The landscape is always evolving for the modern royals, not just in the way the family operate, but also in the world around them. When the Prince and Princess of Wales first met at university, they were able to enjoy a degree of privacy in their ‘bubble’, says royal expert and host of the Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, Kate Williams. But, looking ahead, she says the couple face a ‘reckoning’ when it comes to their children’s futures – mainly because of smartphones.
‘William and Kate had that incredible experience that no cameras or any sort of media were allowed into St Andrews university, so they could develop their relationship away from the eyes of the public,’ says Kate Williams. ‘That unique royal bubble they had of being able to develop their relationship just the two of them meant that Kate and William got to know each other in a very sincere way.'
For the couple’s children, however, things will look very different. ‘That [privacy] won’t happen again for George or Charlotte or Louis because, even if they do manage to say no press, there’s always a student with a camera phone or someone with a camera phone, so it’s never going to be possible again,’ says Kate. ‘We’re going to have a reckoning about royals when it comes to Kate and William’s children. Because, first of all, we all want them to have a normal life at university, but we can’t guarantee that anymore in the way that William and Kate lived in this bubble at St Andrews.’
Of course, while there were some opportunities for Prince William to escape the limelight while at university, much of his life has been intensely documented. ‘William and Harry’s teenage years were very heavily watched and critiqued. And I think we all have to learn a lesson from that,’ says Kate. ‘Teenagers should be allowed to do whatever they want to do. So I think we need to be very careful with George and Charlotte and Louis growing up.’
Kate explains that, while nobody can predict exactly when each generation will take the throne, she believes the likelihood is that Prince George could be in his 50s before he becomes King, meaning he has a relatively full life to lead before then. The Prince and Princess of Wales are known for striving for normality as much as possible when it comes to their children, with their former butler revealing they do the school run themselves. On a Christmas TV special with Dame Mary Berry, the Princess of Wales also revealed that she likes to bake the children’s birthday cakes herself just like other mums. Meanwhile, each year, the family take a ‘secret’ holiday away from the cameras to enjoy quality family time together in private. It’s therefore likely that the Princess will want her children to follow their own paths and passions as much as possible, for a chance to live ‘normal’ lives where they can.
‘If George and Charlotte and Louis want to be doctors or architects or own a cafe or own a shop, then they should be allowed to do so,’ says expert Kate. She predicts the family may follow the model of the European royal families, where members have jobs and families but do some official engagements, support charitable causes and attend state occasions when needed.
What this will look like for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, however, is a question for the Prince and Princess of Wales – and wider Royal Family – to ‘grapple with as time goes on,’ says Kate. ‘The paths of those who aren’t the heir [Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis], are not quite so clear. And, of course, we have examples where it hasn’t gone well [in the past], for example with Princess Margaret, who didn’t feel she had a role.’
Kate hosts the history podcast Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things along with Royal biographer Robert Hardman. The podcast has released a special mini-series to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II, which is available to listen to now on all podcast platforms.
