Prince William and Kate Middleton Raise Prince George With a "Modern Approach"

london, england july 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince george of cambridge and prince william, duke of cambridge and president of the football association look on during the uefa euro 2020 championship final between italy and england at wembley stadium on july 11, 2021 in london, england photo by eddie keogh the fathe fa via getty images

(Image credit: Eddie Keogh - The FA)

published 28 July 2021

Even though he's directly in line to be the King of England someday, Prince George has a surprisingly normal life.
Speaking to Us Weekly, a royal source offered some insights into George's upbringing and how Prince William and Kate Middleton are moving toward a "more modern approach to parenting" than previous royals.
The source said all three Cambridge kids are encouraged to "express their emotions and ask questions to enable them to grow up as healthy adults."

Prince William and Kate Middleton are changing the royal parenting game.

Specifically, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are modernizing what it means to be a royal parent, a source explained to Us Weekly. According to the source, the pair are "strict, but fair" as parents and encourage all three of their kids (Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3) to "express their emotions and ask questions to enable them to grow up as healthy adults."

"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," the insider notes. "Open communication is key for them. … [But they] set boundaries and have rules in place."

This focus on what helps kids grow into healthy, well-adjusted adult humans is no surprise, considering Kate's longtime focus on researching and bringing awareness to the importance of the early years of childhood in shaping adult outcomes in life.

While Will and Kate are obviously focused on being top notch parents to all three of their kids, there's extra interest in how George, who is in line to be the monarch someday, is growing up. The answer? As normally as possible, all things considered. The source says the Cambridges "want George to have a normal life"—which means no special treatment at school and the same chores and expectations at home that any kid his age would have.

"He’s not called Prince George at school and is simply known as George, he mixes with children his own age," the royal source added. "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."