Prince George and Princess Charlotte's sad question that gives Kate 'mum guilt'

As both the Princess of Wales and a mother-of-three, Kate Middleton is all too familiar with that sinking feeling known as 'mum guilt'

Kate Middleton's 'mum guilt' - Catherine, Princess of Wales wears a navy pantsuit as she visits HMP High Down on September 12, 2023 in Sutton, England
(Image credit: Getty Images: Max Mumby/Indigo)

Prince George and Princess Charlotte's sad question that Kate Middleton confessed gives her 'mum guilt' was previously revealed by the Princess of Wales. 

Naturally, being the Princess of Wales comes hand-in-hand with a rather hectic schedule, which Kate Middleton has previously admitted results in a hefty dose of 'mum guilt'.

Recently she revealed how Princess Charlotte's adorable singing makes her morning, but the mother-of-three has also been very candid in the past about how it's not always smiling ahead of the school run. In fact, because her royal role requires frequent public outings and engagements, even on occasion flying overseas, Kate is often forced to miss out on moments with her children.

In an interview with Giovanna Fletcher for her podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby back in February 2020, Kate shared that juggling her home and work life is a 'constant challenge.'

Kate Middleton's 'mum guilt' - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (C), accompanied by their parents the Prince William, and Catherine as they arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot on September 7, 2022 in Bracknell, England. The family have set up home in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor's Home Park as their base after the Queen gave them permission to lease the four-bedroom Grade II listed home.

(Image credit: Getty Images: Jonathan Brady - Pool)

Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family by Tom Quinn | £15.05 at Amazon
£15.05 at Amazon

Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family by Tom Quinn | £15.05 at Amazon

Exploring what it's like to grow up in the Royal Family, Tom Quinn brings together historical sources with testimonies from palace staff. There are tales of royal mischievousness, including surprising anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth and Prince William, and it's shocking, funny and insightful all at once.

When asked if she ever feels guilt, Kate said, "Yes absolutely - and anyone who doesn't as a mother is actually lying." 

She then went on to elaborate, using the school run as an example of when she frequently feels that pang of 'mum guilt', "Even this morning, coming to the nursery visit here - George and Charlotte were like 'Mummy how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?'

"It's a constant challenge - you hear it time after time from mums, even mums who aren't necessarily working and aren't pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life."

Relatably still, despite Kate and William's modern parenting style, she went on to add that guilt can sometimes creep into their decision-making as a whole, saying, "[You're] always sort of questioning your own decisions and your own judgements and things like that, and I think that starts from the moment you have a baby."

On dealing with her 'mum guilt' Kate shared that a 'wise man' once told her, "The more people you have around your children who are safe and loving and caring, the better. So yeah - it was a real weight off my shoulders that actually it's not totally my responsibility to do everything."

Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft by the Royal Air Force during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images: Neil Mockford)

Of course, the Prince and Princess of Wales do opt for childcare, having hired Norland nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrall shortly after George was born. Their nanny has now been with them for 10 years now, assisting the couple when their commitments take them away from their Berkshire home. Not to mention the children's grandparents, with Carole Middleton especially, playing a 'crucial' role in supporting her daughter, Kate.

Naomi Jamieson
Digital Beauty Writer

Naomi is a Digital Beauty Writer from woman&home, where she covers everything from skincare to fragrance but specialises, particularly, in makeup and nail trends. Through her work, Naomi gets to share her trend expertise and share her own shopping recommendations and product reviews. Previously, she worked as a Lifestyle News Writer for My Imperfect Life magazine, where she used her savvy for TikTok to bring readers the latest beauty buzzwords, fashion movements and must-have products.

Before that, Naomi split her time between both GoodTo and My Imperfect Life, whilst training for her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ, for which she earned a Distinction. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but leapt into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing. Now, when she isn’t reporting on the best perfumes and latest beauty releases, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping...