There’s nothing that Prince William and Princess Kate put above their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – so it’s no surprise that when it came to finding a nanny only the very best would do. The couple first hired Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo when their children were really young, so she has reportedly worked with the family for around a decade.
The Norland College trained childcare expert has become something of a favourite amongst William and Kate’s fans – who always quickly spot Maria when she has attended events with the youngsters, especially when she dons her traditional ‘Mary Poppins’ style brown uniform.
Maria, who hails from Palencia, Spain, has gone through rigorous training in best childcare practices at the Bath-based college, which is said to produce some of the highest quality childcare professionals worldwide. Her training, however thorough, has also reportedly led to a ban of one seriously normal word that most people use almost everyday – but is apparently a total no-go in the Wales household, and it’s pretty unexpected.
Maria in her Norland uniform with the late Queen ( Image: Getty Images)
Maria with the Royal family ( Image: Getty Images)
The word in question that’s banned under Maria’s watch is “kid” and according to The Sun, “The term is banned around George, Charlotte and Louis, as it is considered disrespectful.”
Norland College isn’t any old training institution, the nannies who study there are reported to be educated in a wide range of skills that help make them uniquely qualified to take care of the children of the great and the good. This includes students at Norland learning how to dodge paparazzi, drive in extreme weather and, most surprisingly, Taekwondo..
The martial art is taught to students in a special way to help them keep their often high-profile charges safe from danger, and is “specially adapted to include how to dodge a potential kidnap with a pram.”
Maria is reported to have taught her three royal charges some Spanish and to get on with them very well, maintaining a close bond. The highly-trained professional lived with the family for many years at Kensington Palace, but when the Wales family moved to the much smaller Adelaide Cottage in Windsor the more modest property had no room for live-in staff, but Maria is said to live in another property close by.
Unsurprisingly nannies with Norland qualifications can also demand seriously high salaries due to the nature of their expertise, with new grads able to charge £42,000 per year for their services when living out, and some of the most experienced nannies commanding salaries up to £120,000.
