Prince William and Princess Kate strive to be hands-on parents, but when royal duties take them away from home, they have one trusted pair of hands to help out with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Wales family has counted on nanny Maria Teresa Turrión Borrallo since shortly after Prince George was born, and on Tuesday, March 24, she received a special honor that was decided on by King Charles himself.
The Prince of Wales carried out an investiture at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, awarding Maria with the Royal Victorian Medal in Silver for “services to the Prince and Princess of Wales.” The medal is an especially meaningful honor as recipients are chosen directly by The King and reflect a deep personal loyalty to the Royal Family.
Although Prince George, 12, will be heading to secondary school in September and Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, are also growing up, Nanny Maria remains an integral part of their family. The Spanish-born childcare professional was hired in 2014 to help look after a young Prince George, adding Princess Charlotte to her care in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018.
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Nanny Maria is pictured with Princess Charlotte (left) and Robbie Williams’s daughter, Theodora, at Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Nanny Maria, pictured in her Norland uniform, was on hand at Princess Charlotte’s 2015 christening.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Maria joins the Wales family for King Charles’s Christmas lunch in 2025.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
She was pictured heading to The King’s annual Christmas lunch with William, Kate and their kids in December 2025, and has attended everything from royal weddings to tours abroad.
Maria was educated at Norland College, a prestigious institution in Bath, England that trains nannies for some of the most elite families in the world. Although she normally is seen in everyday clothing, Nanny Maria has worn her signature brown Norland uniform—complete with a Mary Poppins-style hat— to more formal events like Princess Charlotte’s christening and Pippa Middleton’s wedding.
Although Maria lived with the Wales family when they were based at Kensington Palace, their first home in Windsor, Adelaide Cottage, didn’t have space for live-in staff. And when Prince William and Princess Kate moved to their new “forever” home, Forest Lodge, it’s understood Nanny Maria didn’t go with them.
Even if the kids are growing up, it’s likely their beloved nanny will be close to the family for years to come. “Maria loves the children dearly. She can be firm and strict, but she is very loving and soft with them too,” a source told People.