Prince William and Kate Middleton's nanny has banned this four-letter word

Prince William and Kate Middleton's nanny refuses to use a certain word when at work

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 08: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge during Trooping The Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, on June 8, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The nanny of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children has been trained not to use a certain four-letter word - but it isn’t the one you might be thinking. 

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are cared for by some of the nation’s most prestigious nannies, who have a very unique way of treating the younger members of the royal family. According to reports, the children’s minders are never addressed as ‘kids’ - as a sign of respect. 

"This is so funny - they're not allowed to say the word ‘kids’, revealed Royally Us podcast host, Christina Garibaldi. 

While Prince William and Kate have not banned the use of the word themselves, nannies who work for the Royal Family typically avoid referring to its children as ‘kids.’ This policy is famously taught at Norland, the elite nanny college outside London. 

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“It’s a word we discourage our graduate students from using, really as a mark of respect,” explained Julia Gaskell, head of consultancy and training at Norland. She also shared another technique the nannies use when speaking with children, which comes in handy during discipline. 

“We would ask our nannies not to say ‘you’re naughty’ we would ask them to label the behavior, not the child.” 

Prince William and Kate’s current nanny, Maria Terresa Barrallo, was trained at Norland and now works full-time for the family. The native Spaniard learned a wide range of skills at the intensive college, which costs £15,000 a year in attendance fees. Not only can she complete all the typical childcare duties, she's also qualified in evasive driving and security.

Despite this prestigious training, Barrallo tries to make the royal children’s lives as ordinary as possible. 

"I've spoken to nannies who have worked with other royal families and life is pretty normal,” said Louise Heren, author of Nanny in a Book. "You get up, have breakfast, you go to school and you wear your school uniform whether you like it or not."

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.