Prince William 'spends his life' cleaning up at Adelaide Cottage - but it's not after who you might think

Prince William revealed that he's left cleaning up after certain family members at Adelaide Cottage

Prince William, Prince George, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William might be the future king, but when it comes to the family household, he revealed he's stuck with the chores his children often forget.

The Prince of Wales has shared plenty of relatable parenting moments over the years, including the massive fights he's had to deal with between his children.

And during an appearance at Woodgate Valley Urban Farm near Birmingham in the UK in 2024, he revealed more insight into the family pets at Adelaide Cottage - including the newer additions - and how he's left to clean up the mess.

Prince William with a guinea pig during a visit to a farm

(Image credit: Getty Images)

During his appearance, which included grooming some guinea pigs, William revealed that they'd welcomed two new pets alongside their family cocker spaniel, Orla.

He said, ”These guys are pretty cool. We've got guinea pigs at home and they're not like this. I spend my life cleaning out the guinea pig cage because the children forget to do it."

William also gave a glimpse of the routine his own pets have at home, who aren’t as well behaved as the docile ones on the farm.

He added, "The ones we've got at home, they're off. You have to keep them constantly stroked and looked after."

Kate Middleton with Lupo the dog

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are also known to be owners to a beloved cocker spaniel called Orla - and they have a controversial sleeping habit when it comes to the cocker spaniel.

As well as taking time with the animals, William spoke with volunteers and staff at the city farm, who work to support children and young people through their education and those struggling with their mental health.

Prince William visits Woodgate Valley Urban Farm in Birmingham, England

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Alongside the animals, the National Lottery funded farm also therapeutic programs for the children to help improve their well-being through one-to-one support and community-focused activities.

The cute insight into life at Adelaide Cottage came after William got back into the swing of things, after taking some time out to focus on helping Kate recover from her cancer treatment.

One of his first appearances saw him make a special visit to see 12-year-old Freddie Hadley, who had written to him last year to discuss his school’s Matrix Project and the campaign #AmIManlyEnough, which supports male students with their mental health.

In a candid talk to the students at St Michael’s Church of England High School in Rowley Regis, William spoke about how he got into mental health campaigning and co-founded Heads Together with his wife, Kate and his brother Prince Harry.

"It started really when I was doing lots of charitable work, I never set out to look out into mental health, particularly male mental health," he began.

Prince William, Prince of Wales speaks with students of the Matrix Project

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"I was interested in homelessness, depression, addiction, all these separate areas and I hadn't really put them altogether as a jigsaw - what are we looking at? What are we trying to fix? It all came together as a mental health piece.

"My passion, if you like, has moved now into male mental health because of the stats you [James] mentioned at the beginning, about the suicide rate in young men is just terrifying, and I wanted to do something about it."

Jess Bacon is a freelance journalist, blogger and former editor with over six years of writing experience. As a screenwriter and journalist, Jess is keen to tell her own and other people’s stories through words, photos and film. She’s passionate about discussing young people's mental health, grief and feminism in life and how it's portrayed in the media, film and literature. Alongside her by-lines at renowned publications, Jess regularly speaks at charity events and festival panels about loss, mental health and Marvel. Along with her love of writing, Jess is an avid reader, spin enthusiast and dog-lover.