Inside Wills’ selfless act for Prince George as he gets ready to become the king – & there’s a nod to Princess Diana
DESPITE their extraordinary royal connections, Prince William is committed to providing his three kids with a relatively ''normal'' childhood.
Together with Princess Kate, both 42, the parents work tirelessly to ensure the children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are as down-to-earth and humble as possible.
To help create a modern family unit, Wills and Kate have drawn on lessons from their own childhoods.
For William, it's essential for the trio to experience some form of normality while they are still growing up in their early years.
Just like the eldest of the children, George, William was raised in the knowledge that one day he will be the King.
But before the important royal duties begin, Wills wants to make sure that George and his two youngest siblings enjoy a typical upbringing, with the necessary emotional support around them.
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"As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family,'' he said in 2016.
"I love my children in the same way any father does and I hope George loves me the same way any son does his father. We are very normal in that sense."
However, William is also aware of the immense responsibility his trio will face in the future - and is keen to ensure they understand the importance of their duties and the power of their positions.
To ensure that, he has leant on his own upbringing and the lessons he learnt from his late mother, Princess Diana, and wants his children understand that not everyone is as fortunate as they are - and that there are some people who "need a little bit of a helping hand".
Much like the late Princess took her sons, Wills and Harry, to homeless shelters when they were kids, William intends to do the very same with his own children to help them understand their privilege.
"My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I’m really glad she did," he said earlier this year.
Opening up about his plans to continue Diana's legacy, he said: "I think when I can balance it with their schooling, they will definitely be exposed to it.
''On the school run, we talk about what we see. When we were in London, driving backwards and forwards, we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets and we'd talk about it.
"Kate is often seen holding her children's hands or picking them up for cuddles when they were smaller.
"There are often lots of comforting gestures, such as a pat on the back or stroking their hair. When interacting with other children on her public engagements, Kate often crouches down to their level to engage with them – something that Diana would often do."
When she's at the family's home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, despite her royal status, insiders say Kate is just like any other "normal mum".
A friend explained that behind closed doors, the 42-year-old is "very chilled at home" but definitely not a pushover and will tell the kids off when needed.
They : "It's a normal, busy family home with kids running around and knocking things over. There's no airs and graces.
"She is doing that to help her children be more grounded and keep their reality in check. That's what really matters to her."
"It wasn't just Diana - Charles also wanted his sons to have a better understanding of life outside the Palace walls," she told OK.
"They both came from the same perspective of wanting to raise those boys with an understanding of normal life outside the confines of royal protocol.
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"William and Kate's children are probably more aware of homelessness than most children from privileged backgrounds, because it's something their father campaigns passionately for and has done since he was 18.
''I think their eyes have been quite wide open from an early age – and that is largely because of William and Kate's hard work."