5 times Kate Middleton was a mom first, royal second

Sure, she’s technically a princess (just check out the occupation she listed on Prince Louis’ birth certificate) but the former Kate Middleton is also a mom. She takes her royal duties very seriously, making appearances internationally and in the UK, representing the royal family and the various causes and charities she champions.

But sometimes the Duchess has found herself on royal duty and mom duty concurrently, and when it happens the pictures prove Kate’s a mom first and a royal second.

Case in point: The most recent royal event, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.

Instagram @kensingtonroyal

Little Prince Louis, born April 23, stayed home but the Duchess of Cambridge was still very much in mom-mode, wrangling her two oldest children, 4-year-old Prince George and 3-year-old Princess Charlotte (among others) as they were part of the historic wedding party.

Even Kate’s outfit was a total mom move. While most guests debuted brand new outfits for the big event, she stuck to a dress very similar to one she’s worn to two previous events. She wanted to be there to support her kids (and future sister-in-law), but was happy to let them have the spotlight.

Plus, she just had a baby, so maybe she just didn’t care to devote a ton of time to dress fittings during her fourth trimester when she already knows this style fits her well. Whatever the reason for the dress, she looked perfect in it while helping her kids take their place on the world’s stage (while still letting them be kids).

Getty

Of course, this wasn’t Kate’s first wedding as a mom. Royal protocol prevented her from being a Matron of Honor at her sister Pippa’s wedding last year, so you could say she’s always a mom, never a bridesmaid.

She played a very important role on her sister’s big day, though, as Prince George and Princess Charlotte were in that wedding, too (again, along with several other little kids) and the Duchess stayed busy wrangling the underage wedding party, leading little hands and dolling out shushes when needed.

Getty

We have all been this version of Kate.

Okay, but when you gotta talk to ya kid through your teeth. Kate is me. #momface https://t.co/kasFkHLzOW

— mandylorian (@mandylorian)
1526766885.0

And then of course, there was the time that Princess Charlotte, then 2 years old, had a bit of a toddler meltdown near the end of a week-long royal tour of Germany and Poland. The Cambridges were mid-photo op at an airport in front of a throng of cameras when the tiny princess did what 2-year-olds do and melted down. Kate did what moms (royal or not) do: She kept her calm and helped her baby girl regain hers, scooping her up without missing a beat.

Getty

Maybe aircraft and royal toddlers just don’t go together because the Duchess had to come to Prince George’s rescue during a visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2016, too.

Getty

And then there’s this shot. Cute flats, jeans and a tee, sitting on the grass. That’s way more ‘mom’ than Duchess. (Doesn’t every mom have those days when your kids are more dressed up than you are?)

Getty

Whether she’s in jeans or a designer dress, at a wedding or a polo match, we’re pretty sure the Duchess is among the majority of millennial moms who define themselves as moms first. Yes, she’s British royalty, but to her kids she’s the world.

You might also like:

• The Royal wedding is kid-friendly and we’re here for it
• 5 photos of kids being kids at the royal wedding
• Our favorite thing about the official royal wedding portrait is the kids