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Rhiannon Du Cann & Nicola Croal

Royal nanny will play 'important role' in George, Charlotte and Louis' future adult lives

The Prince and Princess of Wales have tried their best to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible despite being future heirs to the throne.

The pair are arguably far more involved with their three kid's upbringing than their royal predecessors were with their own, the Express reports.

This is backed up by Tom Quinn who wrote in his book Gilded Youth, which was published earlier this year, that Kate is “really hands-on” when it comes to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

However, he noted that as "much as she would like to be a normal mother who spends most of her time with the children, the huge pressure of royal tradition cannot be ignored".

Royal commentators believe that Maria will play an 'important role' in shaping the people the young royals turn into (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

A great deal of the couple's time is consumed by royal duties and an engagements so they require the assistance of a nanny who spends a significant amount of time with the young royals.

Royal commentator Pauline Maclaran has said nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo will have a “strong influence” over Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’s behaviour and is taking on an increasingly important role in grounding them as they grow into young people in the public eye.

Maria, who is from Spain, joined the family in 2014 when Prince George, now ten, was just a few months old making Ms Maclaran believe that she will have a long lasting impact on Kate and William's children.

The author of the 2015 book Royal Fever, told Express.co.uk : “I think royal nannies play important roles in the lives of royal children.

"Apart from looking after their everyday needs and security, they can also offer a lot of support in developing the children’s cognitive and social skills.”

Princess Charlotte, eight, is reportedly learning Spanish and during a 2017 visit to Wick Court, Gloucestershire Kate revealed that her oldest son George had learned the basics of the language and could also count up to ten.

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 12: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Theodora Williams, (accompanied by Princess Charlotte's nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo) attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel on October 12, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images) (Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images)

Ms Maclaran added: “Importantly too, they can offer important emotional support that ensures strong bonds will remain even when the children are adults.”

These bonds will become increasingly valuable as the children age with one expert describing the heir Prince George as walking a "tightrope" between his personal and public life which will have become ever-more prolific in the aftermath of the Queen's death.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Dr Ramya Mohan, a child and adolescent senior consultant developmental psychiatrist at Harley Street believes that the psychological impact has already begun for George.

He said: “It starts now — from the focus on him during the [King's] Coronation to a lifetime of being in the public eye in a role with rich historical connotations, expectations, and gravitas.

“Needing to adapt in every aspect of his life in parallel with the pressure of being in the public eye in a more evident, scrutinised manner can feel like a tough tightrope walk on his own, despite access to the considerable, planned support and guidance one can expect.”

Although William and Kate are more "hands-on parents" than the late Queen and King Charles, Ms Macalaran believes Maria will also have a strong impact on the man the future King becomes.

The Spanish nanny was formerly a student at the 125-year-old Norland College in Bath where the prestigious three-year-long training programme has been compared to in popular culture as that taken by both “Mary Poppins and James Bond”.

During the course, the future caretakers learn how to properly care for children of the country's most famous families as well as self defence, martial arts and getaway driving.

Royal commentator, Victoria Murphy, told ABC News in 2015: “The nannies are taught everything from defensive driving to security issues to how to care for a future king or queen.

"So [Maria] just really knows everything that you could possibly need to know about bringing up a child.”

KING'S LYNN, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Prince George's nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo helps arrange Princess Charlotte of Cambridge's pram as she leaves the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Ms Maclaran continued: “William and Kate are much more hands-on parents than Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip or King Charles were.

“However, we can expect that, as a Norland College-trained nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo will certainly exert a strong influence over the royal children’s development that will ensure lasting bonds with them.”

Maria is thought to share a strong bond with the children in the same way as the King, Prince William and Prince Harry all did with their own nannies as kids.

Helen Lightbody, who joined the royal household just one month after King Charles' birth in 1948, looked after the now Monarch for eight years.

Their connection stayed strong into Charles' adult years as he invited Helen who was known as “No-Nonesense Lightbody” to his 21st birthday party as well as his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969.

BALMORAL, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 22: Royal Nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, Prince William,and Prince Harry walk in the River Gairn, near the Balmoral Estate on October 22, 1994 in Balmoral, Scotland. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images) (Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

Similarly, William and Harry formed a strong bond with Alexandra Pettifer better known as "Tiggy" who Ms Maclaran claims provided a “sense of emotional stability” for the boys during the breakdown of their parent's marriage and Princess Diana's tragic death in 1997.

Tiggy was hired by Charles in 1993 shortly after he separated from Princess Diana and she became the boys' “favourite” nanny with Harry describing her in his memoir as like a “surrogate mum”.

Tiggy previously described the boys as “her babies”, and was particularly close with Harry as she attended significant moments in his life including his passing out ceremony when he joined the army and his wedding to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

It's never been officially confirmed but it is widely believed that Tiggy is Harry's four-year-old son Prince Archie's godmother.

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