Prince William opens up about his 'emotional' upbringing in interview

Prince William has always made it a priority to provide his children with a grounded and "normal" upbringing, despite their royal status.

Alongside Princess Kate, the Duke of Cambridge has worked hard to ensure Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are raised with an understanding of the world beyond their royal privileges.

William’s desire to give his children a typical childhood stems from his own experiences, where he was raised with the knowledge of his future responsibilities as King. Before they begin their royal duties, William wants to ensure his children enjoy a childhood filled with emotional support and a sense of normalcy.

"As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family," he shared in 2016. "I love my children in the same way any father does and I hope George loves me the same way any son does his father. We are very normal in that sense."

William is also mindful of the weight his children will eventually bear in their royal roles. He wants them to understand the significance of their positions in society and the responsibilities that come with them. Drawing from his own upbringing, particularly the lessons taught by his late mother, Princess Diana, he’s committed to ensuring that his children realize not everyone is as fortunate as they are, and that some people "need a little bit of a helping hand."

Just as Diana took William and Harry to homeless shelters during their childhood, William plans to do the same with George and his siblings to help them better understand their privileges. 

"My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I’m really glad she did," he explained. "I think when I can balance it with their schooling, they will definitely be exposed to it. On the school run, we talk about what we see. When we were in London, driving backwards and forwards, we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets and we'd talk about it."

"I'd say to the children, 'Why are they there? What's going on?' I think it's in all our interests, it's the right thing to do, to expose the children, at the right stage, in the right dialogue, so they have an understanding."

Royal expert Katie Nicholl points out that the Duke of Cambridge is passing down values from both his parents to his children, helping them understand life outside the royal bubble. 

"It wasn’t just Diana – Charles also wanted his sons to have a better understanding of life outside the Palace walls," she told OK. "They both came from the same perspective of wanting to raise those boys with an understanding of normal life outside the confines of royal protocol."

Nicholl adds, "William and Kate's children are probably more aware of homelessness than most children from privileged backgrounds, because it’s something their father campaigns passionately for and has done since he was 18. I think their eyes have been quite wide open from an early age – and that is largely because of William and Kate’s hard work."