Expert Explains How William And Kate Are Handling Their Children's Grief After The Queen's Death

Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Prince and Princess of Wales, always put their children first. While William rushed to Balmoral upon hearing the news of Queen Elizabeth II's poor health, Kate remained in Windsor because it was the first day of school for their kids, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Prince Louis of Wales (via the Mirror). 

Kate was also the one who broke the news to their children that the queen had died. "She wanted them to hear about the tragic news directly from her to ease the blow. Kate used her words carefully and said that Elizabeth is in heaven with Prince Philip. There were lots of tears and hugs and naturally the children are upset," an insider told Closer Weekly.

William and Kate later greeted mourners outside of Windsor Castle, where the princess shared how the children were handling the loss of their great-grandmother. One person overheard Kate tell some children that, upon hearing of Elizabeth's death, Louis said "at least Grannie is with great grandpa now," according to the Independent.

George and Charlotte also attended the queen's funeral, where the princess paid a touching tribute to the late monarch, donning a small horseshoe brooch on the left side of her coat almost above her heart. People reported that the piece was gifted to her by the late queen. 

But, moving forward, William is being careful to "shield" his children from his own grief over the queen's death.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, is doing his best to "shield" his children from his grief over the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Prince Louis of Wales are on half-term break, and sources say that William and his wife, Catherine Middleton, Princess of Wales, will make the kids' time off as "normal as possible."

"After their great-granny's passing, William and Catherine will try to move things on as quickly as possible and not dwell too much on the sadness of the last couple of months," royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! (via the Mirror). "Even though William will undoubtedly have moments where he feels very sad, he will try to shield the children from it."

With that in mind, William and Kate both took a step back from their royal duties so they could spend time with their kids during the school break, per People. They will return to classes at their new school — Lambrook School in Berkshire — on Oct. 31, 2022. 

The kids started at Lambrook in September after the family moved to Windsor over the summer. Sources have said that William and Catherine are happy with their decision to relocate to the area. "They love that the kids can go out on their bikes and cycle around the estate, and they are all really excited to meet everyone," a friend told People. "It's a real little community."