THE ROYALS
HOW THE ROYALS ENSURE THEIR KIDS STAY CALM AND CARRY ON AMID SECURITY THREATS
Prince William and Princess Kate are taking security threats against their family very seriously.
Afew days after the pageantry of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, Kate Middleton held daughter Charlotte’s hand at the Houghton Horse Trials and the little princess enjoyed an ice cream, and Prince George toured an air ambulance vehicle. The fun, relaxed day out typifies how Kate and William are raising their kids, royals expert James McCourt tells Closer: “They have taken very hands-on parenting roles in an attempt to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible.”
That’s also true for how Kate, 36, and Will, 35, are keeping their kids safe. As parents, they must balance their worries about real dangers — a terrorist recently called for an attack against George — with raising their kids to feel secure. It’s not easy to navigate. “I’m a lot more emotional than I used to be,” William admits. “You get affected by things that happen around the world a lot more, as a father.” Kate, too, acknowledges worries, but she’s drawing on a sense of strength instilled in her from her own youth. “My parents…provided me with a secure childhood where I always knew I was loved, valued and listened to,” she says. That’s what she and Will are trying to give their children, despite the security concerns, and they’re doing it in specific ways.
PLAN OF ACTION
After the recent threat, the couple “upped their security team,” an insider tells Closer. Three to five plainclothes guards accompany Kate and the kids whenever they leave Kensington Palace and “are all expertly trained armed officers.” To keep George, 4, Charlotte, 3, and baby Louis from becoming anxious, says psychologist Julie Armstrong, “The most important thing Kate and William can do is keep the threats away from the child’s awareness…[and] not share their worries with the child.” A specially assigned security guard, she says, “becomes like part of the family.”
Kate and Will also had a wall of conifer trees planted outside Kensington Palace to shield the kids from prying eyes. And Kate’s taken a number of the official photos of her children, “meaning Kate owns the copyright so the images can’t be reused on souvenirs,” says McCourt.
Security has increased at George’s day school, too, but he and his sister will continue to attend. “George and Charlotte have playdates with friends,” says the insider. “And they’re allowed to go to birthday parties when security is with them.”
Most importantly, Kate and Will refuse to live, or raise their children, in fear. Kate still takes the kids to popular spots like the dinosaur gallery at the Natural History Museum. And for Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday parade on June 9, “It’s business as usual,” says McCourt. “Prince George will appear with the rest of the family.” Baby Louis has extra reason to feel safe. “Charlotte is said to be mad about her younger brother,” McCourt adds. “She won’t leave his side.”
— Lisa Chambers, with reporting by
Diana Cooper and Jaclyn Roth