Why Kate Middleton & Prince William Reportedly Don't Have Any Live-In Staff Members

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Prince William and Kate Middleton live an insanely lavish life, but they don't exactly broadcast that to their three children. Like the rest of the royal family, the Prince and Princess of Wales have staff, but they hardly let royal aides run their household. The couple prefers to manage home affairs and childrearing themselves to keep life as normal as possible for the young royals. This decision came to light in Robert Hardman's book, "Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story," where he noted that, when William and Catherine moved from Kensington Palace to Forest Lodge, they didn't hire any additional staff — not even a butler. 

"It's very much them at home with the kids," Hardman confirmed. The couple's current employees, like their yeoman, which Hardman describes as "a multi-tasking attendant who looks after everything from luggage to uniforms," don't live with them either. They all have their own living quarters. The Prince and Princess of Wales also have a nanny and a housekeeper. The couple's minimal staff means that their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, aren't waited on hand and foot. Instead, they have to do chores just like their non-royal peers. 

William previously revealed to journalist Nicholas Witchell that he wasn't raising his kids in a royal manner, so to speak, clarifying that he hasn't taught George from a young age that he's destined to be king, for instance. "As far as we are concerned, within our family unit, we are a normal family," the prince explained, as documented in Russell Myers' tome, "William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story." The couple also handles school pickups, and according to a source who spoke to Hello! magazine, Catherine is always there to cheer for her kids on the rugby and football fields. 

Famously, Kate Middleton gave Meghan Markle a masterclass in how to treat staff (the royal defector has long been haunted by rumors that she bullied palace employees), so it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that Catherine and Prince William have publicly honored some of their staff members. In May 2026, he acknowledged the couple's driver, Lance Sergeant Scott Robin Bishop, by presenting him with a silver Royal Victorian Medal. These can only be awarded by the British monarch and are solely presented to people who have made a significant contribution to the lives of royal family members. Bishop notably isn't even the only employee who has received one.

William and Catherine's nanny, Maria Teresa Turrión Borrallo, was presented with the same medal in March 2026. "Maria loves the children dearly. She can be firm and strict, but she is very loving and soft with them too," an insider dished to People in 2018. While obviously appreciative of their aides, there are still some rules William and Kate ensure that their staff follow, most of which are in place to shield their children. One is that staff aren't allowed to gossip, which goes without saying. 

In a job advertisement, the Prince and Princess of Wales once stated that interested candidates need to keep in mind that they'd be expected to "[maintain] confidentiality and [exercise] discretion," per The Mirror. Catherine and William also request that staff do not dress as if they work at the palace. "The kids run around the office, and he [William] does not want it to be stuffy. If we have important meetings or are going to Buckingham Palace, then, of course, we [dress up]," a source told The Sun.