‘I FEEL LIKE A CONSTANT FEEDING MACHINE’
AS THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE SHARES THE FAMILY CHALLENGES OF LOCKDOWN, OK!’S MICHELLE GARNETT DISCOVERS THE REASON SHE’S COME THROUGH SMILING
With her passion for photography, the Duchess of Cambridge would be the first to agree that a picture is worth a thousand words. New images of Kate, released to tie in with her endorsement of a new BBC project, show her looking her most relaxed yet – and there’s a good reason for her happy demeanour.
Despite her admission that lockdown has been “challenging” at times, Kate has been enjoying a wonderful sense of freedom in recent weeks with her husband, the Duke of Cambridge, and their three children. As the country emerges from lockdown, the family, who celebrate Prince George’s seventh birthday this week, have been making quiet, undisturbed visits to the beautiful Norfolk beaches close to their home.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl exclusively tells OK!, “The Cambridges have been out and about enjoying the Norfolk coast. Kate knows all the secluded areas where they won’t be spotted by tourists, so they’ve been able to enjoy a rare sense of freedom. They’re quite low key, so they won’t turn up with a big security entourage and draw attention to themselves. Most of the time you wouldn’t even know it’s them. They’ve been arriving with their buckets and spades, finding a quiet spot and enjoying a nice picnic and a paddle in the sea.”
Kate and William have been staying at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham estate
since lockdown began and apparently have had such a wonderful time they don’t plan on upping sticks just yet.
“They’re very much protected by the local community and they love the outdoors lifestyle,” says Katie. “It’s one of the reasons they didn’t want to return to London when the children’s school reopened. They were having too much fun in Norfolk.”
The family usually jet off to Mustique each summer, but Katie says, “They won’t be getting on a plane and going abroad this year. Summer will be a staycation at Anmer.”
She adds, “If the Queen heads up to Balmoral, then Scotland will be as far as they travel. A visit to see ‘Gan Gan’ in August has become a popular annual fixture for the children.”
Speaking about the BBC’S Tiny Happy People scheme, which aims to help parents develop their children’s language and communication skills, Kate gave a lovely insight into home life with George, Princess Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Prince Louis. Joking about her children’s huge appetites, she said, “My children are like bottomless pits. I feel like a constant feeding machine.”
Looking lovely in her Emilia Wickstead dress and trusty Castañer wedges, she also revealed how she has to keep a watchful eye on her youngest who’s unaware, given his age, of social distancing rules.
“You put Louis down and he’s off!” she told the BBC’S Louise Minchin, adding, “Louis doesn’t understand social distancing so he’s wanting to cuddle everything and particularly any babies younger than him.”
The Cambridges make every effort to instil good manners in their children, explains Katie. “I know from their visits to play tennis at The Hurlingham Club in London that the children all queue for their own food and take their trays back afterwards. It’s not like they’re sitting there expecting to be waited on hand and foot,” she reveals.
Adding that “there’s only ever water at the table, Kate doesn’t give them fizzy drinks or sugary snacks”, Katie continues, “At home they’re encouraged to tidy up after themselves. Kate and William are both keen that they’re not brought up spoilt. They have impeccable manners and seem absolutely charming.”
However, during the socially distanced interview in the grounds of the Sandringham estate, which was shown on BBC Breakfast, the duchess admitted that lockdown at Anmer Hall hasn’t been plain sailing. “It’s been challenging,” she confessed.
“Some parts have been really positive, spending extra time with the kids, everything like that, but it is equally stressful. You’re in confined spaces... And having to homeschool, that was a challenge. I always had a respect for teachers before, but now I have a newfound respect for them.”
Kate, who was sporting new highlights, also shared her conflict over balancing family and career now that her work schedule has stepped up a gear once more. “How do you
extend that umbilical cord, from having had that precious time together? I know from a personal perspective – having all that extra time together as a family then being able to go back to how things were, it’s really hard for lots of families,” she said.
The 38-year-old was meeting families involved in the creation of the Tiny Happy People scheme, which is supported by The Royal Foundation. Describing the tips and tools offered to parents as “gold dust”, Kate reflected on her experience in the years after George was born, saying, “It’s information like that which I’d had as a first-time mum.” She added, “We all need support. I needed support.”
The “massive gap” in help available to parents of under fives was another topic she touched on. Kate revealed, “What I found was missing was how to further their emotional and mental development.”
Describing “raising the next generation of happy, healthy kids” as “one of the most important jobs”, she said the early years of a child’s life is “a precious time”. Kate exclaimed, “What an amazing opportunity we have as parents to really nurture their minds and put them in the best possible position for their future lives.”
Tellingly, as a parent who doesn’t believe in spoiling her children, she stressed,
“It’s not about the toys... it’s how you, as parents, interact with them. That’s what really counts.”
Indeed, George can expect a “very modest” collection of birthday presents, with Katie explaining, “William and Kate don’t overindulge the children. It’s usually one main present and a few token gifts.”
His birthday will be a “low-key affair” involving close family and some friends. Katie adds, “George has quite a few local friends in Norfolk now. They’ll all be outside playing games. I’m sure Prince Charles will be keen to spend some time with his grandson on his special day, too, before he heads back up to Birkhall with the Duchess of Cornwall. And, of course, the Middletons are always a big part of George’s birthday celebrations.”
Although William has spoken of his newfound passion for baking, Katie believes his wife will still be the one making George’s cake. “The whole family have done a lot of baking in lockdown, and Kate said there’s been an explosion of chocolate and flour in her kitchen,” reveals Katie. “But I’d put my money on George’s cake being baked by Kate, not William. She’s still in charge of that side of things!”
‘We all need support… I needed support’