Prince William and Kate Middleton Choose Not to Have Live-In Staff and Their Reason Makes Sense
Popular culture and fictional TV shows have long portrayed royal households as grand estates staffed by an army of butlers, valets, and nannies. The assumption is that life behind palace walls means constant help on hand. But inside Prince William and Kate Middleton’s home, that image doesn’t quite match reality. The Prince and Princess of Wales have deliberately chosen not to employ live-in staff, a decision that, according to royal experts, reflects how they want their children to grow up.
Royal commentator Katie Nicholl explained that William and Kate prioritize a grounded upbringing for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. “They absolutely do menial tasks,” Nicholl told The Mirror. “They are far more ordinary than many might imagine. The kids even have to do chores in return for their pocket money. It's about them wanting to have a normal, happy, ordinary family home and lifestyle, which, at Adelaide Cottage, they are really achieving.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s approach to home life is very much in line with their desire to keep things simple. In 2022, the couple left the grandeur of Kensington Palace in London for the more modest Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom home tucked inside Windsor Castle’s grounds. The move was a calculated choice for both privacy and practicality. The smaller setting shields them from the constant glare of paparazzi while also placing them just minutes away from Lambrook School, where Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are enrolled.
Royal biographer Robert Hardman supported this, noting in his book Charles III: New King, New Court that the couple “rejected live-in staff” when they moved to Adelaide Cottage. “The couple did not seek to boost the staff numbers at Adelaide Cottage, not least because there would be little room to do so,” he wrote. “Reports that the Prince was hiring a valet were knocked back.”
For the Waleses, it was about creating an environment where their children could grow up with as much normalcy as possible, free from the trappings of palace life and daily convoys of security. As per Marie Claire, a source emphasized that home life is kept intentionally simple. “I think it would surprise people to see how ordinary things are at home,” the source explained. “The children help with laying the table, clearing their plates when they've finished eating, and helping with tidying up. There's no preferential treatment.”
Royal expert Ingrid Seward explained their reasoning to The Sun back in 2022, noting, “Kensington Palace is a glorious prison for kids; they want to be able to play football without being watched from behind the gates... I think Windsor will be perfect for them, as they will have lots of freedom and they can all be at school together.”
Even as the family prepares to move from Adelaide Cottage to the much larger Forest Lodge estate, reports indicate their approach will remain the same. According to PEOPLE!, William and Kate have no plans to bring live-in staff into their new home. Their nanny, Maria Turrion Borrallo, along with housekeepers, will continue living in separate accommodation on the estate.