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    Prince William and Princess Kate have a refreshingly low-key rule for their staff

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 9 March 2025 In News

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    The Prince and Princess of Wales attend Wimbledon in 2022
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    The Wales family is the most talked-about in the world. And from Princess Kate's return to duty following her cancer recovery, to Prince William's role elevation, the family of five has been front and centre.

    It is their relatable family life that gets the world talking the most, with the royal couple and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis reported to have a refreshingly normal home life.

    And as experts predict that the future King and Queen will modernise the monarchy, with William himself wanting to put a “smaller r in royal”, courtiers have revealed the Wales family's relatability behind closed doors.

    A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

    A photo posted by on

    This chiefly centres around the Wales family home, with the Prince and Princess refusing to have live-in staff at their four bedroom Adelaide Cottage abode.

    According to Valentine Low, author of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, Prince William wants their home to be "casual", adding "the kids run around the office, and he does not want it to be stuffy."

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    And in a recently resurfaced anecdote, a palace source even revealed via Low that Prince William and Princess Kate have a refreshingly low-key rule for their staff - "to not wear formal attire unless it is appropriate to do so."

    "If we have important meetings or are going to Buckingham Palace, then, of course, we [dress up]," the Palace staffer added while explaining the Wales family rule.

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    A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

    A photo posted by on

    The low-key rule, according to royal experts, could be down to their children, with the Prince and Princess implementing boundaries to give them "as normal an upbringing as possible."

    "I think Kate has to wrap some semblance of normality around [George, Charlotte and Louis], because she knows what [royal life] can do," royal expert Ingrid Seward has previously explained, via Express.co.uk. "She’s seen it; she’s been around long enough…but they’re not normal children, and I think it’s extremely hard to keep their little feet on the ground."

    "They can't change their destiny," royal expert Jennie Bond has previously explained about the Wales children's upbringing to OK! magazine. "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."

    Well, that's that.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
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    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

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