WILLIAM AND KATE'S ROYAL PARENTING RULES

The Prince and Princess of Wales have a modern and relatable approach to bringing up their children along with clear behaviour boundaries, experts tell OK!

- REBECCA RUSSELL

With the new year in full swing and the festive season a distant memory, many parents will now be looking forward to the structure that a new school term brings. And it's no different for the Prince and Princess of Wales, who will be busy preparing Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, for their first day back in the classroom on 8 January.

As the spring term at Lambrook School kicks off, there is little doubt that the couple will be hoping for a return to normality for their family, following possibly the toughest 12 months of their lives.

"It's certainly not hard to imagine what William and Catherine put at the top of their wish list for the New Year," says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond. "You can have everything in lifea happy marriage, wonderful children, a title, huge wealth and global fame - but in the end, good health counts for everything.

"The year labelled so honestly by William as 'brutal' is over and I'm sure the Wales family have just one simple wish - for Catherine and the King to return to full good health and for the year ahead to be as calm and normal for the children as possible. Even boring would be perfectly fine with them - just no more alarming health problems!"

“Big life events, whether good or challenging, change our sense of priority,” says Rachel Fitz-Desorgher, author of Your Baby Skin To Skin. “With the unexpected news of her cancer diagnosis last year, it is unsurprising that Catherine wanted to batten down the hatches, pull up the drawbridge and protect her precious family.”

Rachel, who is a regular expert speaker at The Baby Show, explains that the couple’s compassionate parenting style along with clear behaviour expectations will help the children navigate any difficulties they may be faced with growing up in the spotlight.