Kate Middleton is one member of the British royal family who is doing everything by her own rules. While she did have a shaky start, she’s managed to grow into her role as the Duchess of Cambridge and of course, the future Queen of England. And now that Meghan Markle has arrived on the scene, you can tell how much Kate has changed over the years. She doesn’t make the same mistakes she made several years ago. She’s much more poised, confident, and definitely much more mature and comfortable in her role in the monarchy.

Of course, it sure does help that Kate Middleton likes to get away with a lot of things behind the scenes, too. Often times she’s used her children as an excuse to get out of royal engagements and public appearances. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of things that Kate has managed to get away with just because she’s a mom. And we’re not just talking about the “My children are sick” excuse here.

With all of that being said, we’ve got 15 ways Kate Middleton can get away with as a mom just because she’s a royal. Some would agree, some would disagree. Check out our list and let us know what you think in our comments section.

15 She Has Multiple Nannies

For a lot of normal, average families out there, they have no help. If they have a babysitter on standby or a relative or grandparent that is willing to give them a helping hand from time to time, they consider themselves very lucky. Otherwise, the bulk of the work is on their shoulders. But with Prince William and Kate Middleton, that’s not the case. They have all the help that the royal family can afford, including plenty of nannies, household staff, chefs, butlers, and so on that are on call during all hours of the day.

A lot of critics have said that Kate Middleton has no idea what real day-to-day motherhood looks like. There are plenty of struggles. Of course, the Duchess of Cambridge thinks otherwise.

“Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge,” she said, according to Vogue Magazine. “Even for me, who has support at home that most mothers do not. Nothing can really prepare you for the sheer, overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. It’s full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together.”

14 She Can Leave The Palace For Events

During Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, a lot of people were surprised to see Kate Middleton. Of course, it’s not like she could get away with skipping the event. But she did just have a baby – her son Prince Louis – one short month ago. Kate can leave the palace anytime she wishes simply because she has a staff that is probably bigger than the national English football team. A lot of new parents can’t afford such a luxury. In fact, a lot of new mothers wouldn’t even dare show up at a wedding only one month after giving birth, either.

According to Royal.co.uk, Kate once said this during a speech, “Sadly, for some mothers, this experience can be made so much harder due to challenges with their own mental health. Two in ten women will suffer mental health issues that can occur during pregnancy and in the year after birth, often clouding their moments of joy with a real sense of darkness and isolation. 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.”

13 She Doesn’t Have To Worry About Her Appearance

The Duchess of Cambridge is by far one of the most photographed women in the world. For years now, everyone has been obsessed with the “Kate Effect.” Whatever she wears in public usually flies off the store racks in a matter of seconds. And while Kate Middleton knows that her looks are important, she doesn’t have to worry about her appearance. Why?

Because she has a team of stylists who do everything for her. Every mother on the planet would love to have someone pick out their clothes from their closet every morning, help blow dry their hair and masterfully put their makeup on.

What we just described is basically Kate Middleton’s daily life in a nutshell. She doesn’t have to do anything. Talk about royal luck.

“There is no rule book, no right or wrong; you just have to make it up and do the very best you can to care for your family,” she said back in 2017, according to Vogue Magazine. “For many mothers, myself included, this can at times lead to a lack of confidence and feelings of ignorance. Sadly, for some mothers, this experience can be made so much harder due to challenges with our very mental health.”

12 She Doesn’t Have As Much Stress

If there is one thing that Kate Middleton has to stress about, it’s public opinion. Otherwise, she’s got everything made. She never has to worry about where the next dollar or pound will be coming from for her. She certainly doesn’t have to worry about basic needs such as food and shelter. And she also doesn’t have to worry about changing dirty nappies if she doesn’t want to. That’s because she’s got that part of her life well covered. A lot of people would agree that Kate probably has no idea what real motherhood looks like, and especially in the middle of the night. Why stress and wake up with the baby if you can get a wet nurse to do all of that work for you? She’s got it made.

