They might be the King’s grandchildren but according to a former royal nanny, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are incredibly “grounded” and this really becomes clear in the evenings.
Opening up to The Sun, Caroline Redgrave, who is understood to have worked for the future King and Queen when their children were younger, has claimed that this time of day was when they were “most relaxed”.
“You get to know them in those quiet evening hours. That’s when they’re most relaxed. And it’s also when you see how grounded they really are; polite, playful and full of personality,” she alleged. “We always kept to a familiar structure of a warm bath, quiet play, stories and then bed.”
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Caroline went on to suggest that this night-time routine remained the same “no matter what had gone on in the day”. When you consider that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have been making public appearances since babyhood, this becomes even more remarkable.
Keeping to a clear routine that was reportedly “designed to help them unwind slowly” might well help to make them feel “grounded” amidst all the scrutiny they face as young royals. The former nanny added that screen time was a no-go for the evenings.
Instead, the routine was “about slowing everything down” and creating a tranquil environment before they went to sleep. Caroline, who is now a private childcare consultant, revealed to the publication that bedtime was “beautifully ordinary” in the Wales household.
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“There were cuddles, books, the occasional giggle fit,” she claimed. “It was beautifully ordinary. People imagine strict formality, but the truth is, it was warm, loving, and very normal.”
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have grown up a lot since then and the routine has likely evolved as a result. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if many elements of their “normal” night-time routine have stuck around and are upheld at Adelaide Cottage.
We know that books have remained a key part of the Wales family’s evening ritual over the years. In 2020 during a visit to Mumbles, Prince William spotted someone holding a copy of Julia Donaldson’s Room on the Broom and excitedly shared it was a popular choice in his house.
“I read this to our children all the time,” he exclaimed, as per the Daily Mail, before adding that he’d met Julia when she received her CBE for services to literature.
He continued, “I said, “do you realise how many parents you have saved at bed time?”. David Walliams also does good books for children – for a little bit older children I think. I’ve read one and it was really, really good.”
The Princess of Wales has another book that she, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis love too. In 2023 she visited Sebby’s Corner and reportedly donated 50 copies of The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark to the charity, which supports families in need in London and Hertfordshire.
Bianca Sakol, the founder and CEO of Sebby’s Corner told People that this was “so lovely” and that this was a book “she said she enjoyed reading with her children”.
The future Queen also read this Wales family favourite book as her CBeebies Bedtime Story to mark Children’s Mental Health Week in 2022.
