Carole Middleton and Royal Family’s conflicting traditions over mealtimes with George, Charlotte and Louis

Carole Middleton has a different approach to family mealtimes compared to the royals and it affects Prince George, Charlotte and Louis.

Everyone has their own approach when it comes to parenting and with Prince William brought up in the Royal Family and Kate not, it’s likely that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are growing up with a blend of traditions. The Prince and Princess of Wales are known for being hands-on and sharing school pick-up duties, though they’ve also started to gradually ease their children into being comfortable with royal appearances. There are some occasions, though, where it’s likely they have to adapt when they visit their two families and mealtimes seemingly look very different at Carole Middleton’s than they do when the royals get together.

Speaking to The Telegraph back in 2018, the Princess of Wales’s mother opened up about how she thinks that children should get to eat with the adults after reaching an earlier - and easier - milestone. She believes in allowing them to do this "as soon as they can sit up properly".

Shop Carole Middleton's Style

Carole continued, "As a family, we try to have as many meals together as possible because that’s when you talk and have fun."

The mum-of-three has previously also described the kitchen as her "favourite" room in her Berkshire home and it’s clear how much she values family time as they share a meal and doesn’t want the younger generation to miss out. However, it’s been suggested that the Royal Family traditionally take a very different approach - at least until the children can master "polite conversation" at the dinner table.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady explained, as per The Mirror, that when the royals gather for special celebrations like Christmas at Sandringham House, the children eat their meals in a separate room to the adults.

"The children always ate in the nursery until they were old enough to conduct themselves properly at the dining table," he claimed.

Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family by Tom Quinn, | Was £20, Now £11.15 at Amazon

Parenting in the Royal Family is surrounded by traditions and customs and this insightful book delves into them and includes surprising anecdotes about the antics of royal children. It brings together historical sources with testimonies from palace staff and is shocking and hilarious all at once.

View Deal

Meanwhile, Majesty Magazine’s Editor Ingrid Seward echoed this when she alleged to The Sun that the late Queen Elizabeth supposedly believed that children should be able to hold their cutlery properly before they stopped eating separately.

"They will all have dinner together but not the young children they will eat in the nursery dining room," Ingrid declared, referencing the 2023 Easter meal. "Queen [Elizabeth] always said until they could hold a knife and fork properly they could not eat at the table, but Charles might have relaxed that rule a bit. But dinner is only for grown-ups."

It seems as though the Royal Family have - or at one point had - stricter rules about when the younger royals could sit at the table with the adults compared to Carole Middleton, who embraced it from a very early point. She views her kitchen as the "heart" of her home and has been open about her love of a "kitchen supper" in this kitchen/dining/sitting space - something that Prince William and Kate have apparently been inspired by.

Although Prince George, Charlotte and Louis might have to master "polite conversation" before eating with their parents at Christmas, at home things are likely a bit more relaxed. Author of Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, Sally Bedell Smith, once claimed to People, "I remember when [Prince William and Kate] had just finished renovating Anmer Hall, and they invited the Queen over for lunch. They have one of those big kitchens with eating areas, and she said, 'I can't understand why everybody spends their time in the kitchen.'"

Their home renovation decision could indicate that Prince William and Kate also view their kitchen as a key place to spend time as a family, chatting and enjoying meals.