Prince William and his wife, Kate, represent the modern British monarchy. Given the venerable age of Prince Charles, it is his eldest son who is called the most likely future king of Great Britain. All of William's children are also major contenders for the throne. And although they are still too small for the conscious performance of royal duties, the most close attention is riveted to these mischievous and spontaneous babies every time they appear in public.
Love story and the birth of the first child
The little heirs of William and Kate, without exaggeration, can be called one of the most popular children on the planet. Rumors about the appearance of heirs for the young couple began to circulate immediately after the royal wedding, which took place on April 29, 2011. This joyful event was preceded by several years of romance and the temporary separation of the future spouses.
Kate Middleton and Prince William crossed paths in 2001 when they were both studying at the prestigious University of St. Andrews. According to rumors, the couple's romantic relationship began in 2003. The feelings of the lovers were severely tested when their romance became public. In April 2007, they even announced their separation, but by the middle of summer they resumed their relationship.
For a marriage proposal, William invited Kate on a romantic trip to Kenya. The matrimonial plans of the prince and his girlfriend were officially announced on November 16, 2010. At the same time, the happy bride showed the ring donated by the groom. It turned out to be the wedding ring of his mother, the late Princess Diana.
After a magnificent wedding celebration, journalists began to look with redoubled attention in the figure and behavior of the Duchess of Cambridge for signs of pregnancy. However, their suspicions were confirmed only on December 3, 2012, when representatives of the royal family shared the news about the upcoming replenishment in the family of Prince William. It is worth noting that Kate had a rather rare form of severe toxicosis, due to which she spent several days in the hospital and did not appear in public for some time. The same disorder accompanied the Duchess in subsequent pregnancies.
The firstborn of the spouses was born on July 22, 2013. The newborn baby became the third contender for the British throne after his father and grandfather Prince Charles. Two days later, the parents declassified the name of the royal heir: he was named George Alexander Louis. Following the example of Princess Diana, Kate, along with her husband and newborn son, posed on the porch of St. Mary's Hospital immediately after discharge. The royal couple adhered to this tradition with all their three children.
Younger children of Kate and William
When George was 1 year old, the prince and his wife delighted their subjects with the news of Kate's second pregnancy. Like the first time, the Duchess went on maternity leave about a month before giving birth. On May 2, 2015, the royal couple had a daughter, who was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. It is noteworthy that two months before the birth of the girl, a new version of the Crown Inheritance Act entered into force. And if earlier all the younger brothers were allowed to get ahead of the sisters in the order of turn to the throne, then in the new interpretation all heirs are entitled to equal rights according to the principle of seniority. Therefore, Charlotte took her permanent fourth place among the heirs of the British crown.
William and Kate never hid that they dream of a big family. Moreover, before their eyes there was an example of Queen Elizabeth, whose royal duties did not prevent her from experiencing the joy of motherhood 4 times. The third pregnancy of the Duchess of Cambridge was announced on September 4, 2017. And again, months of guessing the name and gender of the unborn child flowed for the public. The second son of Prince William was born on April 23, 2018. His birth weight was 3, 827 kg, and according to this indicator, the baby overtook his older brother and sister. The child again received a completely traditional aristocratic name - Louis Arthur Charles.
How the royal heirs grow up, their parents show in the annual photographs that come out in honor of the birthdays of each of the children. In addition, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are old enough to attend important official events. In particular, they attended the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as the wedding of Princess Eugenie.
In the British educational system, children start attending school at the age of 4. Therefore, on September 7, 2017, Prince George went for knowledge to the prestigious St Thomas’s of Battersea school in the south of London, where the tuition fee is 17 thousand pounds a year. His younger sister Charlotte has been attending Willcocks Kindergarten in Kensington since January 2018. The cost of attending this preschool can go up to 14 thousand pounds a year.
It is obvious that Prince William and his wife do not intend to skimp on the education of their children. After all, they are faced with the difficult task of raising not just worthy people, but the possible rulers of the country, each of whom will be equally worthy to take the British throne.
