![\"Princess](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1_THP_6010JPG.jpg\")
Princess Kate Middleton beams with Charlotte, Louis and George in deeply personal video(Image: Will Warr))<\/p>\nWilliam and Kate’s hands on parenting – unlike previous Royal generations – ensures their children are grateful for the “simple yet important things in life” says royal expertPrincess Kate Middleton beams with Charlotte, Louis and George in deeply personal video(Image: Will Warr))<\/p>\n
Protecting the wellbeing of their children has always been William and Kate\u2019<\/a>s biggest priority, but guiding the three youngsters through a frightening family crisis has given whole new meaning to their role as parents.<\/p>\n \u201cIt surely doesn\u2019t get much more difficult than explaining you have cancer <\/a>to your children,\u201d says royal broadcaster and author Duncan Larcombe. \u201cBut you get the impression William <\/a>and Kate have handled it really well. They are so hands-on and nothing seems strained or awkward with their kids. All three are clearly hugely loved and well-balanced, and they are a real credit to their parents.\u201d<\/p>\n According to insiders, Kate didn’t always intend to share the news with the world \u2013 or even with her children \u2013 quite so soon. But mounting online speculation and conspiracy theories left her with, as one royal expert put it, no other option. \u201cThere was so much online speculation and conspiracy theories about her, so she had no choice,\u201d royal commentator Katie Nicholl tells the latest OK! Royal Special. \u201cI think it forced her into announcing it before she was ready, at a time when she was trying to come to terms with the most devastating news any of us can get.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: A Bold New Path: Prince William reveals he has overcome ‘hardest year of my life’<\/a>READ MORE: Brand New: Prince William and Kate Middleton have ‘no choice’ as they are forced to embrace major change in monarchy<\/a> In Kate\u2019s sombre video announcing she had cancer last March, she said, \u201cIt has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure little Louis was too young to understand how serious it was, and Kate probably wanted to shield the children for longer,\u201d Katie adds.<\/p>\n As Katie stresses, Kate not only had to cope with the private anguish at home, but also face the entire world<\/a> at a time when she was extremely fragile. \u201cOne of the things we saw was her vulnerability in all of this,\u201d she says. \u201cI really felt for her, because while the royals are role models and the most famous people on the planet, they\u2019re also human beings with normal feelings and emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n As well as broaching tricky discussions about her own illness, she and William had the daunting task of informing George, Charlotte and Louis about King Charles<\/a>\u2019 cancer, too. \u201cIt was no doubt very hard, but they clearly managed to keep things as normal as possible at home,\u201d adds Katie.<\/p>\n With that in mind, school, homework and sports clubs continued, and William made a point of taking the children to fun events while Kate rested. \u201cWhether that was going to football matches with George or taking him and Charlotte to see Taylor Swift<\/a>, he made a big effort to keep them occupied and distract them from the difficult situation, at a time when they would have been very worried about their mum.\u201d<\/p>\n In April, William and George\u2019s father-son bond was evident when they went to France to watch Aston Villa<\/a> play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League<\/a> quarter finals. Although their team lost on the night, William said, \u201cI thought, \u2018It\u2019s been 43 years since anything like this has happened in my generation as a Villa fan, and I want George to experience a night out away from home in a big European competition.\u201d<\/p>\n Adding, \u201cI hope it\u2019s not 43 years until the next time it happens, but I think those memories are important to create, and to bring him along tonight is a big deal for me.\u201d The pair have also been seen at cricket<\/a> and rugby games, and Katie says, \u201cI\u2019m sure these shared experiences have been very grounding for them both.\u201d<\/p>\n More recently, William took Charlotte to Switzerland to watch the Lionesses <\/a>take on Spain in the Women\u2019s Euro 2025 final <\/a>in July. Dad and daughter were pictured looking tense in the stands as the game went to a dreaded penalty shoot-out, although both were jubilant when England clinched victory.