Princess Kate's 1 non-negotiable rule that her 3 children must follow

Many parents are probably used to nagging their children to put their seatbelts on, and it seems the Princess of Wales is no exception!

During an outing with the West Sussex Minibus on Wednesday, Kate joined residents for a trip in the minibus, and encouraged Stella Drewett, 94, to put on her seatbelt.  

The princess, who is mother to Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, added: "I have to remind my children to put their seatbelts on too."

The group arrived at Pulborough Village Hall for a weekly lunch club, with the Princess sitting down to chat with each table, munching on crisps.

© Getty Images

She joked that she and her husband, Prince William, are a good "double act" when it comes to the washing up, as he helps by doing the drying.  

It seems she's introducing the kids to household chores too, as she added: "And we get the children involved."

The Wales family's school run

Prince William and Kate are regulars on the school run, so this is likely when Kate issues her seatbelt reminder. 

When the Princess underwent cancer treatment in 2024, William planned his diary around the children's school pick-up and drop-off times.

The Real Housewives of London, Panthea Parker, previously told HELLO!: "I see her quite a few times because my son's school plays against her son's school. I do see her a lot, but not to talk to, just from afar. So classy, so lovely, and she never misses any of her children’s matches, so really amazing." 

© Getty

Speaking on Heart Radio in May, William confessed that the school run can be "chaotic", juggling getting musical instruments into the car. 

"There’s a lot of jam sandwiches taken in the car usually," William added. "Louis will leave jam fingerprints throughout the car, which is really helpful." 

George now attends all-boarding school, Eton College, while Charlotte and Louis remain at Lambrook, so the school run likely looks a bit different this year.

© Samir Hussein/WireImage

The Princess has often been spotted driving around Windsor, close to the family's beloved home, Forest Lodge. 

Why Prince William and Kate don't always wear seatbelts

However, it seems the Princess doesn't always follow her own advice – but there's good reason for it!

Sometimes William and Kate are spotted without their seatbelts on while arriving at royal engagements – perhaps to make a speedy exit from the vehicle, or because they don't actually need to.

One legal exemption is when "a person [is] involved in a procession organised by or on behalf of the Crown or which is commonly or customarily held."

© Getty Images

"There are always anomalies," former royal protection officer Simon Morgan told HELLO! previously."In the threat and risk matrix, it's a matter of looking at each individual situation to decide what is the best way of achieving what needs to be achieved.

"For example," he continued, "considering that a quick entry or exit to a vehicle is easier when people aren't strapped into seatbelts."

This means that when the couple is dressed to the nines for state banquets, they may not wear seatbelts if there's a perceived threat.