Photos of Kate Middleton Doing Regular Mom Things

Royal moms… they’re just like us! Okay, so not quite. Most of us don’t have our entire lives documented as part of an entire nation’s ruling family. And, to that end, most of us don’t give birth to princes and princesses. Still, Kate Middleton is a lot more like us “regular” moms than one might imagine.

There are differences in the details, naturally. But pictures of her parenting prove that the Duchess of Cambridge — and, arguably, any mom — tends to act just like any other mom would in situations involving her three kids: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Sometimes, that means scooping up Princess Charlotte after she takes a fall on the hard airplane tarmac. Other times it means trying to comfort Prince Louis through a classic toddler meltdown (oof, we’ve been there, Mama). She goes on playdates, she lets her babies yank on her impeccable hair and she even occasionally slips into every busy mom’s casual wardrobe of skinny jeans and a striped Breton top. Even more impressive for a royal (and oh-so-relatable): The Duchess is a fan of re-wearing her favorite designer clothing.

So, yes, she’s royalty and that makes her an inherently unique mom. At the same time, though, the following photos go to show that we’re more alike than different from the Duchess of Cambridge. Well, on the parenting front anyway!

A version of this story was originally published in 2019.

Baking Mama

Image Credit: DPPA/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images.

Along with the high-profile events that took place nearly every minute of the Platinum Jubilee, Kate Middleton took some time to bake with all three of her children (and posted the super-sweet baking session to their official Instagram!) They all looked so happy and at peace.
Managing Tantrums

Image Credit: Photo by: zz/KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPx.

If you caught Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, then you know Prince Louis made headlines multiple times with his emotive face and temper tantrum. But mama Kate Middleton was handling it with grace and calmness. If you need any more proof, check out this viral video here.
Averting Crisis

Image Credit: zz/KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPx 2022.

Kate Middleton had a lightbulb moment and knew exactly how to tame the wild, emotive Prince Louis. She popped out a story and read it to the now-calm boy of hers!
Checking In On Her Little Ones

Image Credit: Photo by: zz/KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPx.

During the Platinum Jubilee, the Cambridges went on a trip to Cardiff Castle in Wales. While on the trip, Kate Middleton liked to subtly check in on her kids throughout the big day (and at one point helped boost Princess Charlotte’s confidence to do an adorable conducting performance!)
Keeping Her Son Interested In Sport

Image Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool.

During the Euro 2020 soccer championship final between England and Italy at Wembley stadium in London on July 11, 2021, Kate could be seen watching the match alongside her son, Prince George! Don’t let the photo fool you, though. Despite George’s expression, he was totally into the match!
Corralling All of her Kids

Image Credit: AP.

While attending a special pantomime performance at London’s Palladium Theatre on Dec. 11, 2020, Kate kept all three of her children focused on the magical display happening right in front of them.
Family Outings

Image Credit: AP.

A night out for the whole family! Kate and Prince William were joined by their youngsters, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, for a special pantomime performance at London’s Palladium Theatre, hosted by The National Lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic.
Posing for the Family Christmas Card

Image Credit: James Whatling / MEGA.

On December 17, 2020, Kate and her family shared their precious Christmas card with the world! With her arms wrapped around Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, so many mom’s could see the effort it took to capture this precious photo.
Photographing Her Family

Image Credit: The Duchess of Cambridge/PA Wire/Shutterstock.

OK, technically this isn’t a photo of Kate doing a normal mom thing, because she’s not actually in the picture. But we’d argue — correctly, ahem — that nothing’s more of a “mom thing” than being the one behind the camera, capturing those sweet and silly family moments for posterity. This gem, released by Kensington Palace for Father’s Day 2020 (which also happened to be Prince William’s 38th birthday) proves her skill.
Intercepting Naughty Behavior

Image Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock.

Oh, kids. If there’s one thing you can always expect from them, it’s the unexpected. Case in point? At the King’s Cup Regatta, a charity sailing match in which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge competed in, Kate took Princess Charlotte to a window to watch the awards ceremony (she and Wills didn’t win). But, lo and behold, Charlotte felt the appropriate greeting for the crowd below was sticking her tongue out at them. Hilariously, the entire exchange was caught on video… including Kate trying to pull Charlotte away from the window.
Taking a Family Portrait

Image Credit: Matt Porteous/Shutterstock.

Like any other mom, Kate undoubtedly wants to document her sweet family as time passes. So, she did what any of the rest of us might do — she convinced her family to wear semi-coordinated outfits and strike a “natural” pose for family pictures.
Getting into the Holiday Spirit

Image Credit: James Veysey/Shutterstock.

