Well, this might be the most out-of-touch conversation Princess Catherine has had in a while…
As part of Kate Middleton‘s new Shaping Us campaign, which aims to educate others on the importance of early childhood, the Princess of Wales met up with UK radio host Roman Kemp to discuss all things family life and mental health. And while the conversation was really enlightening in terms of the struggles of the average Brit, we can’t say Kate fully understood…
If you’re unaware of the new campaign, Kate launched it earlier this week alongside a new Instagram account. Essentially, she wants to raise awareness of the “crucial importance of the first five years of a child’s life,” the Royal Foundation‘s website explains. She believes, along with scientific research, that if a child is nurtured properly in their early years, they’ll grow up to live better lives. More on that (below):
A post shared by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood (@earlychildhood)
Now, in a brand new interview promoting the initiative, the princess and the radio personality were captured walking around in the countryside of Hertfordshire, England while they got into some heavy topics. At one point during the conversation, the 30-year-old Capital Breakfast host got candid about how challenging it is for families these days to provide for their children — let alone with the added pressures of giving them the greatest first five years possible. He noted:
“All you have to do is look around, especially, you know, at the country, and see people are not just struggling with raising kids, they’re struggling with just putting a roof above their heads, to be able to heat their house. So, all of those things can come into play.”
In an effort to relate to the parenting struggles, Prince William’s wife replied:
“Yes, absolutely. And this is the thing, is that every family is different. The pressures we face are all different, whilst raising the importance of early childhood. This isn’t about putting extra pressure on families. It’s actually saying they need the support and help reprioritizing family life, home life and all that it takes in raising children today because it is tough.”
“Reprioritizing family life”? Kinda condescending, don’t ya think? Especially since she said it in response to an example of parents struggling with their family’s basic necessities, like housing and heat. Surely, they’re priorities are straight, things are just a lot harder when they don’t have the royal fortune backing them! Yeesh.
The 41-year-old went on to insist families don’t have to worry about money or lavish outings to give their little ones a successful early childhood, explaining:
“The relationships in a family or that’s surrounding a child is so important. The environment in which you bring up a child is as important, as whereas the experiences you engage them with. It’s not about the number of toys they’ve got or the number of sort of trips that you go on with them. It’s just making sure that they’ve got the right emotional support around them and that comes from the adults in their lives.”
This is true, of course. And Prince Harry, ironically, is a great example of this. He grew up a royal and yet he’s still struggled with his mental health.
But if the closest she can come to understanding the hard choices of poverty is to think the kids need fewer toys or fewer vacations, it’s clear just how out of touch she is. The option isn’t between spending a lot of money and being thrifty, it’s between getting to see your kids or continuing to work the two jobs it takes to keep them alive.
It’s sadly just not too shocking the future queen is trying to relate to these parenting struggles without truly acknowledging how much privilege she’s had while navigating her own motherhood. From living in palaces to having more help than she could ever fully utilize, she’s had more advantages while raising her kids, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, than almost any mother in history. Why not address that? This seems like the perfect opportunity to fight for more balance when it comes to resources for families.
The Duchess of Cambridge went on to suggest everything can be solved with “love.” When Roman gushed about how grateful he is to have been “very loved throughout” his life and how he wishes to “make it a normality,” Kate noted:
“Love goes a long way. It’s very true.”
Love goes a long way. But so does money. So does security.
You can watch the full video (below)!
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Do you think Kate’s parenting comments were a bit of a stretch considering all the help she’s had? Sound OFF (below)!
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