Prince William and Duchess Catherine saw lockdown as a 'gift' for this special reason

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge saw the quality time spent with their children during lockdown as a "rare gift," according to a royal expert.

• Prince William and Catherine went into lockdown at their Amner Hall home in Norfolk and said the 'time at home' was a 'rare gift' for the family
• They isolated with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
• It follows royal news that the Queen is opening Sandringham to the public for this special reason

Lockdown due to covid-19 has been a difficult time for most families.

But, for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge it has been a "rare" special time of normality to spend time with their three children, Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two.

Writing for 9Honey, royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter said, "The inevitable stresses of lockdown aside, this period has also proven to be a rare gift. In a world in which duty reigns for the good of the crown, George, Charlotte and Louis have enjoyed a privilege generations of royal youngsters have unavoidably been denied — prolonged time at home with just Mum and Dad."

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Having grown up in the spotlight, future King Prince William has always wanted to raise his children with the "stability he once craved".

Having had months of quality time with the little ones, William and Catherine have "set a royal parenting precedent," where family is at the heart of everything they do - just like Catherine's own family, The Middleton's.

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"The Middleton family has remained at the heart of the Cambridges' existence," Victoria explained. "A stabilising force, they offer William the normality he seeks and their calming influence has served as the perfect antidote to his tumultuous early years."

While lockdown has been special in some ways, the Cambridges have faced similar challenges to everyone else - including the perils of homeschooling.

Noting just how much energy the kids have, Duchess Catherine said, "The children have got such stamina.

"You pitch a tent, take the tent down again, cook, bake. You get to the end of the day—they've had a lovely time, but it's amazing how much you can cram into a day, that's for sure."