Kate Middletonis baring a major part of herself and opening up about her life as a mother.
“She is exposing herself,” a palace source tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “This is not a vanity exercise. This is her talking about her work and what she has learned as a mother because of her work.”
Kate, 38, revealeddetails of her pregnancyand even hit on how she “reallyquite liked labor.” She even admitted tofeeling mom guiltwhen she has to leave her children to carry out official royal duties.
“Yes, absolutely — and anyone who doesn’t as a mother is actually lying!” she said. “Yep — all the time. You know, even this morning, coming to the nursery visit here, George and Charlotte were like, ‘Mummy, how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?’ ”
“It’s a constant challenge — you hear it time and time again from moms, even moms who aren’t necessarily working and aren’t pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life,” Kate continued.
Kate Middleton and Giovanna Fletcher.Kensington Palace
Kate spoke about her own childhood, saying she had a “very happy childhood” and came from “a very strong family.”
“But I think the things that really resonate with me most are the simple things and actually I see that now with my own children, life now is so busy, so distracting and actually sometimes the simple things, like watching a fire on a really rainy day provides such enjoyment,” Kate said.
Of Kate’s candid interview, podcast host Giovanna Fletcher, herself a mom of three boys, says: “I had never heard her speak so openly in this way before. I remember having a moment when we were in there and [I thought], ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’ And I was trying to act like it was completely normal, and it’s not!”
Prince Louis, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Kate’s podcast appearance came as she was promoting hergroundbreaking survey called “5 Big Questions on the Under Fives.”Responses — over 200,000 have already been recorded — will help guide Kate as she maps out how she can help young people and their caregivers and parents in the coming years. The questions include topics such as nature vs. nurture, health and happiness.
“She has become credible in the early years space,” says the palace source.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from—we’re all going through a lot of the same things,” adds Fletcher. “We are all having sleepless nights and going through potty training or whatever it is . . . there’s something that unites us all. I think having the Duchess on really highlights that.”
Kate Middleton.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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Kate’s ability to talk honestly and openly points to her growing confidence.
“She is finding her voice,” a well-placed palace source previously told PEOPLE of the future queen.
source: people.com
