Prince William: Duke of Cambridge has ‘different’ approach to traditional parenting styles

Prince William, 37, is married to Kate Middleton, 38, and together they are known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, after marrying in a record-breaking televised wedding held at Westminster Abbey, London in 2011. The royal couple have three children together: Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one.

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The beloved Cambridge children are often in the spotlight as the nation’s fascination grows with them, but Prince William strives to provide a certain type of childhood for his brood of young, and has ignored normal royal parenting rules, one expert suggested.

Members of the Royal Family quickly learn that their lives will be anything but ordinary, after all, most royals are raised surrounded by extreme wealth, privilege and prestige.

But the price they pay for such luxury is that often they will grow up without much privacy or any everyday normality.

According to parenting expert, Fiona Scott, Prince William is “sheltering” his children from their future roles in the British Royal Family.

The expert said: “Compared to the Queen when she was bringing up Prince Charles, William is coddling and protecting his children.

“He doesn’t want them to hold the same burdens on their shoulders as he did growing up, or the way his father did either.

“In the past, he has gone to extreme lengths to make sure to shelter his children while still incorporating the core rules and duties of a Royal Family.”

Previously, it was revealed that the tight-knit Cambridge family strives to provide an as “normal” life as possible for their three children.

Prince George is currently unaware that he is third in line to the throne, behind his father Prince William and grandfather Prince Charles, 71.

William explained to the BBC in 2016 why he wanted to protect his son from the revelation: “I love my children in the same way any father does, and I hope George loves me the same any son does to his father. We are very normal in that sense.

“There’ll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world. But right now it’s just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can as a father.”

According to the Fiona Scott, the Prince uses his body language and one particular parenting technique which doesn’t fit into the usual Royal Family parenting rules, she said: “Whenever Prince William is pictured with his children, often he will be spotted crouching down or squatting to speak to them at their level, which is a big no-no in the royal rules. I believe even the Queen has scolded him for it on occasions.

“The way he bends down to their level is a way for him to refrain from being authoritative and in turn, be able to relate better to his children.”

When the Duke of Cambridge crouches down to George, Charlotte, or Louis’s level, he’s able to look into their eyes and according to experts this is considered to be an “active listening” technique and it can help children to feel like what they are saying really matters to their parents.

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However, when this parenting technique is done by a royal, especially in public, it is considered to be against the usual royal parenting rules.

“When Prince William lowers himself to their level he exhibits all sorts of loving body language towards his children,” Fiona, the parenting expert, said.

“However, when [done] in public he breaks royal protocol as he shouldn’t be bending down for anyone, not even his children.”

The Prince, however, could have chosen to use this technique for a particular reason, said the expert.

“Prince William could be using the active listening crouch technique because he wants his children to feel like they could talk to him normally, despite his duties and responsibilities as future King.

“In the past, it was revealed that growing up, Prince Charles struggled with his role as an heir because he felt that the Queen’s responsibilities as a young Queen took priority over him.

“The Queen was part of a generation and class that routinely would leave the daily care of small children in the hands of the household staff, while William and Kate try to be more hands-on and approachable.”

Queen Elizabeth’s official royal duties began while her first two children were still quite young, famously she and Philip embarked on a six month Commonwealth tour soon after her coronation and left Charles and Anne at home in England.

“This has led to suggestions that Charles did not form as strong a bond with his mother,” Fiona added.

“I think William is trying to avoid [not forming a bond] with his [children], after all, he was much closer to his mother while she was alive rather than his father, as she [Princess Diana] had a different approach to parenting compared to other royals.”

As the heir apparent, the Prince of Wales didn’t spend as much time with the boys, according to royal biographer Penny Junor.

“It is a slightly tricky relationship because Charles has always been quite a remote figure, he has always been consumed by work,” she told the Daily Beast.

“That’s not a product of a lack of love. It’s a product of the fact he is so focused on his work, and the need to make a difference in the world that, like many people who are seeking to make a difference in the world, he has sometimes overlooked friends and loved ones beside him.”

Fiona said: “Hence [Prince William] uses a more informal approach to parenting – a technique his mother used – to form a better relationship and bond [with his children].”

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