Kate Middleton and Prince William have imposed a tough rule their three children must follow before they can join the royal family for meals. This decision was made to teach them a skill set they would need later in life for their royal roles.

Prince William, Kate Middleton’s kids follow tough rules before eating with the royal family

Prince William and Kate Middleton have imposed a strict rule for their children before they can join other members for holiday and official dinners. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis “aren’t allowed to sit with the adults until they have learned the art of polite conversation,” he told Harper’s Bazaar (per Express).

“The children always ate in the nursery until they were old enough to conduct themselves properly at the dining table,” he added. Once the children learn how to behave, they could join other family members for formal dinners.

There are other dinnertime rules royal children must follow

Darren McGrady served the royal family for almost a decade as a personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. From 1993 to 1997, he was a personal chef to Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry.

In an interview with OK! Magazine, McGrady explained royal protocol when it comes to children and royal family mealtimes.

McGrady said, “I know at the palace, royal children have never been allowed to eat with the rest of the family until they know how to hold a knife and fork properly. And, in which order to use them. But Diana was so different.”

He added, “She would sit at the table and eat with William. On some days, much to the Queen’s dismay, she would even sit in front of the television with a tray dinner with the boys [Prince William and Prince Harry]!”

Princess Diana would regularly bend the rules for Princes William and Harry

Princess Diana, Prince Harry and Prince William photographed in September 1995 | Anwar Hussein/WireImage

According to Darren McGrady, Princess Diana regularly bent royal rules when it came to Prince William and Prince Harry. She wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

McGrady told OK! Magazine, “[Diana] was so desperate to spend quality alone time with William when we were at Balmoral Castle, she’d ask me to let her know when the royal family was going out for a barbecue. Then she could run upstairs and give the nanny the night off.”

“Then, when Charles would tell her they were going out that evening, she’d tell him she’d given the nanny the night off. She would stay behind to look after William.”

Diana also treated her sons to the occasional fast-food run. “She took them to McDonald’s. I remember I said: ‘I can cook burgers.’ But she said: ‘No, the boys want a Happy Meal and the free toy!”

The royal family should have a joyful holiday season after a tough year where both Kate Middleton and King Charles battled cancer. They typically gather at Sandringham House, a country estate in Norfolk, England.