Raising a family is hard enough. Now imagine what it must be like to make big parenting decisions on the world stage. Given that is exactly what Kate Middleton and Prince William (a future king, no less) are doing as their three children grow up, it's no wonder that they try to keep their personal lives as private as possible. But every time the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have given us a glimpse into what their home lives as parents must be like, we simply can't get enough.
The Cambridge kids are growing up so fast. Prince George is 8, Princess Charlotte is 6, and Prince Louis is 3 — they're definitely all approaching big-kid territory. But through the years, Kate and William have, little by little, offered us rare peeks into their family life that give us an idea of what it's like for these two to be a mom and dad.
Whether it's through the photos they share on Instagram or the tidbits of family traditions they open up about in interviews, here are 15 times when William and Kate let us in on their private lives at home with their kids.
The Annual Birthday Portraits
Kate is known for her photography skills — and the way she uses them to capture her three children as they grow up. Each year, she shares a couple of recent portraits of each of her kids in honor of their birthdays, and it's so sweet to see them photographed through their own mother's eyes.
A Family Beach Day
When William and Kate celebrated 10 years of marriage in April 2021, they shared a video featuring footage of them hanging out with their children on the beach. Of course, it wasn't exactly raw, unedited footage, but it did give us a glimpse of them in action as parents.
Baking a Cake
The little royals seem pretty handy in the kitchen already! In honor of Mother's Day in the UK (which takes place in March each year), Charlotte, George, and Louis teamed up to make this cake — complete with pipe cleaner decorations — that their parents later shared on Instagram. So cute!
Celebrating Christmas
Speaking of little royals baking, here's George in 2019 when he joined his dad, great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, and grandfather Prince Charles to mix up a Christmas pudding. It's so sweet to see how he interacts with his family members (and how hard he's concentrating on getting the pudding just right).
Fun on the Farm
Just because George is destined to be king someday doesn't mean he's exempt from chores! In March 2022, Kate was visiting a farm in Wales when she shared one of George's duties when he's off of school, all because it happened to be something that came up in conversation during the tour.
"That was George's job at half term — moving feed," she said during the visit, according to People.
Garden Adventures
William and Kate have always really emphasized outdoor play for their kids, and it wasn't all that long ago that they gave us a glimpse of what that looks like. In a series of photos they shared on Instagram in May 2019, we got to see all three of their kids in action at the Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Traveling Together
In 2021, William, Kate, and their kids were photographed outside of the Windsor Suite at Heathrow Airport in London — certainly a rare moment to see a photo of the family together like this that isn't posed! It's not easy getting three kids ready to go on a trip and wrangle them through the airport, but William and Kate seemed to be doing just fine.
Talking About Feelings
Given how important mental health has always been to William and Kate, it's no wonder that it's a priority for them to make sure their kids feel like they can talk freely about their feelings.
"Catherine and I are clear that we want both George and Charlotte to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings," William told CALMzine in 2017. "Over the past year, we have visited a number of schools together where we have been amazed listening to children talk about some quite difficult subjects in a clear and emotionally articulate way, something most adults would struggle with."
A Personal Touch
As Kate told chef Mary Berry on A Berry Royal Christmas, she personally bakes her children's birthday cakes each year — even if it means staying up late to get it done.
"I love making the cake," she said. "It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up until midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it."
The Struggle Is Real
Becoming a new parent is an adjustment for everyone — royals included — and Kate even admitted on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast that she was stressed about introducing George to the world outside of the hospital when he was born.
"We were like, 'What do we do [with the baby] in a swaddle? How's this supposed to work? We'd even tried to practice with a little doll at home, but you know, it just never works out the way you planned it, so it was quite hard to do that on the world's stage," she said.
Cooking With the Kids
If it seems like cooking together is a big tradition for Kate and her kids, that's because it is. In 2018, Kate shared during a royal engagement that they love to make pizza together.
"I've done that with George and Charlotte — making pizza dough. They love it because they can get their hands messy," she said, via Hello! magazine.
Sweet & Homemade
Another rare glimpse into the Cambridges' lives as parents happened in 2020, when they shared a photo of a colorful card that George had made for his mom on Mother's Day. Is it just us, or does it seem like they may have a little artist on their hands? Well done, George!
The First Day of School
The first day of school is a big deal for all kids, and William and Kate let us be a part of Charlotte's when she joined big brother George at Thomas's Battersea in 2019 — though she looked a bit nervous at the time. We can't blame her!
Playing Around
It's so sweet to see how playful the Cambridge kids can get with their parents, especially William. These pics (swipe to see another) were shared in honor of Father's Day, and it's easy to see that their home life must be filled with plenty of playful moments with their dad.
Lockdown Homeschooling
Like a lot of parents, William and Kate ended up homeschooling their kids when schools were shut down in 2020, and they weren't ashamed to admit what a challenge it had been for them, too.
"I've become a hairdresser this lockdown, much to my children's horror. We've had to become teachers. I personally feel pulled in so many different directions," Kate said during a video call with other parents in February 2021.
