Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have an ‘amazing’ great-grandmother with an inspirational life-story that’s heavily shaped Kate Middleton’s parenting approach.
Everyone knows how incredible Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ paternal great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was. But did you know the youngsters also have an ‘amazing’ and inspirational maternal great-grandmother?
Back in 2020 to celebrate the work of the Red Cross, Kate Middleton shared the story of her grandmother Valerie Middleton who worked as a code breaker during WWII.
She revealed that Valerie worked at the infamous Bletchley Park office where codebreakers broke the Enigma code and deciphered the Nazi’s secret messages which ultimately lead to the end of the war. On top of this, she also served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment and nurse with the British Red Cross during World War II.
In a letter sent to the charity, as reported by The Express, Kate wrote, “I would like to thank and remember the many thousands of staff and volunteers who, over the years, have contributed tirelessly to the organisation’s work, including my great-grandmother, Olive, and my grandmother, Valerie, who both served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment with the British Red Cross.
“Olive during the First World War and Valerie during the Second World War. Like you and many others, they are both part of the rich history of the British Red Cross, which is helping to ensure many people get the support they need during a crisis.”
It’s an incredibly inspirational story for George, Charlotte and Louis, likely instilling in them the important value of helping people and working hard to support those in crisis. But not only is their great-grandmother a great role model in the working world, she’s also an inspiration for Kate when it comes to her parenting style.
Speaking on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby Podcast, Kate reminisced about her ‘devoted’ grandmother who showed her the importance of taking time to connect with children.
“I had an amazing granny who devoted a lot of time to us, playing with us, doing arts and crafts and going to the greenhouse to do gardening, and cooking with us,” she said.
“And I try and incorporate a lot of the experiences that she gave us at the time into the experiences that I give my children now.”
In other royal news, Princess Lilibet’s third birthday was a princess-worthy affair – but why didn’t the royals mark the special day? Elsewhere, Princess Charlotte is not ‘looking forward’ to upcoming school event – and it’s left Prince William crossing his fingers. Plus, as kids across the UK gear up for the big school break, Kate Middleton has big plans to make this year’s summer holiday ‘memorable’ for Prince George, Charlotte and Louis.
