Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Are Having a Special Week — Here's Why
Matt Porteous / The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace via Getty The Cambridge family Christmas card
Kate Middleton and Prince William have had a busy few weeks, between the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards over the weekend and Kate delivering the keynote speech for her patronage The Forward Trust's "Taking Action on Addiction" campaign. But the couple's schedule will likely be much lighter next week — so they can spend time with their three children.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis' schools are on half-term break from Thursday, October 21, until Friday, October 29. As they typically do, Kate and William slow down their royal schedules during school vacations so they can be with their children.
Prince George, 8, and Princess Charlotte, 6, attend school together at Thomas's Battersea, a short distance from the family's Kensington Palace home in London. Meanwhile, 3-year-old Prince Louis began at Willcock's Nursery School (his sister's alma mater!) in the spring.
There's no word yet on how the family of five will be spending their week off. Kate, William and their kids may leave London's Kensington Palace for Anmer Hall in Norfolk. They often escape to their country home — and it's even where they chose to pose together for their super casual 2018 Christmas card photo and again for their 2020 holiday card.
Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince George and Prince William
If they don't head to Anmer Hall, the family has previously taken short, domestic getaways to the Isles of Scilly or the Lake District.
The royal parents, both 39, have previously talked about some of the activities enjoyed by their sons and daughter — from baking and cooking in the kitchen to arts and crafts projects.
But their favorite thing is likely getting outdoors. In a rare interview with the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in February 2020, Kate said she was happiest when "I'm with my family outside in the countryside and we're all filthy dirty."
"Someone did ask me the other day, what would you want your children to remember about their childhood?" the mom told host Giovanna Fletcher. "And I thought that was a really good question, because actually if you really think about that, is it that I'm sitting down trying to do their maths and spelling homework over the weekend?"
"Or is it the fact that we've gone out and lit a bonfire and sat around trying to cook sausages that hasn't worked because it's too wet?" she continued.
The family shared a glimpse of their personal life in a video released in April to celebrate Kate and Prince William's 10th wedding anniversary.
Prince William opened up about Prince George's time at school in a BBC interview Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony, revealing his son was frustrated when he recently took part in trash cleanup with his school.
"George at school recently has been doing litter picking, and I didn't realize but talking to him the other day he was already showing that he was getting a bit confused," said the Duke of Cambridge. "[He was] a bit sort of annoyed by the fact they went out litter picking one day and then the very next day, they did the same route, same time and pretty much all the same litter they picked up was back again."
He continued, "And I think that for him, he was trying to understand how and where it all came from. He couldn't understand, he's like, 'Well, we cleaned this. Why has it not gone away?'"
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Prince William's advocacy for changes to environmental impact is a passion inherited from his father, Prince Charles — but he doesn't want his own children to have to continue the work.
"It shouldn't be that there's a third generation now coming along having to ramp it up even more," he told host Adam Fleming. "And you know, for me, it would be an absolute disaster if George is sat here talking to you or your successor, Adam, you know in like 30 years' time, whatever, still saying the same thing — because by then we will be too late."
