Prince William Wants to "Keep Things as Normal as Possible" for Kids

Britain's Prince George of Cambridge, Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge, Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Britain's Princess Charlotte of Cambridge arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot in Berkshire on September 7, 2022 on the eve of their first school day

(Image credit: Photo by Jonathan Brady / Getty)

published 13 September 2022

In the space of just a few days, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis moved into a new home, started at a new school, and had their great-grandmother pass away.

While this all means it's likely not to be an easy time for the young royals, their doting parents want to make sure they help them through it however they can.

During Prince William and Kate Middleton's recent walkabout in Windsor following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the new Prince of Wales stopped to speak to Elaine Gee, an elementary school teacher, who spoke to People about the encounter.

"I told him how I work at a school and how it's been a strange year celebrating the Jubilee and now it's all changed and we are talking about this," Gee explained to the publication.

"He spoke about George, Charlotte and Louis, saying that they were trying to keep some sense of continuity for them at school and keep things as normal as possible."

Soon after the family's recent move into Adelaide Cottage, the three children started at nearby Lambrook School together. Just the next day, news of the Queen's death broke and rocked the Royal Family and the world.

Gee also spoke to the new Princess of Wales during the walkabout, and was very impressed with her kindness and professionalism.

"Catherine thanked me, and she said that all the nation were feeling it," she continued. "They were both very kind and gentle and genuine. It was very special—definitely a moment I will always treasure."

In a symbolic show of unity, Prince William invited his estranged brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle to join them on the walkabout in Windsor, and they too had sweet encounters of their own with members of the public. Most notable of all was the moment a teenage girl hugged the Duchess of Sussex, which she said was to show her she was "welcome here."

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.