25 August 2023 , 17:42
660
0
Prince William and Princess Kate are feared to come "under a little bit of pressure" after taking "long, long time off" this summer, a royal commentator said.
Prince and Princess of Wales have reportedly spent time at their Norfolk bolthole on the Sandringham Estate, Anmer Hall, on the Caribbean island of Mustique and Balmoral Castle in Scotland with their children recently.
It is said they've "blocked off" the summer in order to prioritise spending time with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, a move feared to have "raised eyebrows" among the royal household.
Prince William and Princess Kate 'blocked out' much of the summer to be with their children (UK Press via Getty Images)Richard Palmer, Daily Express royal correspondent, said: "I do think that is an issue for them as well. They’re very popular, they’re a huge asset to the UK, but there have been eyebrows raised in other parts of the royal household about the amount of time they’re not doing official engagements. It may well be that they come under a little bit of pressure to up their number of engagements…"
The expert acknowledged some work may have been done "behind the scenes". Busy parents across the country, though, often take time out during the summer months with children off school.
Kate Middleton swears by £19.99 rosehip oil that helps 'reduce wrinkles & scars'
But Mr Palmer recognised few of these families will have the opportunity to enjoy frequent holidays, whether these be in or outside the UK.
“There aren’t many families where both the father and mother are able to have 12 or 13 weeks with their children on all of their school breaks. I think there’s an awful lot of goodwill towards them but they do need to keep an eye on that," Mr Palmer continued in his publication's Royal Round Up podcast.
Princess Royal, Anne, has maintained a reputation for being a hard-working royal (People Picture/Patric Fouad/REX/Shutterstock)William carried out 126 royal engagements last year, statistics show. Kate undertook 90, which meant she was ninth in a list of working royals. Anne, Princess Royal, topped this chart with an impressive 18 engagements in 2022.
But speaking last month, Mr Palmer said: "William and Kate have made it very clear that their children are their priority this summer holiday. They have blocked off much of the summer so that they can spend time with the children in the UK.
"The Princess of Wales has made it clear that her children will remain her priority for the foreseeable future and when you hear William and Harry talking about his childhood and how their father was always at his desk or away somewhere, you can perhaps understand why that is a priority."
And former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously told OK! Magazine praised William for being “committed” to his royal role while also prioritising his family.
She said: "With the late Queen’s ailing health, William probably had to step up to his full-time royal job quicker than he might have hoped, but you can see now how committed he is.
"However, I also very much admire the fact that he’s not a workaholic like his father, he knows how important family life is... He seems to be a full-on, hands-on, caring dad."