The Parenting Decision Prince William and Kate Middleton Made That Sets Their Kids Apart

I can only imagine how wild it would be to grow up in the spotlight. Now add being a member of the royal family, where the world has been keeping tabs on you practically since birth. Prince William knows that experience all too well, which may explain why he and Kate Middleton have made one major boundary when it comes to their own children: privacy.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, are parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. According to royal author Simon Vigar, they’re doing their best to make sure their children’s upbringing doesn’t become a “circus” like their father’s.

"It's a circus that George, Charlotte and Louis are not part of because, as I say in the book, William and Catherine have been very clear about building a big wall between what's private and what's public," Vigar said during an episode of the Talking Royals podcast. "That's a change. That's history not repeating itself."

"Okay, we get to see them at Trooping, we get to see them on the big occasions and we get photos on birthdays but, as someone said to me, those kids are having a Middleton childhood. [George, Charlotte and Louis are] not having a William and Harry childhood."

And we don’t exactly have to take Vigar’s word for it. The proof is in the pudding. Royal watchers typically see the Wales family of five together for major occasions, including the Christmas service at Sandringham, Trooping the Colour and Easter at Windsor.

Most recently, the children accompanied their parents to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, marking another rare public appearance for the family.

It’s a pretty noticeable difference from the childhood William and his brother, Prince Harry, experienced, when their lives were often documented in far greater detail.

For William and Kate, it seems the goal is simple: Let George, Charlotte and Louis have as normal a childhood as royal life allows, and draw a clear line between what belongs to the public and what stays with the family.

Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here.