Princess Diana’s ‘normal’ parenting technique that connects her and Kate Middleton

While The Princess of Wales sadly never met Princess Diana, she shares a heartwarming connection with her late mother-in-law through the way she is raising her royal children. Kate and William’s three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – might have grown up in the spotlight, but their parents have tried to keep a semblance of normalcy in their childhood – a goal that Diana shared for her own sons growing up in the public eye. 

The late Diana’s former chef, Darren McGrady, revealed in an exclusive interview with Coffee Friend that the royal had a sweet Saturday night routine to make her sons, William and Harry, experience as ‘normal’ a childhood as possible. 

Diana’s ‘normal’ parenting technique

“On a Saturday night, you’d see Diana sitting down in front of the TV eating dinner with her boys, it just made everything so normal,” the chef said.

“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. It was a special treat. It was Diana’s way of showing them, you’re children too, and we see a lot of that with Kate now too.”

He added: “I know it sounds dramatic to say, but the way Princess Diana was bringing the children into the next century – she was able to say, ‘I know they’re royal children, but they’re normal children too.’

“It wasn’t the case of having to dress for dinner or sit at the table and be served formally by butlers.”

The chef remarked that Diana would be “thrilled” for her sons and that they’re in “happy” relationships. “If she was alive today, she would be hugging those girls [Kate and Meghan]. I just see her hugging Charlotte, I think she’d be so proud of William and the way he has taken on these Royal duties.”

Kate’s parenting approach

Like her late mother-in-law, The Princess of Wales has a ‘hands-on’ approach to parenting her children, and has been known to do the school run and attend sports days and other school functions. As for family meals, Kate has spoken about her love of cooking, and has baked her children’s birthday cakes over the years. 

“I love making the cake,” she shared when she appeared in Mary Berry’s A Berry Royal Christmas in 2019. “It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up ’til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it.” 

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The royal has also given insight into her family life with William and how they encourage connection by limiting screen time for their kids. 

“We’re raising a generation that may be more ‘connected’ than any in history while simultaneously being more isolated, more lonely, and less equipped to form the warm, meaningful relationships that research tells us are the foundation of a healthy life,” Kate penned in a personal essay titled, The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World.

“So, what are we to do about these trends driving us away from human connection? The answer begins with recognising that attention is something we can choose to give each other in every moment – at home, at work, in our communities,” she continued. 

“It requires conscious effort to be fully present with the people we care about. It means protecting sacred spaces for genuine connection: family dinners, conversations, moments of genuine eye contact and engaged listening.”