EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Trauma-Fighting Parenting Technique Kate Middleton is Deploying To Raise Her Three Children
Kate Middleton applied a trauma-fighting parenting method to raise her three children.
Oct. 1 2025, Published 7:32 p.m. ET
Princess Catherine has embraced a trauma-aware parenting technique to guide her three children, determined to protect them from the pressures of royal life that once scarred her husband, Prince William, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Princess of Wales, 43, mother to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10 and Prince Louis, 7, has thrown her support behind the method known as "pacing," which encourages parents to slow down their interactions so that they match the developmental speed of their children.
Kate Champions 'Pacing' Technique
Princess Catherine promoted 'pacing' to shield her children from pressure.
Kate was closely involved in a new project by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which recently released a series of short animated films promoting the approach.
A source said: "For Catherine this isn't abstract – she knows the toll royal life took on William, especially after losing his mother Princess Diana at such a young age. She is determined her children are not left with that kind of trauma, and techniques like pacing are part of her way of shielding them."
Protecting Young Royals From Pressure
Sources said Catherine wants George, Charlotte and Louis to feel secure.
The foundation's video Creating space for connection explains while adults often operate at a faster rhythm, children need more time to process what is happening around them. Without that pause, young children may become overwhelmed and respond by freezing, crying or withdrawing.
By asking questions and waiting for responses, or simply pausing over a picture in a storybook, parents give children the chance to absorb and respond calmly.
Another insider said: "Catherine knows her children are growing up under constant scrutiny. Her priority is making sure they feel secure and unpressured. For her, it's not only about parenting methods – it's about shielding them from the weight of royal life."
Royal Foundation Expands Resources
Catherine joins experts to shape early years parenting resources.
The "pacing" initiative is part of a wider suite of resources launched by the Royal Foundation, covering topics such as How we grow an emotionally healthy brain, Managing big feelings together, and Noticing and navigating feelings.
Catherine took part in a June workshop with illustrators and early years specialists to help shape the project.
The narrator of the film stresses how adults may unintentionally add pressure by speeding up interactions.
"This mismatch in speed can lead to frustration, as adults may expect children to keep up," the video explained. "As a result, the child has even less time to compute all this new information and becomes pretty much overwhelmed."
Lessons From William's Childhood
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William's childhood struggles inspire Catherine's protective approach.
The approach has clear practical limits, the foundation acknowledges – such as when parents are rushing to get children ready for school – but encourages practicing pacing during calmer times like play or reading.
For Catherine, the issue has a deeply personal dimension. Those close to her say she is mindful of how William, now 43, grew up under relentless public scrutiny, compounded by the loss of Princess Diana in a car crash 28 years ago when he was 15.
One family friend said: "She knows how damaging it was for William to be thrust into the spotlight while grieving his mother. She doesn't want George, Charlotte, or Louis to carry scars from being in the royal spotlight too soon."
