The pandemic allowed William and Kate to spend extended time at home with their kids, giving them a few years without the need to travel internationally. Prince George and Princess Charlotte have accompanied them on a few trips, but Prince Louis is still waiting for his first.
While the Prince and Princess of Wales have not been away from their children for long periods, the idea of leaving them must be difficult, as it is for any parent. A royal expert revealed that Kate Middleton has struggled with these emotions, especially during a 2022 overseas tour when “things became unbearable.”
A major aspect – or perhaps the most significant aspect – of being a senior member of the Royal Family involves representing it both throughout the country and, at times, internationally. Prince William and Kate Middleton have frequently traveled abroad for various missions, often bringing their two eldest children along. As for Prince Louis, he is still awaiting his first royal tour.
Fortunately, when the children don’t travel abroad with their parents, there are many people available to assist William and Kate in caring for them. Their nanny, Maria Borrallo, is always present, and there are also other family members, especially those from Kate’s side.
Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, have always been there to support their daughter and her siblings. When they became grandparents, it brought them immense joy.
Nowadays, in addition to Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton’s three children and her brother James’s young son, Carole and Michael are busy as Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis grow older. They are said to spend a lot of time with their grandparents, who live in Berkshire, not far from Adelaide Cottage.
While Kate was recovering from her cancer treatment at home, Carole and Michael Middleton played a crucial role in helping care for George, Charlotte, and Louis.
“Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren,” a source told People Magazine. “And they will be a reassuring presence when she goes back to Windsor to recuperate.”
George, Charlotte, and Louis are fortunate to have a large family, with many cousins to play with.
Writing in The Telegraph, Kate’s brother James Middleton revealed that George, Charlotte, and Louis are great at keeping his toddler, Indigo, happy as they often have playdates.
Prince William & Kate Middleton will make sure Prince Louis won’t become a “spare”
He mentioned that the royal siblings “all play their role in looking after Inigo.”
“There’s seven of them (cousins) altogether at the moment,” James said. “I think they’re all impressed at how much of a mess Inigo can make. But there’s lots of laughter and giggles about.”
As for Prince George, his future seems clear: one day he will be king. However, the roles of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis within the Royal Family will be different. Being siblings to a future king places them in a situation similar to that of Prince Harry. According to royal expert Jennie Bond, Prince William and Kate Middleton are very conscious of this and are taking steps to ensure that Charlotte and Louis don’t see themselves as “spares,” as their uncle did.
“They have already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children and I’m sure they will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel every bit as special, loved and valued as George,” Bond told the Mirror.
She continued, “I imagine they will encourage Louis to explore life outside the royal fold… it could be the military, but it could also be working in the charity world or whatever he finds appealing after his education is finished. I’m sure they will encourage him to go to University, which they both enjoyed and where, of course, they found love.”
The royal expert added, “And from there they will want him to find a life that is meaningful to him as well as appropriate for the son of a future King. They will try to ensure that he feels he is living a life of value, irrespective of his place in the line of succession and that will probably involve service of some kind as they have emphasised from the start that they want their children to understand that having empathy with others is not only a kindness, but is rewarding as well.”
“William & Kate don’t want history to repeat itself”
As Bond suggested, William and Kate may encourage Louis to explore new opportunities and discover his interests outside of royal duties. If he chooses to stay within the royal family, he will likely be given a significant senior role and associated titles.
However, Bond isn’t the only one predicting that Louis might pursue more than just royal engagements. Speaking to OK!, as reported by Yahoo, Camilla Tominey, royal expert and associate editor at The Telegraph, stated that Prince William and Kate Middleton would likely want Charlotte and Louis to “have their own careers” if they wish.
“[William & Kate] don’t want history to repeat itself and Prince Louis seem like a royal hanger-on and go down the Duke of York path,” she told the Telegraph.
“A lot of the more minor royals have got careers of their own so they aren’t really being tax payer funded,” she added. “The extent to which the Cambridges have tried to normalise the lives of their children very much points in the direction of – yes, Prince George has his destiny mapped out but Princess Charlotte and Louis’ having their own careers?’”
Tominey concluded: “They’ve got to get the balance right of what their own children want to do with their lives and their royal commitments.”
The real reason why Prince Louis isn’t attending royal events
Although we are likely to see Prince Louis travel with his parents and siblings in the future, William and Kate will not be bringing their children along as frequently. This is true for public life in general, and both William and Kate are said to be aware of this.
Speaking on True Royalty TV’s The Royal, royal expert Lizzie Robinson explained that Louis is absent from many events because the Prince and Princess of Wales are “careful” about introducing him to the public spotlight.
“They’ve [Prince and Princess of Wales] been really careful to manage how they’ve done it and what they’ve taken them to,” Robinson said. “They’ve considered each event on a case-by-case basis. And the fact that Louis wasn’t taken suggests that they are considering what they think is right for each child at what time. So, you know, his time will come.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton have always had a keen interest in sports and staying active. However, at major events such as Euro 2024—where William attended with Prince George—or the Wimbledon final, which Kate attended with Princess Charlotte, Louis was not present.
GB News royal reporter Svar Nanan-Sen pointed out that Louis is simply too young.
“One royal child who was not at England’s Euro 2024 defeat or Wimbledon was Prince Louis,” Nanan-Sen mentioned on The Royal Record Podcast, adding that it had “causes quite a stir online,” as many people hoped Louis would attend.
Kate Middleton says it’s a “wrench” when she has to leave her children
“He’s still only six, we have to keep that in mind. Charlotte made her debut at Wimbledon when she was eight, so he’ll have to wait a few more years. But Kate did mention last year when George and Charlotte went to Wimbledon without Louis, that he was very upset about it.”
Even though Prince William and Kate Middleton receive exceptional support from both their family and royal staff, such as their nanny, when they are away, it can be assumed that being apart from their children is difficult.
This was particularly true for Kate in 2022 when she traveled to the Caribbean. At that time, she and William left their three children in the UK, making it a tough period for the Princess of Wales. Royal expert Katie Nicholl explained that Kate finds it incredibly hard to be separated from her children. In fact, the princess has confessed this herself.
“Despite being the Princess of Wales and being able to afford around-the-clock nannies and so on, she had her mum looking after Prince George and Princess Charlotte, which struck me as just really normal. I could see how much comfort and confidence that gave her in getting on with her job, which she does brilliantly, but I think it is always such a wrench for her to leave her children behind,” Kate said.
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