Yahoo Lifestyle How Duchess Catherine and Prince William are preparing their kids to say goodbye pre-royal tour
They have packed their bags and gathered their closest advisors. Now Prince William and Princess Kate are faced with the toughest job leading up to their tour of India: saying goodbye to their two children.
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So how will the royal parents be preparing Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 11 months, for their seven-night trip to India and Bhutan – the longest stretch of time the family of four have ever been apart?
"It's often harder on the parents than it is on the children," Sarah Dixon, a maternity nurse who has worked with friends of the couple, tells WHO, adding that nanny Maria Turrion Borrallo will be there to "keep the stability and keep their routine in place – which is paramount."
The Royal Family. Photo: Getty
With the couple away for one full week, Dixon says there will be play dates organized and grandma Carole Middleton will no doubt be on speed dial. "I'm sure that Granny is on call as a back up," says Dixon. "Two under three is incredibly difficult."
But Maria, who trained at the prestigious Norland College for nannies, will be well-prepared for the busy days ahead and will be in touch with the couple daily.
"They will keep in touch with Skype, and I'm sure Maria will do a diary for them while they are away with pictures and photos, any moments they might have missed," says Dixon. "She will know that while they are away, the parents need extra reassurance."
With George now attending preschool, his confidence should only be growing, says Dixon: "He will have been gaining independence, saying goodbye to his parents while knowing they are becoming back every day. And that prevents anxiety."
Kate Middleton and Prince George. Photo: Getty
"If they had gone much earlier, it would be more difficult," says Louise Livingston, director of training at the Maria Montessori Institute, where many of George's teachers studied. "But they have given him three months to settle in, and he should be very much into the rhythm of knowing how school works and what's expected and what's not expected."
The trip is believed to be the first time that both Princess Kate and Prince William have left the nanny in charge of both children for such an extended period of time – in addition to being more than 4,000 miles away.
"I think Kate will find it quite hard," says Dixon. "It’s the first time she has left Charlotte, and at that age they are doing new things every day. That’s often very difficult for parents because they feel they have missed out on certain milestones."
Monique Jessen writes for People.
