Today's royal children have experienced loving,
hands-on parenting, and Queen Elizabeth II's
great-grandchildren have been living it up
with doting parents and lavish lifestyles.
But just how luxurious are their lives?
Let's take a look.
It wasn't until the late '70s that a member
of the royal family gave birth outside the
privacy of their own home.
Princess Anne welcomed her first child, Peter
Phillips, at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's hospital
in London, beginning a new tradition of royal
births that would include Princes William
and Harry, and others.
St Mary's may not be Buckingham or Kensington
Palace, but it does offer luxe maternity services.
Every new mother is ensconced in a personal
room with high-speed internet, safe, TV, and
refrigerator.
And forget about hospital-grade food; the
Lindo Wing has its own kitchen staff and delivers
room service for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Mothers even receive afternoon tea on a three-tiered
china cake stand.
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed
their first child, Archie, they opted for
The Portland Hospital instead, which may be
even more posh.
The maternity hospital reportedly serves lobster,
foie gras, and champagne, and can cost as
much as £500,000, or about $652,000, per
stay.
Coming home from a posh hospital isn't so
bad if you're returning to a palace or stately
house.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal
children live with their parents at 1-A Kensington
Palace.
Although technically an "apartment," the home
reportedly has four floors and two master
bedrooms, all recently renovated.
After Prince George's birth, William and Kate's
first born had two nurseries, along with a
playground within a private walled garden
that is visible from 1-A's windows.
George doesn't have as much space to spread
out now that he's not an only child, but we're
sure he's making do.
What about Archie?
George's cousin doesn't live in a swanky apartment,
but he's doing okay.
For most of 2019, he resided at the cozy Frogmore
Cottage in Windsor.
The home overlooks 35 acres and has been called
a fortress.
Prior to his birth, the home underwent a $3
million renovation to make it ready for the
royal baby.
When Harry and Meghan officially stepped away
from their royal duties, baby Archie and his
parents began living the simple life part
time in British Columbia...in a $14 million
mansion, as Page Six reported.
Living at Kensington Palace or Frogmore Cottage
would be impressive enough, but the royal
children also split their time between their
respective main residences and country homes.
For Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their
children, that country home is Anmer Hall.
The ten-bedroom Georgian estate, complete
with an outdoor swimming pool and tennis court,
is located in the quiet town of Norfolk.
William and Kate once lived at Anmer Hall
full-time, but relocated to Kensington Palace
in 2017, due to William's increasing responsibilities
within the royal family.
These days, Prince George and Princess Charlotte
are thought to spend their school breaks at
the estate, along with their parents and younger
sibling, Prince Louis.
Archie and his parents Prince Harry and Meghan
Markle often spent their downtime in Oxfordshire
in a four-bedroom 18th century farmhouse-turned-home
set upon four acres.
The massive estate has incredible views, but
is luxuriously private, set in a geographical
bowl to keep away from prying eyes.
While the royal family could no doubt afford
the best of the best for their little ones,
others also enjoy gifting presents to the
royal children.
And some of those gifts are shockingly expensive.
For example, President and First Lady Nieto
of Mexico gifted Princess Charlotte a genuine
silver rattle after her birth.
For her first birthday, Charlotte was gifted
yet another rattle.
This time, an 18-karat white gold one accented
with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds.
The Natural Sapphire Company valued the present
at £30,000 (about $39,000).
Among the other gifts the new princess received
were a set of silk figurines from President
Xi Jinping of China, and a rocking chair from
former United States President Barack Obama
and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Even royal birthday cards can be pricey.
On Prince George's first birthday, he was
presented with what the aviation management
company Hangar8 believes is the world's most
expensive birthday card.
The company had one of its aircrafts painted
with a happy birthday message, which was estimated
to cost £120,000, or about $156,000.
When you were little, a playdate probably
didn't require much more than a phone call
between parents.
Playdates with royal children, however, aren't
quite so simple.
In 2019, a royal insider reported that Prince
William and Kate Middleton expressed delight
that young George was making friends at school
and inviting them over to play.
That all sounds very normal, but when you
consider where George lives, a humble playdate
becomes something more extravagant and complicated.
In fact, every visitor, parent and child,
has to be vetted by security personnel, and
they don't put up with any shenanigans.
"Hello my good man."
"Gentlemen."
The royal children become jet-setters at a
young age.
At just four months old, Archie accompanied
his parents on a trip to South Africa.
To get there, the little one flew commercial
on a nearly 11-hour flight.
Although Archie was the youngest royal to
have accompanied his parents on a royal tour,
he wasn't the only royal baby to have flown
commercial.
At six months old, George flew with his mom
Kate to St Lucia via British Airways for a
vacation with the Middletons.
Despite often opting for commercial flights,
the royals, including the children, aren't
slumming it up with the rest of us in coach.
Much like celebrities, the royals fly first-class,
check in separately from other fliers, and
are driven to the plane.
The royals and their royal children don't
always fly commercially.
Prince Harry once said that he uses commercial
airlines "99%" of the time, but sometimes
there are exceptions.
"Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity
based on a unique circumstance to ensure that
my family are safe."
Harry made these comments in response to the
controversy that arose when he and Meghan
Markle, proponents of environmental protection,
reportedly flew some four times via private
jet in just 11 days.
Archie was only months old when he boarded
a private jet for the first time.
