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Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, 38, and Prince William, 38, will be among parents across the country to be hit by the Government’s ban on gatherings of more than six people from September 14. The couple have three children – Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five and Prince Louis, four, and the family of five will only be able to socialise with one other person at a time.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new measures in a press briefing on Wednesday insisting it was to prevent another full-scale national lockdown.

The new ‘rule of six’ was introduced following a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases across the country.

The Prime Minister said: “I want to be absolutely clear, these measures are not another national lockdown.

“The whole point of them is to avoid a second national lockdown.”

He added: “It breaks my heart to have to insist on these restrictions”.

While there Mr Johnson did not confirm exactly how long the new restrictions could last, they are expected to remain in place for months not weeks.

The Cambridges spent lockdown at Anmer Hall in Norfolk but are understood to be back in London so Prince George and Princess Charlotte could go back to school this week.

Kate is extremely close to her parents Carole, 65, and Michael, 71, and the doting grandparents have often helped out with childcare.

Carole and Michael live in Buckinghamshire and were kept apart from George, Charlotte and Louis during lockdown.

Now Kate’s parents face being unable to see their grandchildren together as it would breach the new six-person rule.

The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, are due to relocate from Balmoral Castle to Wood Farm next week and may face a similar situation in regards to seeing their great-grandchildren.

Wood Farm is on the Sandringham Estate and a short distance from William and Kate’s Anmer Hall.

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While the Cambridges are based in the capital during term time, they often travel to Norfolk and weekends or for half-term.

The Queen and Philip may have hoped to see Prince George, Charlotte and Louis with their parents during their stint at Wood Farm.

However, even a family dog walk will be off the cards unless they stick to the six-person rule.

Prince George and Charlotte have returned to school and mixing with their peers could make them more likely to carry and transmit COVID-19.

This means that the young royals may be kept away from their elderly great-grandparents as an extra precaution.

Prince Philip and the Queen are both in their 90s and at high risk from coronavirus.

Asked if the new ‘rule of six’ might stop grandparents who help with childcare, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast: “I’m not actively trying to do that”.

He added the Government is “quite worried about” the “very serious problem” of children potentially passing on the virus to older grandparents.

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