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The Princess of Wales has the "happy family" she hoped for following her engagement to Prince William. Two years after their fairytale royal wedding, and following weeks of the "The Great Kate Wait," the couple became first-time parents in 2013.
As they introduced their newborn son Prince George outside of the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Catherine said: "It's such a special time… Any parent, I think, will probably sort of know what this feeling feels like."
The Prince and Princess of Wales experienced that feeling twice more with the births of their daughter Princess Charlotte in 2015 and younger son Prince Louis in 2018.
"It is fantastic having a lovely little family, and I am so thrilled," Catherine once said.
William has also candidly spoken about parenthood. In the documentary Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health, the royal dad-of-three confessed: "Children coming along, it's one of the most amazing moments of life but it's also one of the scariest."
For William, a stable home is "so important" to him. "I want to bring up my children in a happy, stable, secure world and that is so important to both of us as parents," he told British GQ in 2017, noting at the time that he would fight for his kids to "have a normal life."
So, just who are the royal children, currently second, third and fourth in line to the British throne? Continue reading to learn more about Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Prince George, 13
Prince George made his long-awaited arrival on 22 July 2013 at St Mary's Hospital. The royal baby was born at 4:24 p.m., weighing 8lbs and 6oz.
His name, George Alexander Louis, was announced the day after his birth. George is quite a typical name for the Windsor family, with George's great-great-grandfather being King George VI. The choice of name will no doubt have touched the late Queen, who would have needed to give her permission for the name under royal custom.
During an appearance on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Catherine shared how "amazing" it was to hold her young son for the first time. "It is extraordinary as I've said," the then-Duchess of Cambridge shared. "How can the human body do that? It is utterly extraordinary actually. And he was very sweet. And I was also sort of relieved that he was a happy, healthy boy."
As the Prince of Wales' firstborn, George is destined to be King one day, something that the young royal will be acutely aware of. Speaking to the BBC in 2016, William shared: "There will be a time and place to bring George up and understand how he fits in the world."
"Right now it's just a case of keeping a secure and stable environment and showing him as much love as I can as a father."
George undertook his first royal before he was even one years old. At nine months, George accompanied his parents on their official three week tour of New Zealand and Australia in 2014, during which he made an appearance at a playgroup and at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. The royal baby was described as having "stolen the show."
Ahead of his second birthday in 2015, George made his first appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour and has continued to join his family since. The future King had a starring role at his grandfather King Charles' coronation, serving as a page of honour.
The Prince is set to follow in his father's footsteps, studying at Eton College. After much speculation, Kensington Palace confirmed that George will attend the prestigious all-boys school starting in September 2026. Melanie Sanderson, managing editor at the Good Schools Guide, has said that Eton was "always the obvious choice" for George.
"Eton, above all the other schools, has a breadth that's really unparalleled. All the other public schools have extracurricular opportunities, in theatre and on the sports pitch, but Eton really does take it to another level. Eton very much delivers on the global stage. He will be rubbing shoulders with the children of the great and the good from all around the world," Melanie told HELLO!
"He's going to be head of the Church of England one day. Chapel is less of a central feature at a lot of schools than it used to be, but it's still a central part of Eton. William was confirmed at Eton and I would expect George to go down the same path."
Princess Charlotte, 11
Princess Charlotte is the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales and was welcomed into the world on 2 May 2015 at 8.34 a.m., weighing 8lb and 3oz. The royal shares the same middle name, "Elizabeth," as her mom. It is, of course, also her great-grandmother, the late Queen's name. Meanwhile, Charlotte's second middle name, "Diana," is a tribute to her paternal grandmother, Princess Diana, who died in 1997.
According to Catherine, Queen Elizabeth was "thrilled" that she and William had a daughter. In the 2016 documentary Our Queen at Ninety, the Princess of Wales revealed: "The Queen was really thrilled that it was a little girl, and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington she was one of our first visitors here." The Princess also admitted that it was "very special having a new little girl."
A few months after Charlotte's arrival, Prince William described his newborn daughter as "a little joy of heaven."
Much like her older brother, Charlotte embarked on her first royal tour at a young age, joining her family on a trip to Canada when she was a one-year-old. A month after her first birthday, the little Princess made her Buckingham Palace balcony debut at Trooping the Colour 2016.
In recent years, Charlotte has taken on the role of a mother hen with her brothers, often working to keep them in check during public appearances, whether it be at Trooping the Colour or the late Queen's funeral, where she reminded George to bow when needed.
Speaking to HELLO!, supernanny Jo Frost previously explained: "Charlotte knows the rules. She's the one in the middle. She knows how to keep everyone in good stead. There are moments when I've watched George and he's looked over at his sister, and he's probably annoyed with her one minute and then grateful that she's there being able to remind him of things, when he's taking it all in as well."
The Princess of Wales herself once remarked that Princess Charlotte "is the one in charge."
Prince Louis, eight
Rounding out the Wales children is Prince Louis, who was born at 11.01 a.m. on 23 April 2018, weighing 8lbs and 7oz. Like his older siblings, he was born at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital.
As he and Catherine left the hospital with their third child, Prince William remarked: "Thrice worry now."
Louis, who early on was dubbed the "Boss Baby," is known for his cheeky antics during royal outings. Who can forget him shushing his mum during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, or covering his ears when the planes flew by? Louis has also been seen pretending to ride a motorcycle at Trooping the Colour and adorably stole the show on Christmas Day 2025 after being gifted an oversized Lindt ball.
Speaking about his public behaviour, supernanny Jo Frost has told HELLO!: "Prince Louis is a child I believe who is a highly sensitive person, he is elevated by high energy experiences and can sometimes get excited beyond the point that his behaviour may be unpredictable."
"Sometimes it can be cute like blowing out candles or cheeky when he doesn't want to accept what's being asked of him by a parent."
Despite their royal status and place in the line of succession, William has emphasized that within their family unit, they are "a normal family." Jo Frost has oobserved that the Prince and Princess of Wales are "intentional" about giving George, Charlotte and Louis "as normal a childhood as possible."
"Parenting is no easy task, and when lived under the world’s gaze, the challenge magnifies tenfold," Jo said. "Yet in Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, I see not only future monarchs but devoted parents whose grounded approach provides reassurance for their family and inspiration for others."
