The Princess of Wales has revealed how her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are beginning to take more of an interest in films, enabling her to broach "hard conversations" with them.
Princess Kate attended the EE BAFTAs on Sunday night at London's Royal Festival Hall. The 44-year-old returned to the red carpet for the first time in three years, joined by her husband, Prince William, who is President of BAFTA, at the star-studded event.
Kate oozed elegance in a floor-length Gucci gown which she last wore in public in 2019, while William matched his wife in a burgundy velvet tuxedo jacket.
Kate's latest comments about her children
Speaking with Emily Stillman, Chair of Bafta's Film Committee, Kate shared her children's growing love of film.
Emily said: "Last time I saw you, you were pregnant with George and you were doing your Harry Potter spells," referring to the royal couple's 2013 visit to the Warner Brothers studios in Hertfordshire, where they toured the set of Harry Potter.
Kate replied: "I was saying how much the children would love to look around. They love the idea of going behind the scenes and finding out how it all happens."
The Princess went on to reveal that the three children are becoming more interested in films. "The children are starting to get interested in films and it's a really great way to have some of the hard conversations with them," she said.
"The children are starting to get interested in films and it's a really great way to have some of the hard conversations with them"
© BAFTA via Getty ImagesWilliam and Kate's love of film
Prince William and Princess Kate have a well-documented love of film, having frequently attended the BAFTAs – where William has served as President since 2010.
Kate shared her thoughts on Hamnet, the acclaimed adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. The film follows the family life of author William Shakespeare and the death of his young son.
Chatting with Emily, Kate said: "Yes, I think it was a very bad idea actually… ended up with very puffy eyes." The Princess praised the film as "very, very powerful," hailing the music score as "fantastic" and "raw".
© BAFTA via Getty ImagesInside the auditorium, there was no formal announcement when Prince William and the Princess of Wales took their seats. Their arrival was somewhat understated, with many guests only realising they were in the room as they moved through the aisle, stopping briefly to greet fellow attendees.
A noticeable buzz followed as heads turned to catch a glimpse of the royal couple. Later, before the broadcast began, BAFTA Chair Sara Putt referenced William from the stage, prompting cameras to pan towards the pair.
A warm round of applause broke out, with some cheers audible across the hall. William appeared slightly flushed as Kate turned towards him with a smile.
The Waleses' 'open' conversations with their children
William, in particular, has mentioned various times that he encourages open dialogue with his three young children. Speaking earlier this month on Greg James's Radio 1's Life Hacks, William explained that his children came to him with all of their problems. He said: "I get all the details, which I love. It's amazing. Being able to understand it, have time with it, decipher it, sometimes.
"You feel a sense that you need to fix it for everyone and that I find quite difficult. I have to remind myself that you don't need to fix everything, but you need to listen, and it's important to be ok with those feelings and comments."
Speaking to HELLO!, HCPC-registered Senior Education and Child Psychologist Dr Sasha Hall, who has over 15 years of experience, praised William for his approach to parenting and hailed his words as an example of how to establish "emotional safety" in the home environment.
She told HELLO!: "Prince William is right to highlight how powerful it is for parents to listen rather than feel they must fix everything. When children are encouraged to talk about their thoughts and feelings, we are strengthening their emotional literacy.
"They move beyond simple words like happy or sad and begin to develop a richer vocabulary, such as frustrated, disappointed, worried or embarrassed. This gives them the tools to make sense of their internal world rather than becoming overwhelmed by it."
© WireImageLast year, William also gave an insight into his home life when he appeared on Apple TV's The Reluctant Traveller speaking to host Eugene Levy.
"We're a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us, and things that trouble us, but you never quite know the knock on effects that it can have. And so, it's just important to be there for each other and to kind of reassure the children that everything is okay."
