The Princess of Wales has been front and centre in 2025, returning to the spotlight with a busy calendar of royal events.
And behind palace doors, the future Queen is just as involved, with Prince William and Princess Kate prioritising their parenting and dedication to giving Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis "as normal an upbringing as possible."
However, despite her commitment to being a hands-on parent, the Princess of Wales is reportedly not immune to 'mum guilt', particularly as her public duties increase.
"All working mums suffer mum guilt to a greater or lesser degree, and I’m sure Catherine is no exception," royal expert Jennie Bond reported to The Mirror. "But she is fortunate enough to be able to more or less ring-fence school holidays and to arrange her schedule so she can do many of the daily school runs."
Bond continued: "People might complain that she’s especially privileged to be able to do that, but most people know they will be able to retire one day. That is not the case for Catherine. So I admire her for prioritising her children in these early years, and for protecting her own health after suffering such a serious cancer diagnosis."
The Princess of Wales has been very open about her struggles with guilt in the past, opening up about it during her 2020 appearance on Giovanna Fletcher's Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast.
"There’s such a pull, but I am such a hands-on mum, and whatever you’re doing you want to make sure you’re doing the uttermost best job you can for your children," Princess Kate, then Duchess of Cambridge, explained to Fletcher.
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"You hear it time and time again from mums," she continued. "Even mums who aren’t necessarily working, aren’t pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life – there’s always something. And [you are] always sort of questioning your own decision, and your own judgements, and things like that, and I think it starts from the moment you have a baby."
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