British Royal Nannies and Governesses
British Royal nannies have been important figures within the palaces over the decades, caring for and shaping the emotional wellbeing of future kings and queens. The choice of a nanny or governess was and still is vital.
The Royal Family have traditionally led the nation in setting examples and being role models on childrearing. Perhaps nowadays parents are more influenced by popular shows like ‘Super Nanny’ or ‘The Three Day Nanny’, but with the arrival of Prince George, parents are looking back at the Royal Family for guidance. From Cradle to Crown, a great book written by Charlotte Zeepvat takes us right back to the nineteenth and twentieth-century and shares personal tales through the eyes of British Nannies who worked for royalty.
The nannies of past-future rulers of Europe share their stories, giving an insight into private, family life inside royal palaces. The nannies and governesses observed the ways of royal households and the customs of other countries. It showed that nannies are more than just employees and have a challenging role in family life. We could compare many tales to the struggle of today’s Royal Nannies.
Nannies in the British Royal Family
Focussing on the British Royal Family, Prince George’s Great, Great Grandfather, George VI raised his family in a modern-style family unit with professional support. For example, his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, had three carers in her childhood, but none took the role of the surrogate mother.
The bond between parents and children was close, and family values were strong. The Queen’s mother employed Clara Knight, known as Allah, as a nanny when the Queen was a child & later in 1933, a governess named Marion Crawford. The job of nannies back then was to supply the love that children need, almost like a surrogate mother. Crawford wrote a tell-all book on life as a Royal Nanny and disclosed that they would have sole charge of the children’s lives, so much so that the children would miss the nanny and not their mother.
The Prince of Wales was particularly close to his nanny Mabel Anderson. As a young prince, Charles spent most of his time with his royal nannies Helen Lightbody and his nursery nurse Mabel, only seeing his mother in the morning and before bed, suggested his biographer, Jonathan Dimbleby. It is noted that Mabel, who took over charge of his care, was firm but caring and maternal and played a crucial role in Prince Charles’s upbringing.
Princes William and Harry had a few nannies taking part in their care, and they think very highly of their former nannies. Tiggy Pettifer was a guest at William and Kate’s wedding. She even described William and Harry as her “babies” and played an essential role in helping them adjust after the death of their mother in 1997.
William also had a nanny named Olga Powell, who cared for William when he was six months old, staying to care for him for 15 years. William missed a royal engagement to attend her funeral in October 2012.
Now, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have created a media storm on whether their children’s upbringing will be ‘hands-on’ or if they will have a Royal Nanny.
