Prince William and Kate Middleton's Parenting Tricks Revealed by Experts

Raising children in the public eye is never easy, but Prince William and Kate Middleton make it look effortless with George, 9, Charlotte, 7, and Louis, 4. "Because of who they are, William and Kate have had to be highly organized parents," a royal source explains. "But as parents, Wills and Kate have developed this brilliant knack of letting as much as they can seem spontaneous and that's how the children see it." Here are William and Kate's parenting tricks, according to insiders. 

Kate and William accept their children will sometimes act like children—and seem to enjoy it as much as the public does. "George, Charlotte and Louis are not only allowed to be playful, fun, spontaneous and even cheeky in public, they are actively encouraged by their mum and dad, who often look at their most proud and most doting when they are doing so," says body language expert Judi James in the Daily Mail.

"William and Kate's parenting duties were always going to be unique as they're inducting a prince, princess and future king into the rules, traditions and formalities of the royal family as well as allowing three small children to have as much fun and freedom as possible as they do so," says James. "What we have been seeing during their most recent public outings is how well they are managing the 'normal' aspect of their parenting, making them look like many other families taking their kids on a day out."

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Kate and William know when to be firm with their children, and when to relax. "Their techniques seem to involve remaining totally tuned into their children, while not appearing to fuss or show signals of anxiety that might be natural given the profile of the events they have been attending," says James. "Kate will still show expressions of firmness at times but both she and William were mirroring Charlotte at the Games. Kate's facial expressions looking far more animated than usual to fit in with her daughter, while William was providing a complementary state of playful mock shock as Charlotte did her emphatic 'thumbs up' ritual. All three then came together in some sweetly mirrored poses that showed how like-minded and evenly-bonded they are as a family group."

"All three children appear aware of royal etiquette and their handshakes, social smiles and even their small talk techniques are improving with every outing, showing that despite the sense of freedom to express themselves and have fun they are also learning to embrace the more traditional side of royalty that William and Kate have always championed," says James.

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William and Kate are notoriously hands-on as parents. "There are also those moments of comfort that range from head touches, hair-stroking and cheek-touches to show affection and support, to the way William will lower his head right down to Charlotte's level to give her exclusive, undivided attention and mutter words of empathy," says James.