Prince William is as much a father as he is the future monarch. The Prince of Wales, 44, keeps a firm hand when it comes to his children. William and wife Kate Middleton are very involved parents. They are determined to ensure their children will have a “normal” upbringing.
The heir apparent to the British throne is carrying on the legacy of his mother. Princess Diana set the standard for her sons to be raised away from the public eye. According to Simon Vigar, author of “The Four Wives of Windsor,” William is continuing this practice.
Prince William Provides His Children A Grounded Family Experience
In an interview with Hello! Magazine, Simon Vugar detailed how Prince William is parenting his children. The Prince of Wales shares 13-year-old Prince George, 11-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 8-year-old Prince Louis with Kate Middleton.
Prince William reportedly doesn’t let his children indulge in an excessive lifestyle. This is done so they can understand what it is to live without privilege. William himself was selectively seen during his own childhood. Princess Diana had largely shielded him and Harry from constant media scrutiny.
“Diana was the first person to make sure her boys had some sort of normal lifestyle, and that is continuing with the Wales children,” Vugar said to Hello!
Prince William Says Prince George Isn’t Allowed Internet Access Yet
In a November 2025 interview with broadcaster Luciano Huck, Prince William had admitted it was difficult keeping his children away from social media. The Prince of Wales was adamant about refusing to let Prince George have a phone. He insisted his son’s first phone would not have internet access.
William also joked that Prince George would most likely only be given an “old sort of brick phone”. He also confessed the matter was a “tense” situation with his son. However, he maintained that he would stand by his parenting style.
“It’s really hard,” the prince told Huck. “I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access. To be honest, it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming a little bit of a tense issue,” he admitted. “But I think he understands why; we communicate why we don’t think it’s right.”
Prince William And Kate Middleton Encourage Their Children To Talk About Their Feelings
The Prince of Wales was very firm about his and Kate’s parenting philosophy in a 2017 interview with CALMZine. William has always emphasized the importance of being open about thoughts and feelings. The heir apparent spoke at length about how “essential” the topic is for him.
“Catherine and I are clear that we want [our children] to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings,” he said in the CALMZine interview. “Sometimes, emotions have to be put to one side to get the job done, but if you have been through an especially traumatic or stressful situation, it is essential to talk it through after the event.”
In a 2023 interview with the “Shaping Us” campaign, Kate Middleton had echoed similar sentiments. The Princess of Wales believes raising children in an emotionally supportive environment is more important than showering them with material possessions. Kate also stated that it was up to the parents to ensure their children understood what was most important.
“The environment in which you bring up a child is as important as the experiences you engage them with,” she said in the interview. “It’s not about the number of toys they’ve got or the number of sort of trips that you go on with them. It’s just making sure that they’ve got the right emotional support around them, and that comes from the adults in their lives.”
