Kate Middleton Shushed Princess Charlotte at Prince Philip’s Memorial and a Parenting Expert Loved How She Did It
TL;DR:
- Prince William and Kate Middleton went to Prince Philip’s memorial service with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
- At one point, Kate Middleton shushed Princess Charlotte.
- A parenting expert praised Kate Middleton for “not Charlotte off angrily” but also taking “time to connect.”
Parenting props for Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge received praise for how she shushed Princess Charlotte at Prince Philip’s memorial service in March 2022. Ahead, find out why a parenting expert loved Kate’s “connection before correction” approach.
Princess Charlotte and Prince George joined their parents at Prince Philip’s memorial service
Kate and Prince William didn’t attend Philip’s memorial service alone. On March 29, 2022, they arrived at Westminster Abbey with their two oldest children.
Prince George, 9, walked in holding hands with the Duke of Cambridge. Meanwhile, Charlotte did the same with Kate. They were joined by other members of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II. Friends and representatives from Philip’s patronages and charities were also there along with government officials.
Philip’s memorial came nearly a year after a scaled-back funeral at Windsor Castle due to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.
Kate Middleton did more than ‘correct’ her daughter, a parenting expert says
The Duchess of Cambridge didn’t just shush Charlotte at Philip’s memorial. And that’s was crucial, according to parenting expert Angela Karanja.
“I think what’s important is that Kate did not just correct, i.e. telling Charlotte to ‘shhh’ and be quiet at that pivotal moment, but she took time to connect,” Karanja told Marie Claire.
The founder of Raising Remarkable Teenagers continued. She highlighted how Kate, who some consider a parenting expert, connected with Charlotte.
“Throughout the event, especially notably at the beginning, there were several moments of connection. For example, at the beginning, when the young daughter appears nervous, the mum leans over and whispers something that evidently cheers her up,” Karanja said.
She also pointed out “a lot of connection before correction.” A “powerful and positive parenting skill,” Karanja said Kate kept her cool. “We don’t see Kate telling Charlotte off angrily. She does the correcting so matter of factly and swift, and as contained and concealed as she could in that public place,” she said.
Kate Middleton reportedly also told Princess Charlotte it was OK to smile
Another Kate-Charlotte moment from Philip’s memorial happened as they entered the Abbey. Cameras captured the Duchess of Cambridge saying a few words to her daughter as they headed for the door.
Lip reading expert Jacqui Press told Mail Online Kate appeared to reassure Charlotte. “You can smile,” Press believed the Duchess of Cambridge whispered.
William seemed to offer some support to George too. “Let’s go in,” the lip reading expert claimed he told George introducing him to guests. Press also said the Duke of Cambridge explained the roles of the bishops and clergy members.
Other memorable moments from Philip’s service included Queen Elizabeth arriving with Prince Andrew and Charlotte noticing herself on camera.
