When we think of family meals and holiday traditions, we picture multiple generations, or at least parents and children, sitting around a large table together, but that’s not how family meals work for the British royalty.

There are many rules that the British royal family has to follow from the time they are born, such as what they can wear and where they can live. These rules also include what they can eat and where they can eat.

Parents eating a meal at the table with their children may be common in most families, but it is simply not the case for the royals. Even at holiday celebrations like Christmas, the children do not sit at the same table as their parents.

Where do the children sit? At the kids table. This may not sound too extreme at first. At big celebrations like Christmas many families may choose to have a separate table where the children sit; however, for the royal family, it’s a little bit more extreme. These royal children aren’t even allowed to eat in the same room as their parents. Instead, they eat their meals in the nursery.

That’s right, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children do not eat with them.

According to Darren McGrady, a former chef for the royal family, “The children always ate in the nursery until they were old enough to conduct themselves properly at the dining table.” 

When we think about all the obnoxious and well, childish things our children like to say and do at the dinner table, we can’t help but think how different, and possibly even relaxing it must be for the royal family to have dinner separately while their children eat dinner in the nursery.

Watch the video below to learn more of the strict rules the royal family has to follow.

Do you think it’s strange that the royal children are not allowed to eat with their parents?