Princess Catherine is said to have drawn a clear line when it came to raising her children, opting for a more hands-on approach despite centuries of royal convention.
The 44-year-old Princess of Wales has long been regarded as one of the monarchy’s most dutiful figures, but royal author and journalist Catherine Mayer claims she and Prince William deliberately challenged aspects of traditional royal parenting from the outset.
In her new book, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, Mayer argues the couple worked hard to create as normal a family life as possible for their children- Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight- despite the demands of royal life.
According to Mayer, the foundations for that approach were laid during the years William and Catherine spent living away from the spotlight on the Welsh island of Anglesey between 2010 and 2013.
The relative privacy they enjoyed during that period is said to have shaped their vision for family life before the couple returned to the centre of royal duties.
“[Princess Kate and Prince William] lived on the Welsh island of Anglesey while William served as a search-and-rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force, then relocated to the 10-bedroom Anmer Hall in Norfolk so he could take up a post at the East Anglian Air Ambulance service,” Mayer wrote.
“Their idyll, however, was drawing to a close in more ways than one.”
Mayer continued: “Soon, William would be called upon to stop playacting at being a regular person and embrace his destiny as a full-time royal.
“Even then, he and Kate would push back, maintaining a schedule designed to give their children something closer to Middletonian nurturing than the haphazard upbringing that scarred generations of royals.”
The claim aligns with the public image Catherine has cultivated over the years as an engaged and hands-on mother.
Despite her extensive royal commitments, the Princess of Wales is regularly seen attending school events, supporting her children at sporting fixtures and taking an active role in their day-to-day lives.
She is also understood to rely on the support of her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, helping to maintain a strong family network around George, Charlotte and Louis.
Mayer recently expanded on Catherine’s approach during an appearance on HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast, where she argued the princess’ success within the royal family stems from her ability to adapt without losing her sense of self.
According to the author, Catherine has carefully navigated the demands of royal life while remaining intensely private.
“She (Catherine) has done such a clever job of finding a way to adapt to the institution,” Mayer said.
“That does not mean that I think she has it easy. [But she has done] very little speaking and almost no confessional spilling of anything about who she is. She’s quite enigmatic.
“She and William have chosen a group of friends who do no media.
“They are carving out a very private life in the public eye, which is an enormously difficult thing to do.”
Mayer also suggested Catherine’s patient and measured approach has played a major role in maintaining her popularity with the public over the years.
Rather than reacting to criticism or changing course, the Princess of Wales has remained consistent in both her public role and private values.
“That’s part of what turned things around for her- her absolute refusal to panic and change things, because she’s stayed true to [herself].”