Kate Middleton once made an emotional admission to the Queen during her holiday

Here’s everything to know…

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Here’s everything to know…

Prince William and Kate Middleton may be the most talked-about couple in the world and full-time working royals, but they are also hands-on parents to three miniature royals.

This can be incredibly time-consuming, with the Duke and Duchess now having a nanny to help out.

News resurfaced this week however of Kate and William’s initial struggle with becoming new parents without help whilst carrying out their royal duties, something experts claim Kate Middleton admitted to the Queen during a heart to heart one Christmas at Sandringham.

‘Kate was having a conversation with the Queen in which she confided that she had found being with George on her own, and not having a full-time nanny or a maternity nurse, very hard,’ royal expert Katie Nicholl explained on True Royalty’s documentary, Kate Middleton: Heir we go again. 'William and Kate wanted to be hands on parents, and they did it until September and then they recruited a nanny.’

Parenting writer Kelly Rose Bradford also weighed in, explaining: ‘I think despite their good intentions first time around, Kate and William did soon realise they couldn't hold down their jobs and also care full time for their child.'

While Kate didn’t have initial help from a nanny, one person who is thought to have stepped up is her mum, with royal insiders crediting Carole Middleton with being a great help for the family of five.

‘One of the things that allows William and Kate to be so ordinary is the presence of the Middletons in their lives,’ Katie Nicholl went on to explain. ‘She turns up to help with bedtime and bath time. She is absolutely indispensable.'

Royal reporter Simon Vigar added: ‘Mummy and Daddy Middleton are absolutely crucial to this story, going right back ten years and all through the courtship. Carole is very involved in the upbringing of George and looking after her eldest daughter Kate when she was ill with this extreme morning sickness. For many weeks, Kate was at home in Berkshire with mum and dad and Grandma Middleton was taking up the strain.’

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Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.