Kate Middleton has a simple but effective way of ensuring her children Prince George, Charlotte and Louis keep on good terms with people living in their neighbourhood, and it's something your family could try too.
Whether you live in a house, flat or bungalow, chances are, that unless your home is in a rural location, many of you will have at least two neighbours living next door. But could you recognise them and more importantly, do you know their names?
While The Couple Next Door on Netflix proves you don't always know who your neighbours are, the saying 'it takes a village' to raise a child rings true especially if you're looking for wrap-around care for your kids. So knowing who you live next door to and whether they have children can be of benefit - just think of all the playdates there could be.
And even though Kate Middleton uses a Norland Nanny to help with childcare, she still has a way of ensuring her three children stay on the right side of their neighbours whether it be at their royal residence of Anmer Hall in Sandringham or their new home Adelaide Cottage, near Windsor.
According to reports, she maintains 'good relationships with her neighbours' and often 'takes her children to birthday parties'. Another way she ensures they lead a normal life as possible is that she is said to 'ensure her children know the names of her neighbours' children'.
It comes after it was revealed that one in three people don't even know their neighbour's name while one in 10 admitted they speak to them no more than once a month, according to a 2023 poll by OnePlus reported by the Daily Mail, which surveyed 2,000 people and discovered many feel less connected than they did five years ago.
A friend of Kate told PEOPLE: "She is very good at setting boundaries, which helps keep everything running smoothly. But the family is the priority, always."
Anmer Hall, the Prince and Princess of Wales' Sandringham residence
How to find out your neighbours names:
- Make a friendly introduction - knock on the door and strike up a friendly conversation, take the kids around with you to deliver some homemade cookies
- Attend neighbourhood gatherings - this provides a relaxed environment to get to know your neighbours
- Utilise social media and neighbourhood apps - Apps like Nextdoor and Facebook Groups can help link up with people in your area
- Volunteer for local causes - Neighbourhood watches or local baby groups are a good place to start
- Swap contact information - Once you have made contact, swap numbers and email addresses or link up on social media
When the Wales family has downtime, particularly around school holidays, they spend it at their country retreat of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, which is close to the Sandringham estate, and they have previously enjoyed family pursuits such as bike rides. However, this year it will be different as Kate has returned home to Adelaide Cottage to recuperate from 'planned abdominal surgery' Kensington Palace confirmed earlier this week when they released an official statement which reads, "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress. The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."
The PEOPLE source added, "She is very engaged with the children's lives. It's always a little disruptive when a mother is ill and the routine changes. She's not there to do the things she would do when they're all together."
Getting to know your neighbours can be particularly useful if your kids want to play out and there are children of similar age living next door, royal or not, most kids love to make friends and play with toys.
In other royal news, Kate Middleton has made a ‘confident choice’ to ‘be more hands-on with her children’ as she prepares to become Queen, says royal expert and Prince William is relying on this close family member to help him ‘look after the kids’ while Kate Middleton recovers from surgery.
