Meet the Cambridge’s Royal Nanny, Maria Teresa Teron Balo. Prince William and Princess Katherine’s living nanny has been a part of the royal family since Prince George was just 8 months old. Ten years on, Maria is still working for the couple, helping them take care of their three children, including Princess Charlotte and Prince Louie.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are known to be hands-on parents, but with their demanding schedules and recent health challenges, particularly Princess Catherine’s recovery from cancer, the nanny plays a crucial role in easing the pressures they face. With the children now at school much of the week at Berkshire’s prestigious Lambrook, there is still much to be done with the young royals out of school hours. Gone are the days of nappy changes and weaning; now, we imagine Maria will be spending her days juggling the trio’s activities and homework schedules.

Norland College in Bath, where Maria studied, is renowned for its exceptional training and is often regarded as one of the top institutions for those wishing to excel in professional child care. Newly qualified nannies from Norland College, where Maria trained, can command salaries up to £42,000 a year for non-residential positions, with some earning as much as £120,000 after gaining years of experience. Admission to the prestigious £15,000-a-year course requires a minimum of three C’s at A-Level, and the college, which admits around 100 students annually, expects applicants to demonstrate a genuine passion for child care.

The curriculum at the school has been previously likened to a blend of Mary Poppins and James Bond, with students learning a range of skills, from self-defense to martial arts to getaway driving. While she does not live with the family anymore, Maria is believed to still be an important part of the children’s lives after caring for them since they were infants. Maria, who is from Placencia, Spain, has been very popular with the family. However, there’s one word she reportedly has been banned from using in front of the children.

As reports suggest, Maria is believed to be banned from saying the term “kid,” as it is considered to be disrespectful. It’s a mark of respect for the children as individuals. Although Maria no longer sees the children all day, every day, the nanny once spent a lot of time with the trio, doing activities in a similar way to which William and Catherine would. This includes playing outdoors, gardening, and riding bikes.

In addition to her elite training, Miss Balo would have also been taught several rules for her role, including ensuring daily outdoor playtime, enforcing strict screen time, and maintaining a no-shouting policy. Teaching children to do things for themselves is a key principle for the Norland nanny, and we expect Maria Balo may work this way in the Wales household.

Besides that, learning a second language has been a tradition in the royal family, with French typically being the preferred choice. However, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are breaking this tradition by learning Spanish. This unconventional decision may have had an interesting reason behind it. Her son, George, can count up to 10 in Spanish already.

Nine-year-old Seana, who spoke with the Duchess, Balo lets kids be kids. After all, she’s the one responsible for the incredible photo series of George peeking out of the window at Trooping the Colour parade in 2015. What’s a wedding without a few tears? One of these young bridesmaids, possibly the youngest in the group, 2-year-old Zally Warren, was just a little overwhelmed by the whole day and had to be cared for by Nanny Maria at St George’s Chapel. She even rode in the car with Princess Charlotte on the way to church, while Prince William’s childhood caretakers did not attend.

Norland members of the royal family, including Princess Anne, have hired nannies from the school in the past. The King, the future monarch, and Prince Harry all developed lasting relationships with their respective nannies. Helen Lightbody, who joined the royal household a month after King Charles was born in 1948, looked after the monarch for 8 years. As an adult, Charles continued to visit his nanny, affectionately known as the no-nonsense Lightbody, and invited her to his 21st birthday party, as well as his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969.