The Odd Reason Prince William And Kate Middleton Can't Eat Dinner With Their Kids

While many of us may have once wished we were a king or queen so that we could do whatever we wanted, in reality, growing up royal is no easy task. Prince William and Kate Middleton's three children, Louis, Charlotte, and George, have quite a few strict rules to abide by. Sometimes, the adorable princes and princess get a pass, like when we witnessed Louis' Buckingham Palace balcony shenanigans. But on other occasions, The Firm doesn't take any chances.

Such is the case with high-profile dinners. Darren McGrady, one of the royal family's previous chefs, explained to Harper's Bazaar Australia that the youngest royals won't get a seat at the table until they have "learned the art of polite conversation" (via The Mirror). Instead, the Prince and Princess of Wales eat with the other grown-ups while their brood is relegated to the one-and-only kids' table — a staple of many American family gatherings too.

It's all about ensuring they won't make a scene with poor manners. As McGrady told Today, "The royal nursery wasn't just for educating the minds of the young royals but educating their palates, too. Nanny always had control of the menu and made sure they ate balanced meals that included not only lots of healthy vegetables but introduced them to new grown-up dishes too." There'll be no blanching at the Brussels sprouts in front of important guests.

The rules detailed by Darren McGrady are reportedly only for formal events, including Christmas dinner. Away from the palace, Kate Middleton is known to be a very dedicated mother who probably wouldn't enjoy regularly eating without her little ones. We've seen Kate sporting an injury she received while jumping around with her kids on a trampoline, so it's reasonable to assume that she would sit down next to them at dinner time. 

There have also been reports that the Princess of Wales likes to err on the side of average rather than privileged when it comes to her kids' day-to-day lives. An education expert told Express that, regarding parenting, "She [Kate] is doing what worked for her, which didn't involve the excess staff normally associated with royal upbringings." This may not extend to preparing all of the family's dinners from scratch, but we're guessing that when William and Kate aren't away on royal business, they're grilling Louis, Charlotte, and George about their days over a shared meal. 

And we do know that Kate definitely cooks sometimes too. When she appeared on BBC's "A Berry Royal Christmas Special," in 2019, the beloved royal gushed to host Mary Berry about how much hands-on time in the kitchen with her kids means to her, asserting that it also helps to foster their creativity and independence (via Us Weekly).

When Prince William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, were children their mother, Princess Diana, also occasionally eased up with royal mealtime rules. Her former chef, Darren McGrady, dished to WWD, "The princess just wanted them to be boys," explaining that sometimes that meant letting them indulge in junk food rather than sticking to the strict diet set out by their nanny. 

As for what exactly is considered unhealthy food, the loquacious chef detailed their unsanctioned meals to Coffee Friend: "Nanny always suggested that the boys have roasted chicken, green vegetables and healthy food, but on a Saturday night the boys could have pizza, the boys could have hamburgers and fried chicken, and things like that," via (Marie Claire). 

Even better, William and Harry apparently got to feast on these scrumptious treats while not even at the dinner table, instead watching television alongside their mom. Kate Middleton may not condone Saturday fast food and movie nights, but we get the feeling that she's just as into letting her kids be kids as her late mother-in-law was.