Inside Kate Middleton’s ‘normal’ mum life…her strict house rule, a secret code & why she apologises at the school gates
WHILE we are all too used to seeing the glamorous Kate Middleton dressed up to the nines, it turns out that she has a much more ‘normal’ mum life than you would imagine.
As she carries the lofty title of Princess of Wales, to her three children – George, Charlotte and Louis – Kate is just ‘mum‘, and her life behind closed doors and at the school gates seems worlds away from her typical royal duties.
Although Kate’s royal role requires her to look the picture of poise and professionalism, it turns out that alongside this, she juggles her public workload with very normal mum duties.
Here, we take a look at what Kate’s mum life is really like – from her strict house rule, to why she’s constantly apologising at the school gates.
Confidence is key: A Princess but no pushover
When she’s at the family’s home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, despite her royal status, insiders say Kate is just like any other “normal mum”.
A friend explained that behind closed doors, the 41-year-old is “very chilled at home” but definitely not a pushover and will tell the kids off when needed.
They told PEOPLE: “It’s a normal, busy family home with kids running around and knocking things over. There’s no airs and graces.
“She is doing that to help her children be more grounded and keep their reality in check. That’s what really matters to her.”
At the same time, the friend explained: “She’s a very confident mum, and she’s no pushover.
“The children get told off if they act up.”
Shout off: Kate’s strict house rule
As a result of Kate’s ‘no pushover’ parenting style, it turns out that she also has a strict rule around the house that she and the children must follow – no shouting.
An insider previously told Fabulous: “Shouting is absolutely ‘off limits’ for the children and any hint of shouting at each other is dealt with by removal.”
But unlike many households, where children are sent off to their bedrooms or to the naughty step when they misbehave, the royal couple have a different technique – the sofa chat.
The source added: “The naughty child is taken away from the scene of the row or disruption and talked to calmly by either Kate or William.
“Things are explained and consequences outlined and they never shout at them.”
Secret code: Taking a break
Not only does Kate employ discipline techniques at home, it’s been reported that she also has a secret code she uses if she feels she needs to calm her children down when in public.
Author Tom Quinn wrote in his book Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up In The Royal Family: “When Prince Louis misbehaved at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, for example, by sticking his tongue out at his mother, Kate’s reaction was praised by teams of expert commentators.
“She apparently used a secret code to calm the children, as she does on occasions – she simply says, ‘Let’s take a break’.
“But as a former staffer explained, the children know these few words carry far more weight than we might imagine.”
Mum uniform: Ponytails, gym clothes and apologies
Whilst we have previously seen stunning images of Kate dropping the children off at Lambrook School, it turns out, on a day-to-day basis, things are much less glossy than you may imagine.
A friend told the Daily Record: “There are no blow-dries – it’s always hair up in a ponytail.
“She’s either in her gym clothes, or a dress and sneakers, very little makeup, apologising as she’s late for the school run before dashing off.
“It’s the life of a working mum with three young children – just a different sort of day job to most.”
In fact, when George and Charlotte attended their previous school of St Thomas’ in South London, it was reported that parents barely gave Kate a second glance during drop off and pick ups.
One parent told the Daily Mail : “No one really gives Kate a second glance when she does the school drop-off.
“We have a Victoria’s Secret model doing the school run, too, and the dads are far more interested in her.”
Parental guilt: Constant challenges
You may think that Kate has parenting nailed, but like the rest of us, she has experienced parental guilt too.
During an interview with Giovanna Fletcher for her podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby, Kate spoke about her life as a parent with William, as she opened up about details on their family life.
When asked if she felt mum guilt, Kate replied: “Yes absolutely – and anyone who doesn’t as a mother is actually lying.”
She explained that being a parent is “a constant challenge” and she feels guilty when her children ask her why she does not always drop them off at school.
She said: “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.”
Nightly treat: Kate’s favourite tipple
With mum duties, as well as being a Princess, it’s no surprise that Kate likes to enjoy her favourite tipple after a long day.
A pal told PEOPLE, once the youngsters are tucked up in bed, William is on hand to help his wife unwind.
The friend claimed: “William will bring Kate a gin and tonic. They look after each other, but in different ways.”
They also added that Kate “runs things at home with the kids and the schedules” and “is hugely involved in every single part of their day”.