existence approachable and not scary for all his children."
This means slowly introducing George, Charlotte and Louis to events, like on Monday, when Prince George attended a tea party for World War II veterans with his parents. While Charlotte and Louis will likely take on full-time royal roles like Queen Elizabeth's younger children, William and Kate are careful to make sure their kids grow up feeling supported and just as important as big brother George.
"Getting the family right is absolutely critical, particularly in terms of what the nation expects of them," a family friend told People.
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