Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Culture
    2. Celebrity News
    3. Royal News

    William and Kate share the important lesson they're teaching George, Charlotte and Louis

    They hope it will help them 'grow'

    Jadie Troy-Pryde's avatar
    By Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Published 26 October 2023 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    The Prince and Princess of Wales have often spoken about how they parent their three young children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. William and Kate have consistently favoured a more modern approach over royal traditions, from their 'hands off' attitude to the use of a chat sofa and even encouraging employees not to wear suits when they work from their home, Adelaide Cottage, to avoid creating a 'stuffy' atmosphere around their little ones. 

    While the Wales' children all have their own hobbies and interests, there is one thing that bonds the family: sports. George is a keen football fan and has often been seen attending games alongside his father, while Charlotte enjoys the tennis and had the best reactions to the the men's final match at Wimbledon this summer.

    According to William and Kate, they ensure that sports and games are a part of the little ones childhoods - but have emphasised that losing is a part of that experience, and they want to teach George, Charlotte and Louis the importance of taking a loss in order to help them 'grow'. 

    During a conversation on Mike Tindall's podcast The Good The Bad and The Rugby in September, William said that the biggest benefit of team sports was 'learning to lose', explaining: "I think we've got to concentrate more on [that] nowadays. I think people don't know how to lose well. Talking about our children particularly, I want to make sure they understand that."

    He continued: "I think it's really important from a young age to understand how to lose, and why we lose, and to grow from it and what you learn from that process. But also to win well, and not boast. There's so many life lessons that help us all through life, in friendship building, in relationship building, workplace, that you gain from those early years of playing team sport."

    You may like
    • Young girls playing a variety of different sports: football, rollerblading, basketball, rock climbing and swimming As a Parenting Expert, Here’s How I Encourage Children to Build a Healthy Relationship With Movement
    • Arsenal player and Lioness Chloe Kelly Chloe Kelly: “I Never Take Playing for My Country for Granted—I Just Want to Give it My All”
    • Football and Domestic Abuse: Women’s Aid: “He’s Coming Home” After England's World Cup Defeat, I Couldn't Stop Thinking About This Domestic Abuse Statistic

    Going on to discuss how they navigate competitive spirit as a couple, Mike compared William and Kate to Monica and Ross from Friends, to which the Princess responded: "I'm really not that competitive, I don't know where this has come from!"

    She also added that she has never been able to complete a game of tennis with her husband as it 'becomes a mental challenge between the two of us'.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    These two!

    Explore More
    Prince William Kate Middleton
    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Social Links Navigation
    News Editor

    Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.

    Read more
    Young girls playing a variety of different sports: football, rollerblading, basketball, rock climbing and swimming
    Fitness As a Parenting Expert, Here’s How I Encourage Children to Build a Healthy Relationship With Movement
    Arsenal player and Lioness Chloe Kelly
    Health and Fitness Chloe Kelly: “I Never Take Playing for My Country for Granted—I Just Want to Give it My All”
     
     
    Football and Domestic Abuse: Women’s Aid: “He’s Coming Home”
    Life After England's World Cup Defeat, I Couldn't Stop Thinking About This Domestic Abuse Statistic
    Charlotte Mensah Afro Hair
    Hair Charlotte Mensah Has Spent 40 Years Changing the Conversation Around Afro Hair—Now, Her Legacy Is Going on Display
     
     
    Latest in Royal News
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Colombia
    Royal News Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Had a Secret UK Home in the First Year of Their Marriage
     
     
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Southport
    Royal News Prince William Has Given an Emotional Update on Princess Kate
    The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a state visit by the President of the French Republic in 2025
    Royal News Why Prince William and Princess Kate ‘Won’t Change" Their Minds on the Buckingham Palace Situation
     
     
    Latest in News
    The Beauty Digest: New Products to Know
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: A Foundation With Infinite Shades, Diptyque Does Bodycare, and the Exhibition Every Beauty Lover Should See
    Eva Omaghomi
    Fashion After 17 years in the Royal Household, Eva Omaghomi Talks Bringing African Design Talent to Harrods
     
     
    New Beauty Products: The Beauty Digest
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Dyson Does Teeth, Fenty Rips Up the Rulebook (Again) and a Surprisingly Fragrant Week for Dogs
    Jodie Comer
    Shopping Jodie Comer Just Announced the Start of Knee-High Boots Season
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.