Prince William 'smashes windows' at home - 'He's giving his kids childhood that was snatched away from him'

Among their abilities to give a voice to the voiceless and use their platforms to shine a light on the good of others, members of the Royal Family have always been passionately committed to supporting young people. And, just like his father and grandfather before him, Prince William is doing all he can to focus his work on helping the next generation.

Whether it is through his involvement with homelessness charities, the environment or his vast understanding of how our mental health affects us, the Prince of Wales has built up a rich awareness of what young people need. This statement also relates to the Princess of Wales who has become an important advocate for early years development – something which has lead a royal expert to praise the couple for their empathy, their relatability and, above all else, their grasp on the problems of today as they work to make things better for their children in years to come.

“The monarchy can seem quite a distant and alien concept to many young people,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively tells OK! “I’ve always thought that the biggest problem for the Royal Family in remaining relevant to society is the widespread indifference young people have towards the monarchy, and that’s one reason why not only William and Catherine, but Prince Philip and King Charles before them, have devoted a lot of their energy to helping young people.”

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Specifically looking at the sense of fun that William and Catherine bring with them as they champion the younger generation and how they use their positions to transform the lives of those they meet, Jennie explains, “We have them connecting in such an unstuffy way with the young people that they want to help. It is striking that so very, very many of their engagements are involved with young people. And they seem properly immersed in what they do.

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“Catherine takes her work with early years development extremely seriously and is now an acknowledged expert in that field… she doesn’t just turn up to events, she spearheads and reads all the research papers and has educated herself on the topic to a very high level.”

Then, referring to William’s same devotion to the specifics of his job, the expert says: “And William isn’t just talking about the problem of homelessness, particularly as it affects young people, he is trying to do something about it. He is trying to show that there might be a way of stopping it. It’s a huge ask but he is doing his best to come up with practical solutions.”

This was seen on a grand scale this week as William stepped out for several engagements which all had the progression of young people at their heart: tackling challenges faced by those from deprived communities in the UK, supporting former homeless youths and learning about experiences college students are being given in remote areas.

Of course, his work in supporting future generations doesn’t end with his official duties as it also extends to his life as a devoted father to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six. The young trio were not far from their father’s thoughts when he stepped out in south London on Tuesday to attend a community event hosted by the NFL Foundation UK, to see how the organisation is focused on helping young people from deprived communities across the UK.

After showing off his American Football skills, William was given a ball to take home and gave an insight into his family life. “That’s very kind. Never go home empty-handed, that’s a crucial motto of being a parent,” he joked. “They will love that. We’re going to do some practice together, let’s see how many windows I can smash!”

And with half term starting from Friday for George, Charlotte and Louis, just how will they fill their time with their parents after such a challenging year?

“Everything we know and see about William as a parent is that his kids are pretty always on his mind,” Jennie says. “We saw in the video about Catherine’s chemotherapy ending that William is a natural, hands-on kind of dad. The children clearly adore him.

"I’m sure the American football will be put to good use this half term. I imagine they’ll be heading up to Anmer Hall for the holiday where there are lots of wide open spaces to throw a ball around – and loads of windows to smash! While Catherine is recovering, the children still have one very sporty parent who loves the outdoors just as much as his wife.”

With it often being pointed out that the royal children take after their parents in so many ways – particularly Prince George after his father – it is clear they have the perfect role models to follow as they continue to grow. “I reckon the kids must think their dad is pretty cool,” Jennie quips.

“He’s tall and athletic, he flies helicopters, plays polo and sometimes wears dashing uniforms. He lets them play loud music and dance like crazy at breakfast time. He’s going to be King but he loves to do the school run and help them with their homework. He’s their protector and their mother’s rock. These kids can see how devoted their parents are to one another, and to them.”

As for what will be on the cards during this break away from the classroom, Jennie imagines it’ll be an exciting time filled with Halloween preparations, pumpkin picking and indulging in all that Norfolk has to offer. “Half term will undoubtedly be the usual romp around picking pumpkins, decorating the house with all sorts of ghoulish things and maybe watching scary Halloween films.

“I expect their Middleton grandparents will be very much part of the festivities, and everyone will be making sure Catherine gets enough rest, despite the children being home all day. The break may end with an early bonfire night celebration and Norfolk, with its huge open skies, is the perfect place for a huge bonfire and noisy firework display.

"All in all, and despite all that has happened in the past year, I think William is successfully giving his children the kind of childhood he would have loved, but which was so blighted by the marriage breakup of his parents and then, of course, Diana’s death.”

With his week also drawing focus to the remarkable achievements of former homeless young people with the Centrepoint Awards 2024 on Wednesday and learning about the experiences open to students in rural areas of Cornwall on Thursday, it is undeniable that his late mother would be full of pride at all William has done – and continues to do – as well as for the important life lessons he is passing down to his children.

“Like Diana, William wants his children to understand how privileged they are and how difficult life is for so many people,” Jennie explains. “He has spoken about how he explains to the children why people are, for example, sleeping rough and he and Catherine are trying to show the children that helping others isn’t simply altruistic: you get a great deal back from doing some good.”

On how they are gearing their children up to live their lives in the spotlight and perhaps take on senior royal roles, it is clear that it will be a balancing act. “Being born into the position they have in life will always make it extremely difficult for the children to truly appreciate how life is for the rest of society,” the expert tells us.

“But I think William and Catherine are doing their best to help the children understand, and in the fullness of time they will encourage them to use their position to try to make the world a better place. But, for now, they are kids, and I think their parents are doing their utmost to keep them grounded and, of course, protected from the emotional stress that the royal family is going through with the King and the Princess suffering from cancer.”