Whether they’re the future Queen consort or the average American mom, every mother has their own methods of parenting and caring for their children. Although both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle married into the British royal family, they’ve parented the Queen’s great-grandchildren in very different ways. From baby strollers to nannies, here are the parenting styles of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, compared.
Kate’s Three Children Make Official Appearances
Kate knew that when she married Prince William she would be taking on important duties as part of the British royal family and likely the future Queen consort. The members of the royal family have an incredible amount of official engagements around the world — around 2,000 each year, including royal tours.
Senior members of the royal family dedicate their lives to be of service to the people of the Commonwealth. While this also includes Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who are in the line of succession to the British throne, the family tries to keep their lives private while they’re still young.
Meghan’s Son Archie Is Rarely In The Public Eye
Meghan says that she wants to protect Archie from the negativity she experienced after stepping into the limelight as a member of the British royal family. Prince Harry is also sensitive to negative press and is very protective of Archie and his wife after seeing the press go after his late mother, Princess Diana.
Meghan and Harry have said that they had “no other option” but to step away from the spotlight after welcoming Archie, in order to avoid “intense scrutiny.” In February 2021, the couple announced that their second baby is on the way.
Kate’s Children Are Close In The Line Of Succession To The Throne
Following Queen Elizabeth II, the next in line to the throne is Prince Charles. Prince William follows him, as second in line to the throne. Next is Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
It’s likely that in his lifetime, Prince William will be given the opportunity to become the king. Just as his grandmother had, he will be prepared for the duties he’ll take on, and one day, it’s likely that at least one of his kids will do the same
Archie Is Seventh In Line To The Throne
Prince Harry is sixth in line to the throne, therefore he is highly unlikely to ever be named king. Following him is Master Archie Harrison, seventh in line to the throne. At birth, Archie was not given a royal title, he was designated as “Master” instead.
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond commented that the decision to forego a royal title was a strong indication that Harry and Meghan did not plan on raising Archie as a formal royal family member. However, in an interview with Oprah that aired in March 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan revealed that “It was not our decision to make” regarding Archie’s title.
The Cambridge Children Are British
Born in London, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge has been a member of the British royal family since birth. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge was born in Berkshire, England, with family ties to the British aristocracy. In fact, William and Kate’s families were introduced to one another long ago, as far back as 1926.
The couple’s three children are from a British background with deep roots. It’s expected that the Cambridge children will live in Britain for their entire lives.
Meghan And Harry’s Children Are British-American
Prince Harry was born in London and also a member of the British royal family at birth, while Meghan was born in Los Angeles, in the U.S. Together, the couple decided that they wanted to raise their children as a “global citizen.”
Archie is officially a citizen of both the United Kingdom and the United States. He lived in England, Canada, and the U.S. during the first year of his life. Today, the family (along with their daughter) resides in the States.
Kate Tries To Give Her Kids A Taste Of “Normal Life”
In interviews, Kate speaks lovingly of her childhood and wants to make sure that her children get to experience some of the “normal” things that other kids get to. She doesn’t want them to miss out because of their royal status or her busy schedule.
Parenting expert Cai Graham said, “Admittedly, Kate has learned the importance to showing her children a ‘normal life’, as Diana did so very well, in queuing in theme parks or having the occasional trip to McDonald’s!”
