

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
For any parent, leaving their kids at home is difficult. Kate Middleton may be a duchess, but she's also a mom—and she's not immune to this experience.
As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge settle back into their U.K. lives after their eight-day Caribbean tour, royal author Katie Nicholl recalled how difficult Middleton has found traveling without her kids in the past.
"I remember being with her when we were on a tour together in Bhutan [in 2016, when Princess Charlotte was just 11 months old] and we had a moment to talk about how difficult it was to leave little children behind," Nicholl told Closer.
"Despite being the Duchess of Cambridge and being able to afford around-the-clock nannies and so on, she had her mum looking after Prince George and Princess Charlotte, which struck me as just really normal.
"I could see how much comfort and confidence that gave her in getting on with her job, which she does brilliantly, but I think it is always such a wrench for her to leave her children behind."
Speaking to author and podcast host Giovanna Fletcher in 2020, the duchess had already admitted to feeling "mum guilt" when she has to leave George, Charlotte and Louis.
"Yep, all the time," she said. "Even this morning, coming to the nursery visit here—George and Charlotte were like, 'Mummy, how could you possibly not be dropping us off as school this morning?'"
Unfortunately, Middleton will need to travel more and more in the future as her role in the Royal Family evolves. Hopefully, it will become a bit easier for her with time as the children grow up.
"William and Kate are being groomed right now," former royal butler Paul Burrell told Closer. "They are serving their apprenticeship (to become future King and Queen) in the Caribbean—in the same way the Queen once did herself, because she is getting older and it’s inevitable what will happen.
"The Queen will be very proud of them and their duties will be more as time goes on. It’s sad for them because they have a young family and I’m sure they are going to see less and less of them."
Said Caribbean tour might have been the Cambridges' most challenging yet, since they were met with protests from the nations they visited—Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
There have been reports that Prince William intends to plan more shorter trips in the future, so hopefully he and his wife won't be away from their children for huge chunks of time.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Princess Kate Is Absolutely Nailing the Business Casual Look This Week
Pantsuits everywhere!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
24 Hours With Naomi Osaka
The tennis star on her new beauty routine after welcoming her baby, easing back into tennis, and her self-care ritual.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
Leighton Meester Just Went Full Blair Waldorf in Milan
And her dress is in stock!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
From a Run in Central Park to a Rat Running Past Him, Prince William Got a Taste of the True NYC Experience
He was in town for just 48 hours.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince William and Kate Middleton Had a Very, Very Awkward First Date
Yikes.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
On Solo NYC Visit, Prince William Showed a “Deeper Confidence”—and Proof That He’s a New Type of Royal
An expert said he appeared “in awe of the U.S.” while stateside.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Hiring a CEO Signals They're "Moving Into a New Age," Says Royal Expert
It's already causing trouble, apparently.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Prince William Went for a Run in Central Park This Morning, and Nobody Noticed
“It was wonderful waking up in New York on a sunny morning.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Here's Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stay, Eat, and Visit While in New York City
Prince William arrives in the Big Apple today, but hopefully he’ll have time to have a little fun, too, maybe at one of these hotspots.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Princess Kate “Not Expected to Accompany” Prince William to Singapore for This Year’s Earthshot Prize Awards, Reports Say
She is also staying behind as William travels to New York City this week.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince William and Princess Kate’s New CEO Hire Will “Ruffle Feathers” Within the Firm’s Hierarchy
“Whoever this person is, they will have to be one tough cookie.”
By Rachel Burchfield