How Kate Middleton keeps her kids in line with code words and 'authoritative' parenting as she's seen at Trooping the Colour

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis rarely put a toe out of line in the public eye. The Princess of Wales is often praised for her children’s remarkable behaviour, but we all know how cheeky the little royals can be.

Now and then the youngsters have been known to take a leaf out of their father Prince William’s book, who earned the title ‘Your Royal Naughtiness’ as a child. Appearing to have inherited that crown, Prince Louis often has royal fans in stitches with his animated facial expressions and lively behaviour during royal engagements.

And this weekend's Trooping The Colour parade was no different, as Kate Middleton and Prince William were out in full force with their three children at the celebration, in Kate's first public appearance since revealing her cancer diagnosis.

Prince Louis had plenty of cheeky moments during the day and at one point, was spotted making funny faces and trying to pull up a window while he waited with his mother for the traditional Red Arrows flypast.

The little one's antics were first observed in 2022 when Louis was spotted blowing 'raspberries', sticking his tongue out and covering his mum, Kate Middleton's, face during the late Queen's Jubilee Pageant. But what kind of parenting style does Kate adapt when it comes to keeping her kids in check?

Dr Rebecca Chicot, founder of Essential Parent and the author of the Calm and Happy Toddler shared: “Kate is a sensitive and warm mum. The author says Kate uses “An authoritative style of parenting that is now encouraged.”

“This is compared to an autocratic parenting that was encouraged in some circles in Victorian times (e.g. children should be seen and not heard).”

Tantrums

During an early years project, Kate was asked by the public how she copes with her children making a fuss.

She said, “Yes, that’s a hard one,” adding with a chuckle “I’d also like to ask the experts myself.” Alice Haynes, deputy head of the Early Years programme at the Anna Freud Centre, had her own advice to share.

She said, “When my son has a temper-tantrum, I try to put into words how I think he might be feeling in a slow and calm and gentle way.”

Public parenting

Prince George was a bit too cheeky at Pippa Middleton’s wedding in 2017. To calm him down, Kate was pictured softly touching him on the head - a gentle nudge to mind his manners.

She even held her finger up to quiet her son as the ceremony began inside the church. Dr Rebecca says helping children see right from wrong is an important part of being a good parent, even if young George was upset by the telling off.

“It’s very hard for any parent to have to parent in public,” she said. “She seems to be good at making warm contact ‘touch to the head’ which is a nice connection.”

On their level

Kate and William have been spotted many times crouching down to speak to their children at their eye level.

Dr Rebecca shared, “She gets down to their level to talk to them but lets them be children.”

“She has a lovely balance of sensitivity and gentle boundaries. She doesn’t expect them to behave like little adults and knows that children go through perfectly natural stages like tantrums.”

Silliness allowed

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have all had their cheeky moments of pulling funny faces. And Kate, many times, has embraced the fun rather than telling her children off - laughing along with them instead.

Keep calm and carry on

The naughty step is a popular move for parents when children act out, but Kate has different ideas.

Apparently, the duchess says to her little ones “let’s take a break” and allows them to calm down with a puzzle or book. If the meltdown is away from home, she quickly scoops her kids up and speaks to them calmly and carefully.

Doing it by the book

Kate’s parents are happy to help out with the kids and the duchess has a nanny too, but she’s keen to be involved in the children’s lives and reads up on new parenting techniques.

It’s thought she gets advice on child-rearing from books like Positive Discipline: The First Three Years and The Happiest Toddler on the Block.

Kate admits when she doesn’t get it right, sharing her thoughts at The Royal Foundation’s ‘Mental Health in Education’ conference.

Kate said: “When I first started out and I've learnt a lot in a short period of time working with organisations, I was very naive myself as a parent, of really just how important particularly the early years are for children's futures.”

“And how critical it is, everyone looking after children at a critical time, teachers, parents, and everyone who’s caring for them, how important it is that we get it right.”