Inside The Rules Queen Elizabeth Reportedly Has For The Cambridge Children

Queen Elizabeth II may be the United Kingdom's Head of State first and foremost, but she's also a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Known to the Cambridge children as "Gan Gan" (via Marie Claire), she certainly has a soft spot for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Prince William and Kate Middleton's children are regular visitors of Queen Elizabeth II, more often than not at her "country home" of Windsor Castle or her "holiday home" on the Sandringham Estate, per Town & Country. 

Like any great-grandmother, the British monarch endlessly spoils her great-grandchildren — especially when the Cambridge kids stay overnight. As the Duchess of Cambridge revealed during a 2016 documentary (via YouTube), the Queen "always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay," adding "that just shows her love for her family."

But the Queen reportedly has a set of rules for when her great-grandchildren come to stay, especially when they're at the dinner table.

During an episode of ITV's "This Morning" (via the Express), broadcaster and former Member of Parliament, Gyles Brandreth, revealed that Queen Elizabeth II reportedly doesn't allow mobile phones at the dinner table. While speaking about whether table manners were a "thing of the past," Brandreth brought up his "role model in all things, the Queen," explaining how she won't let them use phones during meals. "She likes a formal [meal], and I too like a fairly formal meal," Brandreth explained to "This Morning" presenters Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. "It doesn't mean to say you have to have a napkin. But you do have to sit at the table nicely and you certainly mustn't eat with your mouth open!"

This rule is actually something that four of the UK's top medical advisors in the UK are firmly in favor of. According to guidance published in 2019 (via BBC News), it's recommended to take phones away from the dinner table as "talking as a family is very important for development." 

Talking at mealtime must be very important between Queen Elizabeth II and her great-grandchildren, as it's been said she's "in her element" whenever she's around them. Speaking to Us Weekly, royal expert Kerene Barefield said that she adores having them "sitting on her lap and having family time" whenever they pop in to visit. "I'm sure it's something we'll never ever get to witness — that kind of really relaxed family time," she added.

And as for who she likes spending time with the most, that honor reportedly goes to Princess Charlotte (via Women & Home). According to royal expert Ingrid Stewart, their mutual love of horses has formed a close bond. "Princess Charlotte — who is pony mad — has always been a favorite," Stewart told the publication, adding that the monarch was "thrilled" to discover that Prince William and Kate Middleton were having a girl back in 2015. Middleton even shared how the Queen was one of Charlotte's first visitors. "The queen was really thrilled that [my second child] was a little girl, and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington Palace, she was one of our first visitors," she said in 2016 (via YouTube).