TO my surprise, I was filled with positivity at photos of our future king and queen taking their daughter to her first day of school.
The picture painted by the Speaker this week of posh folk dropping off their children at the school gates did nothing to endear me to the subject of the elite’s first days at school.
But then there was this scene. An air of normality, even serenity, which accompanied the image of a proud mum and dad with their little ones skipping alongside. It was an image out of the blue of something dependable, something trustworthy, at a time when everything else seems in chaos.
From pauper to king, we can all see the warm attraction of a happy, safe, committed family. Some of us never had it. Some of us are doing what we can to provide it now. But all of us need to agree that it lies at the heart of what’s best for society as a whole.
I know, from my own childhood, that it doesn’t always work out that way. But the evidence is quite clear. A married mum and dad, committed for the long run, give the best outcomes on all measures, for men, for women, of course for children, and for society as a whole.
Nothing else comes even close.
Few of us have the opportunities of young Charlotte and George. But all of us should aspire to invest in, support, and promote the institution that I reckon means more to William and Kate than everything else – our families.
