Prince William Is ‘Very Much a Modern Dad,’ Says Royal Expert

According to one royal expert, Prince William is “very much a modern dad” among the royal family. Though some members rely heavily on nannies to get the kids through their days, William and Kate Middleton reportedly prefer a more direct approach with their children.

Prince William is ‘very much the modern dad,’ royal expert says

Biographer Ingrid Seward told People that William is “very much the modern dad,” taking cues from his mother, Princess Diana, and choosing a more hands-on approach to parenting. Concerning Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, William and Kate are said to be very active in their lives.

In contrast, as children, King Charles and Princess Anne were reportedly only able to see Queen Elizabeth during two scheduled daily meetings. And Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, Elizabeth’s younger sons, grew up in the “nanny-dominated” world of the ’60s, Seward noted.

Though Diana relied on the help of nannies, she chose to take a more active role in her children’s lives than other royal family members. For instance, like many other parents, she preferred being present for their school drop-offs and pick-ups.

Now, William and Kate have adopted some of Diana’s techniques. They’ve also been photographed practicing “active listening” with their children, kneeling to their level to make them feel heard when speaking. Notably, they use that method when interacting with kids other than their own.

Actor Anne Hathaway confessed she stole this parenting tip from William and Kate. “They get down on the child’s level and speak to them eye-to-eye to make the child feel empowered,” Hathaway told The Sunday Times. “I thought that was really cool. I started doing that with Jonathan.”

Prince William said learning how to style Princess Charlotte’s hair was a ‘nightmare’

Not all dads will accept the challenge of styling their daughter’s hair. But William, as a modern dad, took on the task of giving Charlotte a ponytail, though it sounds like it turned into a bit of a fiasco.

People reported that the Prince of Wales once shared the story with another father in a park he and Kate were visiting. The other dad said he’d learned to style his daughter’s hair from YouTube tutorials. “Never try to do a ponytail!” William told him, adding he found it to be a “nightmare.”

Kate asked, “Have you tried to do a plait [braid]? It’s the weaving…really hard.”

After that, William chimed in with a self-deprecating joke: “I can do [Charlotte’s] ponytail, but that’s about it, as I don’t have enough hair to practice on!”

Prince William was curious to learn about what other modern dads get up to

During a 2019 royal visit, William met with members of a group called Dads 4 Life. The group completes projects geared toward improving mental health. And bystanders said William wanted to know how they had helped improve the participants’ lives.

For example, he and Kate stopped by a workshop where the fathers learned new skills (People). And while there, he admired the birdhouses they’d made, noting, “The robins will have a good home here.”