<\/p>\n Kate\u2019s close relationship with Charlotte was also clear to see at Wimbledon earlier in the summer. On a blisteringly hot day, the young Princess was seen gently fanning her mum as the sun beat down on the royal box. Over the past few months, there have been plenty of treats for the whole family, too. The five reportedly went to the Alps for a secret New Year<\/a> ski trip, with other members of the Middleton family.<\/p>\n Then during February half term, they jetted to Mustique for some relaxation and sunshine. The Caribbean<\/a> island was the late Princess Margaret\u2019s favourite hideaway, and is popular with A-listers like Kate Moss, Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger.<\/p>\n The trip coincided with Carole Middleton\u2019s 70th birthday, and it\u2019s thought they returned to the luxurious Villa Antilles, where they stayed in 2019. Owned by William\u2019s friend Andrew Dunn, the villa costs an eye-watering \u00a333,000 per week, and comes with an infinity pool, <\/a>Jacuzzi and multiple terraces overlooking the sea, plus a butler, private chef and housekeeper.<\/p>\n Closer to home, the family spent Easter and the summer holidays at their beloved Amner Hall on the Sandringham estate<\/a> in Norfolk. \u201cAnmer has been such a place of refuge for them,\u201d says Duncan. \u201cI think it probably saved them during lockdown, and it\u2019s somewhere they can just go and be normal as a family, because that\u2019s what they need.\u201d<\/p>\n In the video Kate released last September, in which she revealed she had finished chemotherapy, viewers saw clips of the family tramping through woods, picnicking and playing in the sand dunes nearby. Kate spends quality time with the children at home, too, and Louis is said to share many hobbies with her, including gardening<\/a>, baking and photography \u2013 as seen in February when he took a picture of her in a forest to mark World Cancer Day.<\/p>\n Kate and William also ensure the children muck in with chores, with a source saying last year, \u201cIt would surprise people how ordinary things are at home. The children help set the table, clear their plates and tidy up. There is no special treatment.\u201d They help with cooking, too, with favourites including homemade pizza, curries and teriyaki salmon.<\/p>\n After so many ups and downs over the past 18 months, Kate summed up the importance of family unity in last year\u2019s video. \u201cThis time has, above all, reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted,\u201d she said. \u201cOf simply loving and being loved.\u201d<\/p>\n William and Kate: A Bold New Path, OK! Special Collector’s Edition<\/p>\n In the three years since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate\u2019s lives have changed in ways they couldn\u2019t have imagined. The sadness of the late Queen\u2019s death in September 2022 was followed by even darker days, as William\u2019s bitter rift with Prince Harry deepened and a cruel cancer diagnosis ripped through the heart of the royal family twice in a matter of weeks. But despite such upheaval and trauma, the pair have shown unwavering resilience and doubled down on their family-first stance. In this special edition of OK!, we take a closer look at how the couple have navigated the past few years, and how as king and queen in-waiting they are facing their destiny with a renewed sense of duty and purpose.<\/p>\n![\"Princess](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_kate2.jpg\")
Princess of Wales mother\u2019s day message on Instagram captioned: \u2018Happy Mother\u2019s Day from our family to yours \u2764\ufe0f\u2019(Image: Matt Porteous)<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Prince-William-and-Princess-Charlotte-at-the-Euro-2025-final.jpg\")
Prince William and Princess Charlotte at the Euro 2025 final(Image: KensingtonRoyal)<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_BESTPIX-Celebrity-At-Paris-Saint-Germain-v-Aston-Villa-FC-UEFA-Champions-League-202425-Quarter.jpg\")
Prince George of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales during the UEFA Champions League 2024\/25 Quarter Final First Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa FC in 2025(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"
Taylor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_George.jpg\")
Taylor Swift, Prince William, Travis Kelce, Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend Taylor Swift concert(Image: @princeandprincessofwale\u200bs\/Instagram)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1759057095_529_0_From-KP-Press-Office-kensingtonpalaceroyalukDate-Mon-9-Sept-2024-at-1531Subject-STRICTLY.jpg\")
Princess Kate with George and Louis<\/p>\n