Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis Are Banned from Doing This at Home

It’s a non-negotiable in the Wales’ house.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis
(Image credit: Getty)

With the launch of her new Shaping Us initiative, the Princess of Wales has been speaking out about parenting much in the past week. Ten years ago this summer, Kate and husband Prince William became parents with the birth of eldest son Prince George in July 2013; siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis followed in 2015 and 2018, respectively. Kate knows plenty about the work she has devoted her life to—children in their earliest years—and, reports The Mirror, around her home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, there is one strict rule her three kids must follow: no shouting in the house.

“Shouting is absolutely ‘off limits’ for the children, and any hint of shouting at each other is dealt with by removal,” an insider told The Sun.

But, rather than being sent off to their room or to timeout, William and Kate employ a technique called “the sofa chat” to deal with the problem.

“The naughty child is taken away from the scene of the row or disruption and talked to calmly by either Kate or William,” the source said. “Things are explained, and consequences outlined, and they never shout at them.”

As a part of Shaping Us, Kate will focus on children from pregnancy to the age of five. The Princess of Wales said the project goes beyond just “raising kids” to “shaping our society” and creating a more “nurturing world.”

“The pressures that we all face are different,” Kate said. “Whilst raising the importance of early childhood, this isn’t about putting extra pressure on families. It’s actually saying they need support and help reprioritizing family life, home life, and all that it takes really in raising children today—because it is tough.”

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.