We can all agree that the Princess of Wales is an inspirational mother, and that was clearly shown when her three children greeted her at the end of her recent Three Peaks' Challenge and also when she has navigated parenting moments under the spotlight. But as a mother myself, it is refreshing to hear that even royalty can find parenting difficult sometimes. Princess Kate opened up about her own "challenges" when it comes to bringing up her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, when she attended Wimbledon last week
The 44-year-old spent time watching tennis alongside Sir Andy Murray and Anne Keothavong, and the latter has revealed that the three of them shared stories about their parenting experiences during their time together.
© WireImageAnne, who is five-time British number one, recalled her time with the Princess when she spoke to reporters on Tuesday, PA Media details that she said: “She didn’t stop chatting, it was brilliant. Andy was there as well and we all have kids [who are of a] similar age, so a lot of the chat revolved around that, and tennis, and encouraging young kids to play and the challenges that we face as parents.”
© Getty ImagesShe also added: “It was really fun. She was really interested in the tennis and really easy to talk to. I think she had a huge amount of appreciation for the power that the players were able to produce, and the athleticism of both Katie and Madison."
Kate watched the match with British sportswoman Katie Swan and Madison Keys from the US on Court One on Thursday last week. Sadly, Katie was knocked out of the competition by Madison following a 6-1, 6-4 loss.
Princess Kate's honest motherhood comments
In 2017, Princess Kate made an impassioned speech about parenthood and mental health. She pointed out that despite two in ten women experiencing mental health issues in pregnancy or during the postpartum period, many do not ask for help. She said: "Many of these women also suffer in silence, overwhelmed by negative feelings, but also afraid to admit to the struggles they are facing due to the fear or shame of what others might think if they 'aren’t coping'.
© Niki Nikolova"Some of this fear is about the pressure to be a perfect parent; pretending we're all coping perfectly and loving every minute of it. It's right to talk about motherhood as a wonderful thing, but we also need to talk about its stresses and strains. It’s ok not to find it easy. Asking for help should not be seen as a sign of weakness."
In the same speech she admitted that she struggles despite having hands-on help: "Becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge. Even for me, who has support at home that most mothers do not."
