Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Kate Middleton Had to Shut Down a Zookeeper Who Wanted Prince George to Pet a Marsupial

    Prince William and Kate Middleton declined to let Prince George pet a marsupial at a zoo during their royal tour of Australia in 2014.

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 16 August 2021 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    sydney, australia april 20 no uk sales for 28 days prince william, duke of cambridge, catherine, duchess of cambridge and prince george of cambridge meet a bilby called george as they visit the bilby enclosure at taronga zoo on april 20, 2014 in sydney, australia the duke and duchess of cambridge are on a three week tour of australia and new zealand, the first official trip overseas with their son, prince george of cambridge photo by poolsamir husseinwireimage
    (Image credit: Samir Hussein)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter
    • During the Cambridge family's royal tour of Australia in 2014, Prince William and Kate Middleton had to set some boundaries for Prince George.
    • George was just 10 months old at the time and a zookeeper at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney encouraged the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to let him pet a small marsupial (who was also named George) during the visit.
    • Kate politely but firmly declined, explaining that George had "quite a strong grip," meaning it was also in the animal's best interest not to have them interact.

    Parenthood requires setting boundaries—even when you're raising the future King of England. Kate Middleton and Prince William demonstrated this expertly in 2014 when they brought their oldest son, Prince George, along for their royal tour of Australia.

    During the trip, the Cambridge family made a stop at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, where they met a bilby (a small marsupial), who was also named George. When the zookeeper at the exhibit encouraged Will and Kate to let their George pet the zoo's George, however, Kate had to put her foot down.

    Kate politely declined the zookeeper's offer, explaining that George (who was about 10 months old at the time), "has quite a strong grip," according to the Mirror.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    William apparently back Kate up, saying, "if he gets it, he’ll never let it go."

    Even if he didn't get to pet his marsupial friend, George still had a great time at the Taronga Zoo, squealing and generally being the epitome of an excited kid.

    You may like
    • Prince William wears red military uniform and has a bald head and a beard, and stands next to wife Princess Middleton who wears a baby blue coat dress and matching hat, and their three kids Prince William Jokes About George, Charlotte, and Louis
    • Prince George wears a navy suit to attend Trooping the Colour 2026 and has floppy dark blonde hair Kate and William a "Successful Tactic" With George
    • Prince George looks serious and wears a white shirt while his dad Prince William wears a navy suit jacket and points at something, he has a beard but no hair Prince William Says They "Embarrass George Enough As It Is"
    RELATED STORIES

    london, england june 05 queen elizabeth ii and prince william, duke of cambridge on the balcony of buckingham palace after the service of thanksgiving at stpaulamp;rsquo;s cathedral on june 5, 2012 in london, england for only the second time in its history the uk celebrates the diamond jubilee of a monarch her majesty queen elizabeth ii celebrates the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne thousands of wellwishers from around the world have flocked to london to witness the spectacle of the weekends celebrations photo by oli scarffgetty images

    (Image credit: Oli Scarff)

    Will's Concerned for the Queen Amid Andrew Scandal

    st andrews, scotland september 23 prince william, dressed casually in jeans, blue jumper and trainers, arriving at st andrews university in scotland he and his father, prince charles, are walking together towards saint salvators hall of residence where william will be staying photo by tim graham photo library via getty images

    (Image credit: Tim Graham)

    Charles Talked Will Out of Dropping Out of College

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Explore More
    Prince George Prince William
    Kayleigh Roberts
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

    Read more
    Prince George and Prince William smiling at each other
    Royals Prince George Laughs at Prince William's Embarrassing Dad Mishap at Eton
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate smiling and holding an umbrella with Prince George
    Royals Prince William, Princess Kate and Prince George Take the Same Fashion Risk
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Prince George in his Eton College uniform
    Royals How Prince George's First Day at Eton College Differed From Prince William's
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026
    Royals Princess Kate and Prince William Aren't "Lazy"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Grace Kelly wearing a white dress
    Royals Grace Kelly "Understood Quiet Luxury" Before the Term Was Invented
    Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Prince Harry walking through grass at Althorp
    Royals Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Are Changing Schools After Just 2 Days
     
     
    Princess Anne wearing a coat and paisley scarf
    Royals Princess Anne Gets a "Round of A-Paws" from Sheep Dogs in Timeless Paisley Look
    Meghan Markle wearing a blue striped shirt
    Royals Meghan Markle Transforms Her Wardrobe from California to Cotswolds
     
     
    Latest in News
    Ayo Edebiri 2026 Emmys red carpet
    Celebrity Style Ayo Edebiri Sticks to Her Winning Red Carpet Formula at the Emmys
    a white woman in a gold dress with dark brown hair
    Nails Selena Gomez's 2026 Emmys Manicure Is All About a "Frosted Sunset" Finish
     
     
    US actress Zendaya presents the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award to US actress Jean Smart onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
    Culture We're Tracking Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys
    Grace Gummer and Louisa Jacobson red carpet looks at the 2026 Emmy Awards
    Celebrity Style Meryl Streep's Daughters Make Their Mom Proud on the 2026 Emmys Red Carpet
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.