See, it isn’t just us… Halloween really is more fun when you have kids! Kate Middleton definitely seems to lean into the holiday spirit now that she has three little ones underfoot. In October, a source told Us Weekly that she planned a full day of Halloween festivities for her kids, including making “pumpkin faces” and baking cookies.

And she’s just as jolly during Christmas. Last week, she stopped by Peterley Manor Farm’s “Elves Enchanted Forest,” where she helped kids pick out Christmas trees and played among the evergreens.
Exploring Nature

Image Credit: MEGA.

Kate absolutely loved bonding with her youngest, Prince Louis, while they were exploring nature.
Time in the Garden

Image Credit: MEGA.

During their visit to the Adam White and Andree Davies co-designed ‘Back to Nature’ garden in May 2019, Kate and her whole family explored the beauty of nature!
Getting a Little Dirt on Her Skirt

Image Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock.

When you have kids, you have to let go of the idea that your clothes will stay clean. Like, ever again. So, during a charity polo match at Beaufort Park in July, the Duchess sat right in the grass to better wrangle Prince Louis.
Dropping the Kids Off at School

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Despite the fact that she could clearly have any number of people do it for her, Kate insists on taking Prince George and Princess Charlotte to school at Thomas’s Battersea. This year, that included Charlotte’s first day — a milestone she missed with George due to extreme morning sickness in her pregnancy with Prince Louis.
Enjoying a Playdate

Image Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock.

While Prince William and Prince Harry participating in a polo match earlier this year, their wives enjoyed a leisurely play date with their little ones. Kate and sister-in-law Meghan Markle entertained Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and baby Archie on the law overlooking the match. At one point, little Prince Louis even grabbed his mom’s sunglasses and put them on, making Auntie Meghan laugh.
Employing the Art of Distraction

Image Credit: Geoff Robinson Photography/Shutterstock.

Kids cry — sometimes at inopportune times, during very serious, capital-I-important events. And while we can’t be exactly sure what’s going on here, it sure looks to our experienced-mom eyes as if Kate is trying very hard to distract an unhappy Princess Charlotte during the 2018 Trooping the Colour ceremony. Look honey, a parade!
Pushing a Stroller

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Look: It’s Kate pushing her baby in a stroller — just like any other mom! In this case, the Duchess was pushing Princess Charlotte in a Silver Cross pram on the way to St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Britain, for her baby daughter’s Christening.
Giving Chase in ‘Mom Clothes’

Image Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock.

Sure, we’re all accustomed to seeing the Duchess of Cambridge dressed in her elegant best and maintaining proper decorum. But at the end of the day, she’s just another mama. And sometimes, like this instance at Beaufort Polo Club in 2015, that means rocking casual threads while chasing your kid all over kingdom come. Note the toys in Kate’s hand, too.
Playing the Super-Protective Mom

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

At the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2016, Kate wasn’t taking any chances with Prince George’s hearing. The duchess made sure her firstborn wore protective headgear to drown out the loud din from planes on the airfield.
Getting Her Hair Yanked On

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Ah, yes. This is a familiar scene for any mom, right? At some point, you’re going to sacrifice your hair (and general comfort level) to your baby’s grabby hands. Kate calmly did so in the name of keeping a young Prince George happy during an event for Plunket nurses and parents with their young children at Government House, Wellington, New Zealand.
Attending Kids’ Parties

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Not even being a royal can get you out of taking your kids to the birthday parties of other little ones! At this shindig, Kate played the part of enthusiastic mom by indulging Princess Charlotte and Prince George with some balloon animal action.
Taking Baby George to the Zoo

Image Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock.

A trip to the zoo can be a great way to entertain kids and sneak in a little educational enhancement at the same time. One of Kate’s first trips as a mom was to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney with little Prince George in 2014.
Comforting a Cranky Kid

Image Credit: Timm/Action Press/Action Press/Shutterstock.

In 2017, when the royals were visiting Germany, Kate ran into a little trouble with Charlotte during their official departure. Making their way to their Airbus in Hamburg, Charlotte can be seen crying, resisting and even falling down in photos. To her credit, Kate pulls out the mom win by getting down on Charlotte’s level to bring her comfort.
Turning to Reinforcements

Image Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you just can’t win with your kids. And so you outsource! At this year’s Trooping the Colour ceremony in July, Prince Louis proved particularly fussy. Instead of getting frustrated, though, Kate kept her cool and relied on a classic mom move: handing the tot off to Dad.
Coming Prepared with Toys

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Every mom knows that a huge portion of parenting is just finding a way to keep your kids occupied, and Kate clearly has this figured out. At the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy event last year in Gloucester, the duchess could be seen sitting on the ground with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, playing with a giant slinky to keep them entertained.