Prince William and Princess Kate’s “Hands-On” Birthday Party Plans Revealed By Fellow School Parents

In a certain social group, some birthday party invitations are more impressive than others. As Prince George celebrates his thirteenth birthday, school parents at Lambrook School—where Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have attended school for the last few years—have revealed Prince William and Princess Kate are incredibly “hands-on” at their children’s birthday parties. While it's hard to imagine a low-key birthday party for the future King of England, the Prince and Princess of Wales are known for hosting down-to-earth children’s parties at their family home.

Daily Beast journalist Tom Sykes revealed in his Substack that the birthday parties at Forest Lodge are void of pomp and ceremony. "I went to the house for a kid's birthday party, and [Prince William and Princess Kate] were the ones organizing the games,” a parent from Lambrook School revealed. Rounders—a British-equivalent to baseball—and classic party games were part of the simple celebrations. "Any of us lot would get an entertainer in and sit in the house drinking rosé,” the parent said, but Prince William and Princess Kate were heavily involved in the party plans.

This seems a departure from royal childhoods of the past, which is exactly how Prince William likes it. Royal Editor Emily Andrews shared insights from a close friend of the royal couple, writing "The prince and princess have put in boundaries to give their children an incredibly normal upbringing in the circumstances. How they decide when they show up at events is carefully balanced. The prince has always wanted to give them the normal upbringing that he didn't have." Andrews noted that these down-to-earth parties left fellow school parents “gently amused.”

While it may not be the royal way of doing things, it is certainly the Middleton way of planning parties. Carole Middleton was once the Queen of Parties as founder of Party Pieces, a children’s party supply company. The Middleton matriarch once praised at-home parties as being the best kind—simple parties with friends, party games, and a cake can go a long way. “I remember all my school friends cramming into our front room for games and tea,” Carole Middleton told the Daily Mail. While blowout parties at play places and sporting facilities became more and more popular, the trend has slowly shifted back to the relaxed party at home. “Parents are starting to choose small, simple parties at home or in a hall again,” Carole said.

A small, simple party at Forest Lodge sounds idyllic—if not surprising, given the children’s royal status—and fits right into a Middleton family tradition. Prince William and Princess Kate organizing pass-the-parcel and doing the limbo might be just the down-to-earth modernization that the monarchy needs.