Prince William And Kate Middleton Moved To Windsor Cottage To Give Kids ‘Normal Family Life’

Aug 26, 2022 by apost team

William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales are some of the most beloved members of the royal family. The parents of three are fan favorites in the UK and abroad, not only for their family values but also for their charity work. At the time of William and Kate's marriage, the couple had been together for eight years, after having started dating at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where the two completed their undergraduate degrees.

Since then, the couple has been busy building a family, including 4-year-old Prince Louis, 7-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 9-year-old Prince George. Additionally, William and Kate act as prominent public figures in the United Kingdom, where they also contribute philanthropically through their official charity fund — when they aren’t taking care of their brood or posing for romantic photos, that is. 

From the beginning of the couple’s inception in the early 2000s to now, the two have been married for 11 years, and fans have been interested in all the details about the couple, both in terms of their love life and parenting. Ruling and living in the public eye, the royal family has several places that they call home to escape to. Aside from Kensington Palace, the royal couple owns other beautiful properties. They have a home in Anmer Hall in Norfolk and in Windsor a place named Adelaide Cottage. 

The cottage has a long history since being built in the 1800s and the royal family continues to bring royal history inside. According to ABC News, the Prince and Princess of Wales will relocate to the cottage with their three children. 

Raising kids is no easy feat, not even for royalty. It’s no surprise that children misbehave every now and then, and sometimes they need a little extra guidance from their caretakers to help lead them back toward the right path, whether it be advice from a teacher, an extra helping hand from a babysitter, or words of encouragement from their parents. On top of that, children with siblings are bound to fight with each other from time to time. 

Even William and Kate have had to work on diffusing fights between their three children some days. Although all children are in line for the throne, they don’t always act like proper princes and princesses. In fact, the group is known to get into some small arguments here and there, especially between George and Charlotte. This is when children begin to understand the world around them and want to express their opinions, even if it means disagreeing with their siblings.

In December 2021, William appeared on Apple’s “Time To Walk” podcast. He talked about what it’s like being a father of three children who all have such bursting personalities and how it’s common for his two eldest children to argue with each other in the morning. George and Charlotte actually argue almost every single morning, giving the royal parents a busy way to jumpstart their day.

Hoping to start off the day on a high note, William and Kate made the decision to begin each morning with a dance around the kitchen with their kids to whichever song they chose. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the main cause of arguments between the two eldest Wales children, as they often argued with each other about which song they should play. 

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Time and again, William and Kate have shared heartwarming memories with their children, George, Charlotte and Louis, and have given insights into these precious moments with the world. The royal parents have shown that they are working hard at raising their kids to become the best version of themselves.

A source told Us Weekly that the Prince and Princess of Wales have a "strict but fair" parenting style and that even though George is to be king in the future, they do not spoil or coddle him. The source added: "The royals are renowned for being 'stiff upper lip,' but William and Kate have a more modern approach to parenting and are moving away from that mentality. Open communication is key for them. … (But they) set boundaries and have rules in place."

It is important to William and Kate that their eldest son has a very regular upbringing. "He's not called Prince George at school and is simply known as George, he mixes with children his own age," the source told Us Weekly.

"Kate and William don't shower him with expensive gifts nor do they over spoil him… George makes his bed every morning… All the children have impeccable manners and always say please and thank you."

According to Marie Claire, the family nanny also enforces a “no nonsense” upbringing when raising George, Charlotte and Louis. However, this doesn’t mean that William and Kate don’t have fun with their kids. The children thoroughly enjoy playing outside and spending time in the gardens at their Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall.

Dr. Amanda Gummer, a child development expert and psychologist, told Express UK that Kate's parenting style is "powerful." "It’s lovely to see the Duchess demonstrate some really powerful parenting techniques," Dr. Gummer said, adding, "(For example) a focus on playfulness and meeting the children where they are at, getting down to their level and meeting their gaze when talking to them." 

The royal children have certainly learned a lot in their short lives already. George has also shown that he enjoys life's simple pleasures — and he even likes doing chores! According to Yahoo, the young prince has begun developing a great work ethic and enjoys spending time helping out on a local farm during his school days. His mom, Kate, said, “That was George’s job at the half term — moving feed.”

William previously opened up about his son’s love for farm chores. “We’ve been lambing with the children this week,” he told primary school teacher Rhian Roberts — whose family operates a dairy farm — back in 2020. The Prince of Wales continued:

“Charlotte wasn’t sure at first, but George was straight in there… They love seeing the lambs and feeding the lambs. Louis loves the tractors.”

Visiting local farms has helped expand the children’s mindset. “He said they’ve been lambing this week up in Norfolk,” Roberts explained. “They want the children to see the country way of life as well as the city way of life.” According to the Daily Mail, Roberts also mentioned how “down to earth” William was and how his interest in farming was evident in his children.

Being an active member of the royal family comes with plenty of responsibilities, so it can be hard for royals to make time for themselves and their passions. Fortunately for the Wales children, William and Kate have always made sure that George, Charlotte and Louis have plenty of time to engage in all of their favorite activities and further develop their hobbies.

