Yes, she lives in a palace and borrows jewelry from the Queen, but Princess Kate is also a mom of two toddlers (and will soon welcome baby number three!) —which means the same tantrums, food battles and sleep struggles as the rest of us. As 4-year-old Prince George and 2-year-old Princess Charlotte continue to grow, Kate has increasingly shared her thoughts on parenthood and its many challenges. Here are her most honest, relatable quotes about being a mother, the parents she admires and why every child matters.
- On remembering that as a parent, you’re not alone — even if it feels like it sometimes.
“It is lonely at times and you do feel quite isolated. But actually so many other mothers are going through what you are going through, but it’s being brave enough to actually reach out.”
- On the shock of new motherhood:
“Nothing can really prepare you for you the sheer overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. It is full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together. Your fundamental identity changes overnight. You go from thinking of yourself as primarily an individual, to suddenly being a mother, first and foremost.”
— at the launch of a series of educational films from Best Beginnings, a charity partner of her Heads Together campaign
- On judgment:
“Around a third of parents still worry that they will look like a bad mother or father if their child has a mental health problem. Parenting is hard enough without letting prejudices stop us from asking for the help we need for ourselves and our children.”
4 On how important the mental health of her own children is to her:
“We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness.”
- On the values she hopes to instill in George and Charlotte:
“My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect, and honesty, and I realize how central values like these have been to me throughout my life. That is why William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte just how important these things are as they grow up. In my view it is just as important as excelling at maths or sport.”
— during a visit to Mitchell Brook Primary School in February 2017
- On how her own upbringing shaped her:
“”When I was growing up I was very lucky. My family was the most important thing to me. They provided me with somewhere safe to grow and learn, and I know I was fortunate not to have been confronted by serious adversity at a young age.”