It's been over a month since Kate Middleton gave birth to her royal son, and after a brief stint at the Middleton manor in Bucklebury, Berkshire, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have relocated to their home in Anglesey, Wales, and Vanity Fair has the inside scoop on their first month with their son, including their controversial relocation to Berkshire.
Vanity Fair contributor Katie Nicholl, royal correspondent and author of an upcoming biography on the Duchess, wrote that Prince William's university sweetheart turned royalty was promised from the start that the Middletons could "always be close to their daughter" and remain very much a part of the royal family.
"It was a condition when they got married that they [Carole and Michael] would be a part of the grandchildren's lives," George Brown, a friend of the Middleton family who has known grandparents Carole and Michael for 31 years, told Nicholl. "Carole's a natural with children, and she will be a wonderful grandmother, and I imagine she'll want to be very involved."
Indeed, Carole Middleton has been referred to as the "tigress grandma" and the "baby whisperer" for her sharp instincts and natural abilities with children. Now the Duke and Duchess are no longer staying in her home, and faring with no nanny or outside help with their baby, but their first month seems like a new parent's dream come true, despite some small set-backs along the way.
According to Nicholl, a family member revealed that the initial move to Berkshire was "a huge security operation," complete with an expensive personal protection team, and initially there was some resistance from the palace, as traditionally royal babies stay in the confines of Kensington Palace after they are born. However, the Duke and Duchess were insistent on making the move, as their residence Apartment 1A has not yet completed renovations.
"I'm not sure the Queen was entirely in favor of the idea of them all moving to Bucklebury," said the source. "It was certainly not the norm, but it was what Kate wanted, and William supported her and made it happen."
The couple had their own wing at the Midddleton manor, complete with a bedroom and private living room, giving them with the option of round-the-clock help, of course. Prince George slept in the same room as his parents, "in a Moses basket by Kate's side of the bed. Each morning, Carole whipped up nourishing fruit smoothies and healthy meals while Kate also snacked on her favorite muesli bars."
Pippa and James Middleton made regular visits to see the baby, even though Carole insisted on keeping visitors to a minimum. This attitude seemed to rub off on her daughter, Kate, who chose to release personal photos taken by her father, Michael, instead of hiring a professional photographer for their first family portraits with baby George.
As for Prince William, a family friend told Nicholl that just two weeks after the birth of his son, he was "absolutely loving it and a natural father."
"He is very relaxed and happy at home with Carole and Michael, whom he gets along with well," the friend revealed. "He joked that it was nice to have a bit of peace and quiet to get out to play polo. It was very sweet: he said that he wanted George to grow into a polo player and that he would teach his son to ride from a young age."
According to another family friend of the royal couple's, "William said he didn't want a nanny or nurse coming in and doing shifts. They were agreed on that. They wanted to do the early days themselves."
Still without a nanny to assist them, the royal couple seems to be keeping to that ideal, though things may change when their royal duties begin to increase in the coming years. However, we have a feeling they will always be down-to-earth, highly involved parents.
