You might expect that the birth of a future heir to the throne would automatically trigger the activation of a vast retinue of childminders and assorted nursery attendants, but a source has told the Royalist that Kate Middleton does not plan on getting a nanny when her baby is born.
Instead, she intends to be a full-time mum, and that may well mean we see significantly less of her on the public stage, at functions and ceremonies, at least until her children are of school-going age.
Charles was initially said to be dumbstruck by the notion that Kate would rear her children singlehandedly, but has now apparently accepted it.
In truth there was little else for him and other senior courtiers to do. Kate is a fiercely determined woman. The last time they tried to intervene on Kate’s staffing arrangements was when a housekeeper was hired for Kate in Anglesey without her knowledge. When she found out, Kate promptly reversed the hiring.
Why would she want a housekeeper? she asked. To cook and shop and clean up after her and her husband, she was told. Kate replied that they were perfectly capable of doing their own cooking, as well as loading the dishwasher and going to the supermarket themselves (even if she does have to take a bodyguard along for the ride).
Although William adored his own nanny, Olga Powell, who died just a few months ago, he supports Kate’s decision to be a full-time mum. His own situation as a child was incredibly complicated due to the strained state of his warring parents’ marriage, and Olga was the steadying parent stand-in. The situation for their kids will be very, very different. William will be the most involved royal dad in British history.
Kate has controversial ideas for a royal mother: She wants to get to know her children. I know! Shocking eh?
Kate is determined that her children be brought up as normally as possible, and, to that end, has let it be known that she does not wish to have any full time help when the baby is born. Kate has not, however, ruled out the possibility of hiring a maternity nurse for the first few weeks (and, let’s face it, who can blame her?)
Just because Kate is now the queen in waiting that doesn’t mean she is about to abandon the middle-class, “normal” values that made her such a catch for William, reinvigorating the monarchy and made her so popular around the globe.
Kate has made no secret of the fact that she is determined to lead as normal a life as possible for as long as possible. For example, the royal couple often travel up and down to Wales from London on the regular train. They travel first class, with their protection officers of course, but other people are allowed in the carriage and they get a drink from the buffet car like everyone else. There is certainly no question of a carriage being cordoned off or of the royal train being requisitioned every time they want to make the trip.
But no nanny? That's an incredibly symbolic non-hire within the Royal Family, but very typical of Kate. People who have met and worked with the royals all say the same thing: William and Kate really are just like they seem—down-to-earth and alarmingly normal. When they are in Anglesey, they stay in and watch telly at night. (Downton Abbey is a favorite.) They have the lightest staff of any of the senior royals.
The recycling of clothes by Kate is not a PR stunt, her attitude is just, well, why wouldn't you?
No nanny? To some it is seen as a modernising step too far, but that's unlikely to deter Kate.