Prince William and Princess Kate say no to having servants at their Windsor home as they prefer to raise their three children George, Charlotte and Louis on their own

As Prince of Wales, Prince William’s father had a retinue of staff, including four chefs, a butler, three servants, dressers, four assistants and five household managers.

But the home life of the current Prince and Princess of Wales couldn’t be further removed from that of the King. While William and Kate hire staff during the day to manage their busy work schedules, they prefer to raise their children alone after school.

That means George, Charlotte and Louis have to do the chores. And in a glimpse into life behind the royal veil, a source said last night: ‘I think people would be surprised to see how normal things are at home.

‘The children help set the table, clear their plates when they have finished eating and help clean up. There is no preferential treatment.’

The royal couple decided two years ago that Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, the family’s former nanny, would not move with them when they relocated from Kensington Palace to Windsor.

George, Charlotte and Louis help with chores, such as setting the table and helping to clean up

Rather than turn to even more help since her cancer diagnosis, Kate is determined to ensure things continue as normal for her children.

During the princess’s cancer treatment and recovery, it also came to light that Kate did not seek further help. She wanted to ensure that her children’s family life was not disrupted and that everything at home continued as ‘normally’ as possible.

The children therefore do not receive any special treatment and are expected to continue with their household chores as usual.

They spend the evenings in their four-bedroom apartment in Adelaide Cottage, their country retreat, completely independently, taking turns cooking.

The source said: ‘Catherine is very, very natural. She keeps the family down to earth.

“Home is a safe haven. To make everything run as smoothly as possible, she wanted everything to be normal for the kids,” the source added, “The kids are still expected to do their chores and get things done around the house.”

The princess’s own upbringing is reflected in the way she raises her brood – and is a far cry from her husband William, whose meals as a child were often spent with nannies

The Waleses attended a Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey last December

The Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children at Trooping the Colour in June

The princess’s own upbringing is reflected in the way she raises her offspring, a very different upbringing from that of her husband William, who often sat at the table with babysitters as a child.

The couple have a repertoire of dishes they love to cook – from curries to teriyaki salmon – and if Kate needs a little help, she can always turn to her mother Carole.

The source added: ‘She has a lovely, supportive family that she can turn to, which helps. But she wants to show her kids the importance of being grounded and connecting with people.’

Meanwhile, the King is advertising for two additional chefs to join the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and at other royal homes later this year.

He is looking for a sous chef and a chef de partie. The vacancy that closes today reads: ‘Experience in both large-scale catering and classic French cuisine is a plus.’