Prince William doesn’t want to repeat his parents’ mistakes

Prince William spoke about his family life in a remarkably personal television appearance and revealed how much his late mother Princess Diana (1961-1997) still influences him today. on Apple TV+, the British heir to the throne gives insights that you rarely hear from him.

The Prince of Wales makes it clear: Despite all his royal duties, his family comes first. Together with his wife Kate, he makes great efforts every day to provide his three children – Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 – with as down-to-earth a home as possible. There is a very specific reason why this is so important to him.

William says he tries to adapt his daily work routine to his children’s school schedule. “I try to stick to school times as much as possible. Most days I bring the children to school and pick them up again,” says the prince. His working day “doesn’t exactly” follow the classic nine-to-five schedule, but this routine is important to him.

William describes getting the balance between work and family right as “really important”. His reasoning is heartfelt: “For me, the most important thing in life is the family, and everything revolves around the future. If you don’t offer your children a happy, healthy and stable home now, I think you’re setting them up for a difficult time.”

When presenter Eugene Levy asks whether this attitude was inspired by his mother, William doesn’t hesitate for a second: “Yes, definitely.” The Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, apparently left her sons with a clear idea of ​​what constitutes a home.

“I think it’s really important to create that atmosphere at home. You have to have that warmth, that feeling of safety, security and love,” William explains in the show, according to US magazine. All of this was “definitely part of my childhood” – but with one painful caveat: “My parents divorced when I was eight, so it only lasted a short time.”

The marriage between Diana and the then Prince Charles was strained from the start. After the wedding on July 29, 1981, the relationship fell into crisis after just a few years, mainly because of Charles’ long-term affair with the current Queen Camilla. In 1992, Charles and Diana announced their separation. The divorce finally became final on August 28, 1996, just a year before Diana’s death.

William has drawn conclusions from this difficult time: “You take it with you and learn from it and try to make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes as your parents. I think that’s what we all try to do.” His goal is to do the best for his children. “But I know that drama and stress when you’re young really affects you as you get older.”

The heir to the throne also vividly remembers how constant media attention put a strain on his family during his childhood. He also wants to spare his own children that. “If you allow this, the damage to family life can be enormous. That’s why I swore to myself that this would never happen to my family,” William makes it clear. He is drawing “a very clear line” and will fight against those who cross it.

One of the measures: None of the Wales children have a cell phone. Instead, they romp around on the trampoline, as the father reports with a smile. “Louis loves the trampoline, he’s obsessed with trampolining, and in fact Charlotte does it a lot too,” says William. “As far as I can tell, they’re jumping up and down on the trampoline and beating each other up. Apparently it’s an art.”

In addition to the trampoline, there are also classic activities on the program: Charlotte plays netball and dances ballet, George devotes himself to football and hockey. “Keeping them busy with sports and outdoor activities is really important,” emphasizes the prince. The children would also try to learn musical instruments – “I’m not sure how successful we are with that,” admits William with a touch of self-irony.