Kate Middleton reveals relatable reason for new morning routine - and how George, Charlotte and Louis factor in
Mornings for the Wales family have had a bit of an adjustment since they welcomed a new puppy into the fold
Emma Shacklock
Everyone has their own version of a morning routine and the Princess of Wales's has changed in recent months. Earlier this year Kate confirmed that the family had welcomed a new puppy and we finally found out his name - Otto - a few weeks ago.
It seems like mornings at Forest Lodge now revolve around him and, adorably, it also sounds like the whole family are pitching in to help. During a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on 8th May, the Princess explained that the "first thing [they] do in the morning is check, 'Has anyone taken Otto out?'"
As per HELLO!, Kate also revealed that the adorable one-year-old cocker spaniel "chewed quite a lot the other day", so it sounds like it’s all hands on deck at home with the Waleses at the moment.
Otto was part of a litter that Orla, the family’s other cocker spaniel, gave birth to last year. It was confirmed that they had kept one puppy, but he made his official debut in the photo the couple shared on their 15th wedding anniversary.
A couple of days later, Otto got his very own post - celebrating his first birthday, where the caption read, "Welcome to the family, Otto! 1 today."
Fortunately for the Princess of Wales, she’s not left to look after Otto and their other cocker spaniel, Orla, alone. Kate’s comments about checking if anyone has let the puppy out first thing in the morning suggests that everyone takes some responsibility for the duties, something which we know is a pattern in how William and Kate parent.
In the past, they’ve both spoken about the chores that are set for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and how, despite featuring high in the royal line of succession, they set firm rules and their children have to earn their pocket money through chores just like other kids.
Royal author Katie Nicholl previously told The Mirror, "They absolutely do menial tasks. They are far more ordinary than many might imagine - the kids even have to do chores in return for their pocket money. It's about them wanting to have a normal, happy, ordinary family home".
Helping out with the animals has been something George especially has been doing since he was a young boy. When visiting a Welsh farm in 2022, Kate saw a robot sweeper and revealed, "That was George's job at half term - moving feed."
Meanwhile, in 2020 during a visit to Cardiff, Prince William shared how the three kids had helped out with the lambing. He reportedly said, "We’ve been lambing with the children this week. Charlotte wasn’t sure at first but George was straight in there. Louis loves the tractors. They love seeing the lambs and feeding the lambs."
Their focus on creating a normal home life for the children is something William touched on in Apple TV’s The Reluctant Traveller.
"If you don't start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you're setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall. So it’s about making sure we feel we can look after our family and our children in a way we feel is best for their future," he declared.