While George has already shown that he is interested in helping others and giving back, he also has some pretty fun hobbies. According to BBC, the Prince and Princess of Wales spoke about George and Charlotte’s hobbies after partaking in some sports themselves at a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in Galway, Ireland, in March 2020. William and Kate got to watch a performance by the band NØÖV while they were there, and afterward, Kate told the group:

"When did you all start playing? It has been so interesting hearing all the storytelling over the last couple of days. I wish we could have brought George and Charlotte along, they would have loved it. And George is starting to learn the guitar."

The Prince and Princess of Wales also watched a demonstration as a pair of tightrope walkers did a routine on a balancing beam. Kate said:

"Charlotte is really into gymnastics, she's doing cartwheels, handstands, everything. It's so good for their basic skills of balance and coordination."

William added:

"And their flexibility, it's really good for their long-term health, isn't it? We went to watch the Cirque du Soleil recently, it was amazing."

Looking at the interactions between the members of the Wales family, it’s easy to see that William and Kate really do care for their children. This is especially seen through their positive body language.

Patti Wood, who has both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Body Language and Nonverbal Communication, has analyzed the royal family before, and she talked with Insider about her discoveries in June 2019. She first explained William and Kate have exemplified positive body language over the years, from showing relaxation around one another to smiling happily with each other. At times, they have shown that they are “clearly confident and relaxed in the relationship.”

When looking at their interactions with Louis when he was born in April 2018, Wood explained how the royal couple still showed a great desire for one another. In a photograph taken on the steps outside St. Mary’s Hospital, Wood noted how William and Kate were “looking at the baby, but not leaning in as a couple,” leading to a “desire to get closer” to each other.

When speaking with Good Housekeeping in January 2018, body language expert Blanca Cobb talked about how the couple’s body language was proof that they are indeed the backbone of their family. “Overall, their attentive body language indicates that they’re in tune to their children’s emotional needs,” she said. 

Dr. Gummer added that Kate appears to be well-equipped to deal with the stress that comes with being a parent to children that grow up in the public eye. "It can be a real challenge for families growing up in the public eye to manage children’s natural behavior," the expert said, adding, "The Duchess seems to be navigating that road well."

Released in August of 2022, a senior royal source told ABC News that the royal couple wants to give their children a normal upbringing. “As the children get older and more independent you can see why they would feel they have more breathing space in Windsor,” the source shared. Not only is the cottage more family-friendly compared to Kensington Palace, but it is also closer to Kate's family. 

“This move puts them much closer to the Middletons and Kate is very close to her family,” the source shared. “It also emulates in many ways the upbringing (Kate) had in rural Berkshire, which she has spoken fondly of and I think has always had a big influence over how the Cambridges have shaped their family life.”

The four-bedroom home was originally built in 1831 and was known for being a tea house for Queen Adelaide. According to Vogue, in 1941, the cottage became a home that the queen lent to royal family members or staff. The home received updates and renovations in 1955 and continued up until 2015. 

Previously, the late Queen Elizabeth II had moved from the Palace to Windsor Castle, which allowed her great-grandchildren to be a 10-minute walk away. “William wants to be in Windsor to be nearer the queen too, as Windsor Castle is the new royal hub as Buckingham Palace is still undergoing renovations,” a royal source told ABC. Now that Elizabeth has sadly passed, the cottage's proximity to the queen is not as relevant, but in any case, it's close to schools that the royal family is eager to put their children into. 

The royal great-grandchildren will now be attending Lambrook School, which is one of the country’s leading prep schools. According to ABC News, Jonathan Perry, headmaster of the school, shared this statement, “We are delighted that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will be joining us this coming September and very much look forward to welcoming the family, as well as all of our new pupils, to our school community.” 

This move from London to Windsor helps give the children the opportunity to have somewhat close to a regular childhood. “But this has been driven by what William and Kate want for their children and they have always been resolved to try and have a normal family life,” the source also shared. 

“The cottage with four bedrooms gives the family a chance to be closer than ever, with no extra room for live-in staff. Having mostly escaped to the cottage for holidays, a source told The Sunday Times that the cottage is the family’s favorite spot to be, as per Cosmopolitan. “They absolutely love it up there, it’s their happy place,” a source shared.

The cottage, while having lots of history, also has unique and beautiful features that display a new touch with an old-fashioned feel. Interior experts from Stelrad shared their insight into the home’s interior design with Express. “Therefore, the cottage reportedly features traditional decor such as French windows, multiple fireplaces, a covered veranda, porte cochère and gingerbread trim,” interior designer Chris Harvey shared. “The royal estate is known for its iconic style which will never go out of date,” he said. “It brings together neutral colours and carefully crafted furniture to achieve a luxurious finish,” he added. 

What do you think of the Wales family’s new home? We think it is stunning and will be a great fit for the children’s upbringing. If you are a fan of the royal family — send this on to other family members or friends who love them too!