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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jo-Anne Rowney

Prince Harry and Meghan could employ 'James Bond meets Mary Poppins' Norland Nanny

Whether or not Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will hire a nanny is just one of the questions on everyone's lips as the royal baby's due date approaches.

As speculation increases over Prince Harry and Meghan's choices, a new documentary, ITV Secrets of the Royal Babies: Harry and Meghan, looks at the royal tradition of hiring a nanny - and looks at whether they will hire one too.

Experts in the documentary theorise that Harry will follow his brother Prince William's example and turn to the Norland School, in Bath, Somerset.

The Norland nannies are the favourite choice for the rich and famous - including the royals - and Kate and Prince William are no different.

Maria Borallo was hired in 2014 to look after Prince George and Princess Charlotte. She trained at the school, which says it's determined to bring childcare into the 21st century with a "VIP service".

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Prince George's nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo (X80003)
(David Hedges / SWNS.com)

The documentary takes a look at the intense training the nannies go through before being letting loose on the world.

The students experience everything from military intelligence officers popping in to skidpan driving alongside teaching them how children learn and play.

You may think the nannies look more Mary Poppins than 007 in their flat hats, white gloves and knee-length tan dresses, but you'd be wrong

The school includes defence training as well as an online module to teach children to keep themselves safe.

The documentary shows how the school has adapted to looking after children in the 21st century.

"Being a Norland nanny is really the best of the best, so you won't only get a degree from working here you'll get your Norland diploma, which you can't get anywhere else," student Emilia Darwent said.

"We've learned how to defend ourselves and our charges if we came into a dangerous situation," she added.

The school has kept its traditions, but also moved with the times adding skills such as skidpan driving.

Skidpan training (ITV)
Instructor Andy Tombling leads a self defence class for trainee nannies at Norland College (David Hedges / SWNS.com)

"We do skidpan driving to be able to handle a car in a situation where you've got your charge in the back and you need to make it as safe as possible for the children," said student Lydia King.

Military intelligence officers also come in for lessons, "a bit like Mary Poppins meets James Bond."

This level of childcare doesn't come cheap. The starting salary for a Norland nanny is £26,000 a year, rising to around £30,000 a year. The course costs £12,000 a year so the salary goes some way to recouping that.

It's thought Maria Borallo is paid £45,000 by the Cambridges.  For comparison, a normal nanny can cost between £10,000 to £12,000.

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Kate and Prince William, look on as Prince George's nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo helps get the pram ready (Getty Images)

But will Harry and Meghan pay for the service?

"They probably will think they can do without," said Grant Harrold, former butler to Prince Charles, "But when trying to do royal duties it's normally impossible."

ITV Secrets of the Royal Babies: Harry and Meghan is on tonight at 9pm.

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