For over a decade, one woman has stood quietly behind Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — and now the palace has finally said thank you in public. Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, the long-serving Kate William nanny, has been named in the New Year Honours list and awarded the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver), a recognition reserved for exceptional personal service to the monarchy. This kate william nanny award moment pulls a deeply private figure into a rare public spotlight.
Field | Details
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Profession/Occupation | Royal nanny (Norland-trained) |
| Years Active | 2014–present (household of the Prince and Princess of Wales) |
| Education | Norland College, Bath |
| Notable Works | Care of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis |
| Awards/Honors | Royal Victorian Medal (Silver), 2026 New Year Honours |
Kate William Nanny Award: Full Details
The Award Itself — Royal Victorian Medal (Silver)
The Royal Victorian Medal is not an ordinary honour handed out through government channels. Established by Queen Victoria in 1896, it is not granted on the advice of government ministers nor scrutinised by independent committees. Instead, it flows directly from the monarch’s personal discretion, which is exactly why royal watchers treat it differently from a standard MBE or OBE.
The award, which forms part of the Royal Victorian Order, is presented entirely with the authority of the ruling monarch. That single detail is what separates it from committee-led honours — it signals deep personal loyalty rather than a bureaucratic tick-box exercise judged by outsiders.
Maria Borrallo received the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver) at an investiture held at Windsor Castle, presented by Prince William himself. Trust, discretion, and years of quiet service sit at the heart of why this particular honour carries such weight within royal circles.
The New Year’s Honours list, published at the end of 2025, listed her among a small group of individuals recognised for exceptional personal service. In her case, that meant more than a decade spent inside one of the world’s most scrutinised families, rarely stepping into frame herself.
Who Is Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo / Her Role With the Family
Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, originally from Spain, was trained at the prestigious Norland College before beginning work for the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2014. She joined the household soon after George’s birth, taking on a job that required total confidentiality from day one.
She was first hired to help look after Prince George when he was just eight months old, and her responsibilities expanded naturally as the family grew. Charlotte arrived in 2015, Louis in 2018, and Maria’s role shifted from single-baby care to managing three children’s routines.
Her work has followed the family through Kensington Palace, Anmer Hall, and more recently Adelaide Cottage and Forest Lodge. Live-in staff space, school pickups, and after-school clubs all fall under her remit, alongside the less visible task of shielding the children from intense public scrutiny.
Unlike a typical housekeeper or gardener, Maria works privately but occasionally appears at public occasions tied to the family. That deliberately private profile is by design — a job requirement for anyone hired into this kind of household, where confidentiality matters as much as childcare skill.
Norland College Training/Background
Norland College sits at the centre of understanding why this nanny was trusted with royal children in the first place. To become a Norland Nanny, students undertake a three-year full-time BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care degree, with modules covering health and wellbeing, children’s behaviour, and working with families and communities.
In the fourth and final year, students work as a Newly Qualified Nanny in paid, full-time employment while receiving ongoing support from Norland, and successful completion leads to the professional title of “Norlander.” That final year is effectively a real-world audition before graduates are placed with elite families.
Founded in 1892, the school has built a curriculum around early-childhood philosophy, child psychology, and nutrition, while also folding in more unusual modules like defensive driving and self-defence training — skills genuinely useful for staff travelling with high-profile families worldwide.
Graduates like Louenna Hood and Emily Ward have spoken publicly about the recommendation-based recruitment used by elite families, and Maria’s own placement followed that same traditional Norlander pipeline: rigorous training, a recognised kit, and a reputation for discretion above everything else.
The Uniform
The brown-and-white uniform associated with Norland nannies dates back to 1892 and remains largely unchanged today. Maria has been photographed wearing it on formal occasions, including christenings and family weddings, where professionalism and heritage matter as much as practicality.
In 2018, Maria was seen wearing the distinctive brown and white Norland uniform while tending to Prince George and Princess Charlotte during Pippa Middleton’s 2017 wedding. Lace-up shoes, white gloves, and a bowler hat complete the look for formal events, distinguishing trained nannies from general household staff.
