Kensington Palace has made a decision that directly affects Princess Charlotte, who is only 10 years old. This week is shaping up to be very special for Kate and William's daughter, but the couple has taken a stand regarding the return to school.
From this moment on, there will be a very significant change at Kensington, and Charlotte won't be the only one affected. Her siblings, George and Louis, will also experience the new rule imposed at the Palace firsthand.
Princess Charlotte, affected by the new rule at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is already preparing for routine to return among members of the British royal family. In just a few days, Princess Charlotte, along with her siblings, will begin the new school year at Lambrook. This new stage also comes with a new order imposed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Kensington Palace has broken with tradition and has singled out Princess Charlotte by deciding not to share her return to school. As such, they've decided to keep the return to school as an intimate moment, away from the media spotlight. The news may be surprising, but it makes a lot of sense within their message about family privacy.
The main motivation is the children's emotional well-being. By prioritizing privacy, the pressure Princess Charlotte may feel at every public event is reduced. If returning to school is already a delicate moment for children, it becomes even more so if a group of photographers is waiting at the door.
For this reason, to look after and protect the princess, Kensington Palace has decided not to share it and to do it behind closed doors. With this decision, Kate and William break with the rule followed by numerous royal houses of appearing as a family on the first day of school. The Spanish royal family, for example, has always included the public in every return of Leonor and Sofía to school.
Kate and William also did so when Princess Charlotte and her siblings were younger. But everything changed with Middleton's illness, which, for the first time, prevented a photo of her from being taken at that moment. This year, Kensington has decided to act in the same way and keep their children's return to school private.
Kensington Palace strengthens its protection of Princess Charlotte
Kensington Palace emphasizes that there won't be any images this year because they want to protect that normal environment, where Princess Charlotte can feel calm and safe. The decision is based on the desire to protect Charlotte and her siblings. They want to preserve their childhood and development away from the media, since, for Kate and William, protecting the youngest is essential.
In addition to ensuring protection, Kensington also seeks to provide the princess and her siblings with a certain normality compared to their classmates. Middleton wants Charlotte's, George's, and Louis's childhood to be like that of other children, despite their institutional future.
This means not bringing the media to the school gate so their return to the classroom makes the magazine covers. Princess Charlotte, like any other child, deserves to enjoy her childhood, and her parents' decision proves it.
This decision doesn't mean the royal family will withdraw completely from the public. They will continue to share important moments, but in a different way and when they consider it has institutional relevance.
With this step taken by Kensington Palace, from now on there won't be a family photo at the school gates. There will only be parents who will accompany their children in private on their first day.