The Prince of Wales has said he is trying to avoid the “mistakes” his parents made and wants to “do what’s best for my children”.
William said his childhood “feeling of safety, security, love” was cut short when his mother Diana, Princess of Wales and father the King separated when he was a young boy.
His comments were made during an appearance on comic actor Eugene Levy’s travel series, and he told the celebrity: “Getting the balance of work and family life right is really important.
“Because for me, the most important thing in my life is family, and everything is about the future and about if you don’t start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you’re setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall.”
The future king appears a hands-on dad, describing family meals around the dinner table, taking part in the school run and how he and wife Kate do not allow Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis to have mobile phones.
When Levy, star of the series Schitt’s Creek, suggested to William a “normal homelife” started with his mother, the prince replies: “Yes definitely, I think it’s really important that that atmosphere is created at home.
“You have to have that warmth, that feeling of safety, security, love.
“That all has to be there, and that was certainly part of my childhood.
“My parents got divorced at eight, so that lasted a short period of time.
“But, you take that and you learn from it and you try and make sure you don’t do the same mistakes as your parents.
“I think we all try and do that and I just want to do what’s best for my children, but I know that the drama and the stress when you’re small really affects you when you’re older.”
William appears to misremember the date of his parents’ marriage breakup, as prime minister John Major announced in 1992 Charles and Diana were to separate and they divorced in 1996, the year William turned 14.
The Princess of Wales and the King were diagnosed with cancer early last year with Kate now in remission while Charles is receiving ongoing treatment.
“You know, I’m so proud of my wife and my father, for how they’ve handled all of last year, my children have managed brilliantly as well,” said the prince.
When asked how the health scare affected the children, William replied: “Everyone has their own coping mechanisms for these sorts of things, and children are constantly learning and adapting.
“We try to make sure we give them the security and the safety that they need.”
Commenting about mealtimes, after Levy asks if William, Kate and their children eat together, the prince said: “Yes absolutely, yes definitely. So, we sit and chat, it’s really important.
“None of our children have any phones, which we’re very strict about.”
Without the distraction of mobile phones the children take part in a range of activities.
Their father tells Levy’s Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler: “So, Louis loves the trampoline, so he’s obsessed with trampolining and actually Charlotte does a lot as well.
“As far as I can tell they just end up jumping up and down on the trampoline, beating each other up, most of the time.
“Apparently, there is an art to it.
“Charlotte does her netball as well and her ballet and so keeping them busy with sports and being outdoors is really important.”
Kate advocates children spending time in the natural world and helped create the family-friendly Back To Nature play garden that was exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019.
And William spoke last month about making sure his children grow up learning to play an instrument as he believes music is “crucial”, with Charlotte reportedly following in her mother’s footsteps and learning the piano, George is thought to play the guitar and Louis has drum lessons.
The prince told Levy: “They’re trying to learn musical instruments. I’m not sure how successful we’re being with that. George loves his football and his hockey…”
George also appears to have a love of history, with his father saying the young prince is the person to ask about facts when Levy joked the Windsors would not have to go on the family history show Who Do You Think You Are?
William tells the actor, during the episode called Living The Royal Life In The UK: “I think I probably need some history lessons, Eugene. So, I could do with that.
“Actually, George my son is way better in history than I am and I have to check with him now on my dates.”
