Chilling detail in viral Kate Middleton video

If there is one thing that King Charles should be giving thanks for this year, along with Prince Andrew’s informal home detention holding, the restocking of Buckingham Palace’s gift shop’s homebrand gin and the success of the repopulation of the common hedgehog, it is his Wales grandchildren.

Not because their Christmas cards are any particular chop – they can only clumsily glue spray-painted gold penne as well as any other primary schooler – but because they might save the monarchy yet.

The legal working age in the United Kingdom is 16, a standard that clearly does not apply to junior HRHs given that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have now undertaken their second round of royal graft in a matter of three days.

Last Friday they belted out a few carols in the name of the family business at Westminster Abbey for mum Kate, the Princess of Wales’ now annual carol service and then on Monday, the official Kensington Palace social media account released a video of them helping out at a baby bank (see top of article).

And by ‘video’ I mean what the Palace has somewhat grandiosely termed “a film by Will Warr” as if they are hoping to put it in contention for Cannes next year.

At one minute, 50-seconds it is a charm-a-thon that seems entirely designed to tug at the heartstrings and sway the undecided to the cause of the crown. (Monarchy, like money, never sleeps.)

It’s potent stuff and all about as subtle as one of Carole Middleton’s original sporks to the eyeball. (At the time of writing it had been viewed more than five million in the eight hours since it had gone live.)

Kate, along with husband Prince William, the Prince of Wales could not be more energetically selling brand Wales than if they were Boca Raton timeshare salesmen who work on commission.

Which is all fine and dandy and right there in their job descriptions, alongside the reproductive demands and willingness to occasionally pull a pint for the cameras. (Tick and tick for the prince and princess.)

However, there is one moment in this that I find a bit haunting.

It comes towards the end of the “film” when Kate, with her arms around George’s shoulders, says to him, “You can see how rewarding this work is, knowing that you’re helping out others” to which the ten-year-old gets out a perfunctory “yeah”.

The prince hardly seems rapt and the moment feels forced, the princess’ expounding of this particular detail as pointed as…