Examples Of Royal Moms Like Kate Middleton Breaking Palace Stereotypes And Modernizing The Role

Mar 23, 2020

To commemorate Mothering Sunday in the UK on March 22, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared new photos of their family as well as a sweet card by their eldest son, Prince George.

Let's now take a look at how some royal mothers raised their children in a way considered to be unconventional for royalty, but best for the happiness of their kids.

Subtle changes in the way royal children were raised have been taking place since Queen Elizabeth's childhood. But it was Princess Diana who went above and beyond to give her sons Prince William and Prince Harry a carefree, normal childhood. As a former nursery assistant, Diana had the knack for organizing playdates that involved jelly fights and setting up birthday parties with bouncy castles in Kensington Palace.

She would also break royal custom by sneaking her boys out to theme parks and cinemas as evident in the photo of the three of them at 'Thorpe Park' Amusement Park. Her friend Lana Marks shared that Diana would personally send and pick the boys up from school and that her daily schedule would be arranged around their day.

"She would drop everything when the boys came home from school. It didn't matter which head of state she had to see or what gala she had to attend. Those were secondary."

According to Hello!, Kate Middleton has been known to staying up late at night to make her children's birthday cakes by herself. She has brought her three children to zoos, museums, and even to a supermarket to buy costumes for Halloween last year.

The mother of George, Charlotte, and Louis said that instead of aiming for perfection she tries to focus on simple pleasures with her family: "I remember from my childhood – doing simple things, going for a walk together. That's what I try and do with my children because it strips away all the complications, all the pressures... I've got one photo of Charlotte smelling a bluebell, and it's moments like that that mean so much to me as a parent."

Even though Queen Elizabeth didn't have a lot of free time to play with her children due to her ascension to the throne at age 25, her son Charles and his siblings have fond memories of their childhood which are immortalized in home movies.

Footage has shown Prince Philip riding on a tricycle and zooming down a slide on the Royal Yacht Britannia, and one even showed Princess Anne buried up to her neck in the sand at a beach.

In Europe, we can look to Monaco's Princess Grace and Princess Charlene as well as Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden for creative approaches to parenting. Princess Grace had a middle-class American upbringing and a career in Hollywood. After marrying into royalty, she often took her children back to visit family in the States, where they also attended summer camp.

Her son, reigning sovereign of Monaco, Prince Albert, to this day has never forgotten those holidays which took place in the 70s and 80s. "It was a sense of freedom that we probably wouldn't have had in other places," he says. "In those days there was no talk of any security, so we would run off with our cousins on the beach or on the boardwalk. And when we needed to be picked up we called home and someone would come and pick us up."

Prince Albert's wife Princess Charlene has followed in her mother-in-law's footsteps. Their twins, five-year-olds Jacques and Gabriella, spend a lot of time in the family's country house, which is home to a lot of animals.

According to Charlene, who is South African, sometimes the girls and their pets end up in bed with them. "The kids fight over who'll sleep with Mom. They love to climb into our bed, suddenly we find ourselves cramped. And all this without counting our dogs, Poppy and Harley!"

Princess Victoria of Sweden ensures her children spend ample time in nature, having muddy walks, and body positivity. Her husband Prince Daniel even encourages her and their kids, Estelle and Oscar, to take public transport. "You need to know how the metro works, what it's like to travel by bus and to stand in line, and what it's like to experience the passion of a football game."

Moms living in royalty are just like any mom who wants their children to have a happy childhood. What do you think of these stories? Pass this along to your friends and family.