Prince William Is a More ‘Hands-On’ Parent Than His ‘Workaholic’ Father King Charles Was, Expert Says
Prince William and Kate Middleton share three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. As the kids grow up, they’re becoming more accustomed to royal life and more aware of how their own lives differ from most kids their age. Still, despite that their parents are the future King and Queen of the United Kingdom, the kids lead relatively normal lives. And Prince William has reportedly made it his mission to be a “hands-on” father — because his own father, King Charles, was not.
Growing up, William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, spent so much time with their mother, the late Princess Diana. But William reportedly doesn’t want the same type of father-child relationship with his own children.
Prince William is a ‘hands-on’ parent, while his father was a ‘workaholic,’ expert says
As the royal family ages and changes, William is doing things differently than his own father did. William has slimmed down the number of charities and organizations he works with in favor of spending more time on the ones he truly cares about. As a result, it has helped him avoid working too much and has allowed him to spend more time with his family. Royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine that William intentionally avoids being a “workaholic” because his own father was one.
“… he’s [William] not a workaholic like his father, he knows how important family life is and how much it means to his children to be around at weekends and holidays and whenever he can,” Bond said. “He seems to be a full on, hands-on, caring dad with a house full of fun and laughter. And, in his royal role, he is coming up with new ideas, new ways of working to make sure that the monarchy stays relevant and moves with the times.”
Bond said that William’s father, King Charles, worked so much to the point that William had to “step up” when Queen Elizabeth II died. “With the late Queen’s ailing health, William probably had to step up to his full time royal job quicker than he might have hoped, but you can see now how committed he is,” Bond said.
Prince William wants to give his kids as normal of a life as possible
Prince William and Kate Middleton have always said they want their three children to grow up with as much normalcy as possible — and that means having both parents around as often as they can be. The kids attend schools with others their age, and while they do make royal appearances, they are mostly kept out of the spotlight, which allows them to grow up in a more normal way.
It also appears that William’s desire to take on fewer patronages is a benefit to his own children. He can work hard with various projects and organizations without overworking himself, which lets him still get plenty of family time in. As William and Kate’s kids grow up, they will start to make more and more appearances, but for now, the royal couple is heavily limiting the young ones’ time in the spotlight.