If that doesn't sound posh enough, it should
be pointed out that it was Elton John who
provided the family with the aircraft, to
come for a private visit at his personal estate
in Nice, France.
Archie, his cousins, and their respective
parents have flown commercially since the
public outcry.
Harry admitted that there may be a need in
the future to use a private plane, but he'll
work to balance that environmental impact
in other ways.
Being born royal means that you are entitled
to attend the annual Trooping the Colour.
The royal family's site describes the Trooping
the Colour event in detail:
"Over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and
400 musicians come together each June in a
great display of military precision, horsemanship
and fanfare to mark The Queen's official birthday."
The website goes on to say:
"The streets are lined with crowds waving
flags as the parade moves from Buckingham
Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's
Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family
on horseback and in carriages."
A ceremonial flyover marks the end of the
celebration and is watched by Members of the
Royal Family from Buckingham Palace balcony.
While members of the public can watch, only
members of the royal family are permitted
to stand alongside the Queen.
There is also a strict "no ring, no bring"
rule.
This space is designated for family, by blood
or marriage, only.
The queen's birthday celebration is also a
rare occasion that young royals are allowed
to attend very early in life.
Prince Louis, for example, was just 1 year
old when he attended.
Although the royal children often wear ready-made
clothing, which often sells out immediately
after being identified, and even hand-me-downs,
it's thought the little ones also have a wardrobe
consisting of custom-made and boutique outfits.
Small Spanish boutiques are reportedly preferred
by Kate for her kids, for example.
At their Aunt Pippa's wedding, Prince George
and Princess Charlotte wore custom outfits
designed by Pepa & Company, the brand's designer,
Pepa Gonzalez, said,
"Our designs were intended to blend in with
the lovely setting for this quintessentially
English and traditional wedding.
The beautiful colors Pippa had carefully chosen
for her wedding were so important to us when
designing those pieces."
Charlotte's full ensemble ran about $600,
which is closer to what the average American
bride spends on her own wedding dress.
Part of what separates members of the royal
family from members of the public are their
titles.
The royal family's official site dictates,
"On presentation to The Queen, the correct
formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently
'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in
'jam.”
For male members of the Royal Family the same
rules apply, with the title used in the first
instance being 'Your Royal Highness' and subsequently
'Sir.'
Female royals are to be addressed as "Your
Royal Highness" and subsequently “'Ma'am.'"
You may think of these formal titles as being
used to address adults, but they are actually
assigned at birth.
After royal children Princess Charlotte, Prince
George, and Prince Louis were born, they were
given the titles of "Her Royal Highness" or
"His Royal Highness," depending on the child's
sex.
Unlike his cousins who are closer in line
to the throne, Archie was not given a royal
title.
However, you will notice a title in front
of his name.
In lieu of a courtesy title, royal expert
Emily Andrews tweeted after his birth that
he was to be "Master Archie."
When Princes William and Harry were young,
they set a precedent for future royals by
becoming the first to attend nursery school.
When William had children of his own, he and
Kate Middleton decided to enroll their firstborn
George at Westacre Montessori School when
he was 2 and a half years old.
When Charlotte turned that age, she, too,
began attending school.
Since the family had relocated to London by
then, she was enrolled at Willcocks Nursery
School.
At the same time, George switched to a London-based
school, Thomas's London Day School in Battersea.
In September 2019, Charlotte joined her brother
there.
This school isn't just your regular, run-of-the-mill
institution, though.
The independent school for children aged 4
to 13 costs from £19,287 to £21,786, or
between about $25,200 and $28,500, per year.
The tuition covers the cost of a strong music
department which facilitates over 400 individual
lessons a week, as well as a professionally
led drama department.
Being born into British royalty doesn't mean
having an innate sense of royal conduct.
That's where etiquette training comes in.
Royal etiquette expert Myka Meier said,
"Prince George and Princess Charlotte's etiquette
education likely started as soon as they could
attend events with their family.
It would probably begin with simple training
like how to shake hands and curtsy around
the age of two."
The first stage of training would likely be
introduced to them by their mother.
And because the royal children are immediately
immersed into the royal family with all of
its codes of conduct, many of their lessons
will continue to take place informally.
Meier further explains,
"Growing up in the Palace would mean that
training is much less a course or official
training, and more day-to-day observation
and gentle lessons right before an event or
when meeting an important guest to help prepare
them."
Learning proper etiquette will likely take
some time as there are a lot of insane rules
that the royal children have to follow, as
well as the royal family dress code.
A jet-setting life full of receiving expensive
presents and hands-on etiquette training sounds
posh enough without having to crunch the numbers.
But, uh, let's take a look at those numbers
anyway.
It will likely cost Prince William and Kate
Middleton $1 million to raise Prince George,
which is over $630,000 more than the average
parent in the UK.
With their additional two children, these
parenthood costs may reach as high as $3 million.
Likewise, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could
be looking at $1 million to raise Archie to
adulthood.
Despite costing their parents a pretty penny,
these little royals are worth a lot to the
British economy.
Experts have valued royal children Charlotte
and George's annual contribution to the UK
economy at £101 million, or $132 million,
and £76 million, or $99 million, respectively.
Immediately after Prince Louis and, later,
Archie were born, they, too, began adding
millions to the economy.
By 2018, Prince George was worth around $3.6
billion to the British economy whereas sister
Charlotte was worth $5 billion.
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