Prince Edward is a ''very engaged'' father.

The 56-year-old royal has children Lady Louise, 16, and James, Viscount Severn, 12, with wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex and his spouse admitted they are a very equal partnership within their household.

She said: ''I wasn't well when I got back, so my husband has been doing the school run. If one of us goes away, we try to make sure the other is around.''

Asked if Edward cooks, she added: ''Yes, sometimes. He is very good at barbecues, and the children love those. He takes our son fishing, does a lot of riding with our daughter, he is very engaged as a father.''

Sophie views herself as a feminist because of her belief in equality.

Asked if she's a feminist, she mused: ''Now there's a question. I suppose I probably am. I believe in equality for everyone.''

The royal couple do their best to give their children a ''normal'' upbringing.

Sophie said: ''What's normal? They go to a regular school. They go to friends for sleepovers and parties. At weekends we do lots of dog walking and stay with friends. I guess not everyone's grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother.''

And their children are being raised to know they are ''very likely'' not to be able to rely on the trappings of royal life forever.

Sophie told The Sunday Times magazine: ''We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it's highly unlikely. [Louise is] working hard and will do A-levels. I hope she goes to university. I wouldn't force her, but if she wants to. She's quite clever, so I think probably, whereas James I don't know.''