Work/life balance is a tricky thing to master at the best of times, and Prince William has the added complication of doing it whilst having an incredibly high-profile, public-facing role. The future King touched on this in his highly-anticipated appearance in Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler when he was asked by Eugene Levy about his 'relatively normal' home life.
The Schitt’s Creek star suggested this started with Prince William and Princess Diana in childhood, and he confirmed this was "definitely" the case.
"I think it’s really important that that atmosphere is created at home, you have to have that feeling of warmth, security, love that all has to be there," he declared. "And that was certainly part of my childhood. My parents got divorced at 8, so that lasted a short period of time but you take that and you learn from it, and you try not to do the same mistakes as your parents. I think we all try to do that."
Like Kate, who launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 - and perhaps because of her work - William is all-too aware of how "drama and stress" can continue to affect you as an adult, years after the fact.
He said, "I just want to do what’s best for my children, but I know the drama and stress when you’re small really affects you when you’re older."
Prince William has already started to put his experience and learnings into practice with his three children and has made it extremely clear in recent years that his family is his priority.
He and the Princess of Wales are hands-on parents involved in school life and they typically take a step back during school holidays to spend time with George, Charlotte and Louis.
Asked by Eugene Levy if the responsibilities of being first in the royal line of succession equate to a 9-5, the Prince responded, "It doesn’t quite work like that. But I do try to stick to school timetables as much as possible, so most days we’re in and out of school doing drop offs and pick ups. Getting the balance of work and family life right is really important, because for me, the most important thing in my life is family."
With this in mind, he and Kate are determined to provide a "stable home" for their kids at Adelaide Cottage, and, in due course, at Forest Lodge.
"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 told Eugene.
And what a big future it is that lies ahead for them, especially Prince George! The twelve year old will be King one day and William and Kate have set some clear boundaries to protect him from excess pressure and scrutiny. He and his siblings are only actually seen in public a few times a year and outside of this they enjoy a lot of privacy in Berkshire, with plenty of family members living close by.
Whilst George is gradually being introduced to royal life, he still gets to be a kid at the end of the day, showing that William has recreated the "security" and "warmth" he experienced.
Watch The Reluctant Traveler season 3 on Apple TV+, with new episodes landing every Friday.
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