Life must be rather hectic for a young royal. Whether it’s mornings spent on ’s Centre Court, afternoons waving to ten thousand strong crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony, or late nights supporting England at the Euros, the Wales children truly have a childhood like no other. But in a rare glimpse behind the glamour, have said that is striving to ensure that , , and enjoy a home life that is as down to earth as possible – even if that means forgoing some of the luxuries of royal life.
Laying the table, cooking dinners, doing the dishes – such mundane banalities would have been unimaginable for royal heirs in days gone by. At Adelaide Cottage, though, the Prince and Princess of Wales are doing away with private chefs and live-in nannies to maintain some semblance of normality for their very unique young family. ‘I think it would surprise people to see how ordinary things are at home,’ an insider told , noting that the young princes and princess are expected to chip in with chores and help around the in the family’s four-bedroom abode.
and Kate Middleton moved from to Windsor following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth and their accession to the title of Prince and Princess of Wales. This change in royal status did not, however, bring about the increasingly lavish lifestyle one might expect of those closest to the British throne. In fact, William and Kate decided that the family’s former live-in nanny, Teresa Turrion Borrallo, would not follow them to Adelaide Cottage, and it is believed that she remained on in her role as a caretaker for the Wales children.
An alumna of the prestigious childcare academy Norland College, Borrallo would have trained in such skills as dodging paparazzi, driving in extreme weather, and defusing any pram-side kidnapping attempts with taekwondo. She made her first outing as royal caretaker in 2014, accompanying Prince William, Kate Middleton, and an eight-month-old Prince George on an official trip to and New Zealand. And while the Prince and Princess of Wales have retained some day-time childcare, they are keen to spend their evenings together as a family with George, Louis, and Charlotte.
This endeavour for the day-to-day is especially important as Princess Catherine continues to undergo preventive chemotherapy treatment, sources say: ‘Catherine is very, very natural. She keeps the family down to earth,’ they explained. ‘Home is a safe haven.
In a bid to keep things functioning as smoothly as possible she has been keen for everything to carry on as normal for the children.’ Upon revealing her cancer diagnosis in a moving message earlier this year, Kate explained that she had taken great care over how to break the to her young children. She said: ‘It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that’s appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I’m going to be okay.
’ The Princess, who continued to work on the Early Years project that is known to be close to her heart, then asked for privacy as her family processed the news and took time to heal. While Kate has said that she still has good days and bad days as she continues her recovery, many will be reassured by the announcement that she will join her family for their customary holiday to Balmoral this year. The Prince and Princess of Wales have spent the summer at the 53,000-acre Scottish estate every year since their wedding in 2011, with their children often joining them for an idyllic August getaway.
As her longest trip since the announcement of her diagnosis, this holiday will be taken as a good sign that the Princess is regaining her strength following her joyous appearance at the Wimbledon finals with Princess Charlotte. King Charles has already made his way to Aberdeenshire to kick off festivities, though he tends to begin the holiday staying at the Castle of Mey, formerly Mother's in . The King, like , has been undergoing cancer treatment this year, and as with his daughter-in-law, this summer getaway will be read as a sign of recuperation and good health.
The have been spending their summer at Balmoral for over half a century, and are known to relax with long leafy bike rides, by the River Dee, and even sketching some of the forest views. As , Charles spent his honeymoon with at Balmoral, and the Duke and Duchess of brought a newborn to the estate back in 1989. A welcome opportunity to rest, decompress, and enjoy some time with relatives – what more could a family want from their summer holiday?.