Everyday clothes are worn for routine duties, with the Edwardian-style uniform reserved for occasions where the household wants a visible, recognisable presence — weddings, christenings, and major family gatherings where the children’s care needs to look as polished as everything else around them.
Public Sightings / Family Moments
Maria has appeared alongside the family at several notable moments over the years, even while maintaining her generally low profile. Most recently, she was seen in the back of Prince William’s car as Charlotte rode in the front, heading back from a Christmas Lunch hosted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace in December.
She attended the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark’s Church in 2017, one of the earliest public sightings that placed her firmly in the frame of family life rather than just background staff. Trooping the Colour appearances and royal tours have followed similar patterns since.
One small moment captured public affection: Princess Charlotte’s first appearance outside the Lindo Wing wrapped in a cream bonnet, later revealed to be a handmade gift sourced by Maria from a Spanish family firm. That gesture told royal watchers plenty about the closeness of the relationship long before any formal honour arrived.
Personality / Character
Those close to the household describe Maria as firm but warm — a caregiver who blends structure with genuine affection. Reports consistently position her as both an educator and a protector, someone who balances the strict routines expected of Norland training with real personal warmth toward the children in her care.
Sources describe her as operating discreetly in the background of one of the world’s most scrutinised households, shepherding royal children through their earliest years with calm authority and near-total anonymity. That mix of confidante and disciplinarian is often cited as the reason she’s remained in post for over a decade.
Royal Staff Recognised in New Year Honours List
Maria wasn’t the only member of the royal household honoured this cycle. Her recognition came alongside Lance Sergeant Scott Bishop, another long-serving member of the Wales household, with both awarded a Royal Victorian Medal for helping maintain stability behind palace walls.
Medical figures connected to the King and the wider family have also featured in past honours cycles — royal eye surgeons, travelling physicians, and household doctors regularly appear alongside domestic staff, reflecting how broad the Royal Victorian Order’s reach actually is across an entire working household.
What Is the New Year Honours List?
The New Year Honours list is published annually and recognises achievement across sport, arts, charity, and public service throughout the UK and Commonwealth. Recommendations typically pass through an independent committee before reaching the Prime Minister and the King for final approval, covering everything from knighthoods and damehoods down to MBEs and OBEs.
The Royal Victorian Medal sits apart from this process. While most honours in the list are assessed independently, Royal Victorian Order awards — including Maria’s — bypass committee scrutiny entirely, since they are awarded entirely at the discretion of the reigning monarch rather than on ministerial advice, making them a direct expression of personal gratitude from the King.
Who Else Made the List
The wider 2026 New Year Honours list included recognisable names across entertainment and public life, with actors, authors, and performers receiving MBEs, OBEs, and knighthoods for contributions to their fields. Alongside Maria’s household-focused honour, the list highlighted just how wide the King’s recognition net stretches each year — from global entertainers to private staff most people have never heard of.
FAQs
Who is Kate and William’s nanny?
Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo is the Spanish-born, Norland-trained nanny who has cared for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis since 2014. She’s known for her discretion and has rarely spoken publicly despite over a decade inside the household.
What award did the royal nanny receive?
She received the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver), part of the Royal Victorian Order, presented for exceptional personal service to the Prince and Princess of Wales. The honour was announced in the New Year Honours list and presented at an investiture at Windsor Castle.
Why is the Royal Victorian Medal different from other UK honours?
Unlike most honours that pass through independent committees and government advice, the Royal Victorian Medal is awarded solely at the monarch’s personal discretion. This makes it a direct, personal thank-you rather than a state-recommended honour.
When did Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo join the royal household?
She joined in 2014, shortly after Prince George’s birth, when he was just eight months old. Her role expanded over the years to include Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as the family grew.
What is Norland College, and why does it matter here?
Norland College, founded in 1892 in Bath, trains nannies through a three-year early-childhood education degree plus a supervised final working year. Its graduates, known as Norlanders, are frequently hired by elite and royal families for their rigorous, well-rounded training.
Has the royal nanny been seen publicly before this award?
Yes — she’s appeared at events including Pippa Middleton’s 2017 wedding and family Christmas outings, usually in the distinctive brown-and-white Norland uniform. She generally keeps a low profile outside these occasions, which made this public honour especially notable.
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