This is the 'first thing' Kate Middleton asks when engagements are planned - and it shows royal motherhood has 'changed'

The Princess of Wales has been open about experiencing "mum guilt" and the "constant challenge" of balancing work and family life. Her candid confessions in 2020 showed just how much being a hands-on parent means to her and the question she asks first when visits are planned proves this is her first priority.

"She likes to do the school run and all those things," royal commentator Katie Nicholl recently claimed. "From my conversations with aides, once a royal trip or engagement is planned, the first thing they ask before looking at the itinerary is, 'How does this work for us as a family?'"

Kate’s focus on making sure work fits around family life is something that Katie believes is "dramatically" different to how royal motherhood was in the past.

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"Being a royal mother has changed dramatically. For women like the Princess of Wales, family now comes before everything else, and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are growing up in a totally different age," the expert shared.

In her view, "every effort is taken to ensure their childhood is as ordinary as possible", from the Prince and Princess doing the school runs themselves to cheering the kids on at sports matches. Back in October, Prince William also told Eugene Levy on The Reluctant Traveler that he tries to "stick to school timetables as much as possible" and that they regularly "sit and chat" as a family.

Although they do have the support of nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, her involvement is very pared-back compared to that which royal nannies historically had. When King Charles and Princess Anne were 5 and 3, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip undertook a six month-long Commonwealth tour.

"[They]were so small when she became Queen and she just had so much to do," Princess Margaret’s former Lady-in-Waiting, Lady Glenconner has claimed. "In those days, it took ages to get to countries so she didn’t have a great deal of time to be with her older two."

Things changed a lot since then and Princess Diana went on to forge a path as a royal mum that Kate has taken a step further. Her first question about trips highlights that things have to make sense for the family too and after she made her cancer diagnosis public in 2024, this ethos has become even stronger.

The Princess of Wales announced she was in remission last January and has yet to undertake an overseas tour since resuming royal duties.

She and Prince William visited the Isles of Mull and Iona in April 2025 and this is thought to have been her only multi-day engagement away from home since then.

Kate has declared that her cancer journey reminded her to "reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life" and her interest in early years development likely inspires her approach to life as a royal mum too.

"The relationships in a family or that's surrounding a child is so important," she said back in 2017. "It's not about the number of toys they've got or the number of, sort of, trips that you go on with them. It's just making sure that they've got the right emotional support around them."