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Privacy NoticeIt was a glorious return to the spotlight for The Princess of Wales when she arrived for the Men’s Singles Finals at Wimbledon last weekend. An electric atmosphere awaited Catherine, 42, as those in Centre Court rose to their feet to give her a standing ovation – something which not only delighted her, but also her nine-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte. The young royal’s beaming look of admiration spoke volumes, but it wasn’t just Catherine who enjoyed a special ‘mini-me’ parenting moment – The Prince of Wales, also 42, did the same with 11-year-old Prince George at the Euros 2024 Final. And, although the heartbreak of England’s 2-1 loss to Spain rippled through the stadium and those back home, it proved to be a heartwarming father and son occasion. “George and Charlotte really are cut from the same cloth as their parents,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively tells OK! “It’s very cute to see this pair out with their mum and dad… they obviously have a great relationship and perhaps they get a kick out of playing lookalikes.”
Princess Charlotte looked up in admiration at her mum
(Image: Getty)
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Looking at this closeness, relationship expert Nicky Wake echoes Jennie’s comments. “William and George looked adorable watching the Euros together. “The way George mimicked his dad shows that he idolises him in every way, whether it was cheering and hugging in joy at the goal, or sitting in devastation at the result. George looking over at William to copy his actions shows that he sees his father as a role model and aspires to be like him when he’s older.” This adoration is similar when it comes to Kate and Charlotte’s relationship, says Nicky – who founded dating app Chapter2. She points out: “Kate has been through a lot recently, following her cancer diagnosis, and Charlotte looked full of pride as her mother received a standing ovation when she entered the box.
Princess Charlotte joined her mum at Wimbledon
(Image: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)
“The strong mother and daughter bond is clear to see as Charlotte looks up at Kate lovingly. She has seen what her mother has been through recently and is proud to see her back at a big event, and the love everyone clearly has for her.” As well as their many likenesses, human behaviour expert Jessen James believes the outings give an insight into how the royals are being coached for their future roles. “Catherine helped Charlotte feel at ease when interacting with other guests by involving her in conversations and by placing a comforting hand on her back,” he explains. “It’s apparent that she is mentoring her daughter – and the young princess is eager to learn all she can from her mum’s example.”
The Prince of Wales and Prince George shared a sweet moment together at the Euros final
(Image: Getty Images)
The expert says the same goes for the second in line to the throne. “William and George’s emotions aligned throughout the event – they shared excitement in happy moments and disappointment when things didn’t go well, revealing a genuine emotional connection. “With Kate absent, William stepped up his nurturing behaviour with attentiveness and physical affection towards George. Overall, the non-verbal cues between the pair painted a picture of a close, respectful father-son relationship built on shared experiences and emotional understanding.” Of course there was another member of the family who was missing from the two sporty outings – six-year-old Prince Louis.
Prince Louis didn’t join his siblings at either event
(Image: (Image: PA))
On William and Catherine’s decision to leave their youngest at home, Jennie details: “I don’t think they follow any hard and fast rules on what’s the right age to take him somewhere, although neither George nor Charlotte went to Wimbledon until they were eight. So six is still a bit young to sit through a tennis match that could go on for hours, or to travel abroad for a football match.” Reflecting on Louis’ delightful but sometimes unpredictable behaviour on key royal occasions, the expert adds, “We have seen that Louis’ concentration tends to wander a bit during long events, so I’m sure they would have set up some alternative fun activity for him while they were away. “And then Catherine obviously made a fuss of him in the evening as he and Charlotte sat in front of the TV wearing personalised England shirts. They probably giggled together at seeing dad and George there. Louis’ time will come, and I’m sure it won’t be long – at the moment he’s said to be cricket mad so perhaps we’ll see him at Lord’s!”
Charlotte and Louis didn’t join their father and elder brother at the football
Alongside the sweet picture of their youngest children eagerly watching the match at home, the couple wrote on social media: “England, your teamwork, grit and determination were an inspiration to all of us, young and old. Congratulations to Spain.” Meanwhile, William, who is President of the Football Association, added a separate message which read: “This time it just wasn’t meant to be. We’re all still so proud of you.” When it comes to introducing their children to their lives in the royal spotlight, it is clear that the prince and princess’ approach has been a huge success. “William and Catherine have taken a very measured and mature decision to show the children gradually what life is going to be like for them… but to keep most of their lives private for now,” Jennie praises. “The fact that all three are at school together must strengthen their family unit, and their parents act like other parents in doing the school run as often as possible.
The parents have kept their children out of the spotlight as much as possible
“The high profile events of the past couple of years – from the Jubilee celebrations to the late Queen’s passing and their grandfather’s Coronation – have meant the children have been more in the limelight than they might otherwise. “They can’t change their destiny, but they don’t have to confront it just yet except on special occasions. So I think William and Catherine have got the balance just right. The children obviously know they were born royal, but they don’t have to be in the public eye very often – there will be time enough for that. For now, their parents have made it very clear that their priority is to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible.” This quest to give George, Charlotte and Louis ordinary childhoods has been easier to achieve due to Catherine becoming one of the leaders in the field of early years development, with her efforts truly attracting global attention.
The Princess of Wales launched Shaping Us 18 months ago
(Image: PA)
The princess launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 and set up the successful ‘Big 5’ survey which helped the public to learn more about the first five years of a child’s life and how social challenges such as addiction, mental health and homelessness shape someone as they grow up. She then pushed her work even further through Shaping Us, an awareness campaign dedicated to spotlighting the importance of early childhood. Putting generations of traditional royal parenting behind them, William and Catherine’s approach is one for the modern age. “They are hands-on parents in a way neither Charles and Diana, nor the late Queen and Prince Philip ever were,” Jennie points out. “From the start they have cared for their children themselves as much as possible with minimal outside help.
The couple have managed to balance their work life and family life
(Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
“This is an unusual and enlightened decision by the couple: you can’t undo the destiny you were born into, but you can make life more of a family affair than an upbringing in palaces and castles would allow. “And don’t underestimate the normalising influence of having a happy, ordinary couple as grandparents. Carole and Michael Middleton remain an integral part of the extended family unit as they come from ordinary backgrounds and offer a grounding for the children.” While the focus has been on the importance of early years, both the prince and princess are also important advocates for speaking out on our feelings and our mental health – something which continues to greatly benefit the young royals.
Prince George with his grandfather, Michael Middleton
(Image: Getty Images)
“They have adopted modern parenting techniques of allowing children to express themselves, to voice their worries and emotions and to understand when their friends are feeling angry or frustrated or unhappy,” Jennie says. “To be empathetic. They have shown them and talked to them about people who are less privileged and encouraged them to learn how helping others makes them feel better too. “They have strictly controlled the children’s exposure to the pressures of public life which has bought them a good measure of privacy. They run a fun household, full of noise and bustle, music and dancing where it sounds as if the kids often rule the roost, as in most happy families.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnPrince GeorgePrince LouisPrince PhilipPrincess CharlottePrince WilliamKate MiddletonRoyal FamilyWimbledonWilliam and KateRoyal Foundation of Early Childhood
