Queen Elizabeth II And Kate Middleton Couldn't Be More Different As Parents

Jul 23, 2020 by apost team

While both are royals who certainly seem to love their children to no end, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Cambridge have drastically different parenting styles. In this article, we’ll compare these two incredible royal moms and take a look at five of those differences — from giving birth to how they dress their kids.

According to The Sun, royal births would traditionally take place at home — at least that was the case until Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William at the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Following Diana’s break with tradition, many royals have given birth at the Lindo Wing, including Kate Middleton. On the other hand, not only was Queen Elizabeth herself delivered at home, but she too gave birth at home — at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.

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Another difference between the Queen and Middleton is their parenting style, which is perhaps another example of a generational shift. Town & Country reports, for example, that the Queen was relatively distant and hands-off when it came to raising Prince Charles, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne. In an excerpt from Sally Bedell-Smith’s biography of Prince Charles, she writes that: "[The Queen] relied increasingly on her husband to make the major family decisions and she depended on the nannies to supervise the daily lives," adding that neither Elizabeth nor Prince Philip were very affectionate.

The Duchess of Cambridge takes a different approach — she’s both hands-on and assertive while also showing her children affection. As Express reports, she isn’t shy about reprimanding her children in public. But at the same time, she is also good about reassuring her children when they need comfort or are overwhelmed. “Kate comes down to her children’s level, or scoops them up with a hug and lets them know that she is close by,” Cai Graham, a parenting expert, told Express.

Again, this might just be a sign that times have changed since Queen Elizabeth was a mother, but it’s clear that the Queen outfitted her children quite formally whereas Middleton is more open to casual dress. If you just look at a few photos of the Queen with her children and compare them with photos of the Duchess of Cambridge, this becomes abundantly clear.

This might just be because of 24/7 press coverage in the 21st century, but it seems like Middleton is unusually open about her role as a mother compared to the Queen. Just by looking at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram account, this becomes clear. On Prince Louis’ second birthday, for instance, the Duke and Duchess shared photos of Louis going wild with a finger painting project — paint on his face and all.

Both Queen Elizabeth and Middleton seem to share an appreciation for sports, and both have passed that appreciation down to their children. Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter, even participated in the Olympics in a three-day equestrian event in 1976, riding the Queen’s horse. The Queen, who shared her love of horse riding with Anne, is partly responsible. Similarly, the Duchess of Cambridge is an avid tennis player and fan who has inspired Prince George to follow in her footsteps.

As you can see, while both Queen Elizabeth and Middleton are royal mums, they’ve had vastly different roles as parents. Part of that might be generational. Who knows? If it weren’t for Princess Diana, maybe Middleton would have delivered at home. In any case, we're excited to see what the next generation of royal parents will be like.

What do you think about the differences in their parenting styles? Is their one you prefer? Let us know and pass this on to fellow fans of the royals.