According to People Magazine, Kate had this to say about her mental health awareness campaign, “I see time and time again that there is so much to be gained from talking of mental health and taking the mental health of our children as seriously as we do their physical health. When we intervene early in life, we help avoid problems that are much more challenging to address in adulthood.”

11 She Doesn’t Worry About Money

As we’ve mentioned, Kate Middleton certainly doesn’t have to worry about money. The British taxpayers basically get to fund her royal lifestyle, whether they agree to it or not. She also has all of the access to the crown jewels. Being married to a royal prince and the future King of England sure does have its perks, doesn’t it?

With that being said, she can afford to give her children the best of the best, whether it’s in the form of clothes, toys, or education. A lot of mothers can’t say the same thing.

But then again, this doesn’t mean that her life will always be automatically easy. Speaking about all of the ups and downs she had with William before he proposed to her, Kate told the BBC in their first joint interview back in 2010, “I think at the time I wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person, you find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realized, or I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn't think it at the time. Looking back on it.”

10 She Doesn’t Have To Do Any Of The Cleaning

One of the most difficult things about being a mother is having to maintain a good enough house for your family to live in. Sure, there are many male partners out there that do their fair share of the workload, but most of it is mom’s job. No matter how you look at it, she’s always the CEO of the household. But for Kate, she gets to be the CEO of the household without having to do any of the cleaning.

It’s not like she could physically clean Kensington Palace on her own, anyhow. But it must be nice knowing that someone will always be available to clean up spilled milk.

Kate Middleton told the BBC, “The people around home are very supportive to us and you know those are the people who really matter to us, our close friends and family and I think if sort of they feel you are doing the right thing you can only be sort of true to yourself and you sort of have to ignore a lot of what's said, obviously take it on board, but you know you have to be yourself really and that's how I have stuck by it really.”

9 She Can Leave The Dirty Work For Someone Else

Kate Middleton wants the world to know that she’s a hands-on mom. Even though she has three small children under the age of five at home, she wants to make it pretty clear that she can handle all the work on her own. But let’s face it: when it comes to doing all of the dirty work, chances are she has someone else do it for her. I mean, could you imagine the future Queen of England trying to dispose of a handful of dirty diapers all on her own? Yeah, we didn’t think so, either. Still, Kate insists that she does put in the work whenever she needs to.

Kate opened up about all the work she put in to help her parents’ business before becoming a royal back in 2011. She told the BBC, “Well I think I know I've been working very hard for the family business, and sometimes those days are long days and you know I think if I know I'm working hard and I'm pulling my weight both work and playing hard at the same time, you know I think everyone who I work with can see I am there pulling my weight and that's really what matters to me.”

8 She Doesn’t Worry About Basic Needs

For a lot of new moms and new families, nothing is really secured. One day you have a job with a pretty good income, and the next day it’s gone. But that’s life. Kate Middleton, fortunately, doesn’t have to work about all of those basic needs or if she will have enough money to pay her bills at the end of the week.

She’s not a regular mom: she’s a royal mom. But at the same time, a lot of people aren’t impressed with how she’s been handling the job.

Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell once said this (according to Australia’s Women’s World): “I met Mother Theresa. She had it. Pope John Paul II had it. The Queen has it. Diana certainly had it. Kate doesn’t. She’s a lovely, lovely girl … she totally adores her husband, they’re devoted to each other. But that extra something, which you would call the ‘X-factor’, the magic quality, charisma, it’s not there. Kate seems to have been selected for her role of princess because she was irreproachable: as painfully thin as anyone could wish, without quirks, without oddities, without the risk of the emergence of character. She appears precision-made, machine-made: so different from Diana, whose human awkwardness and emotional incontinence showed in her every gesture.”

7 There’s Always Someone Available To Help

Luckily for Kate Middleton, it does seem as though she can rely on Prince William at any given moment throughout the day. After all, he spends just as much time at home as she does (many media outlets have even called the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge the most “work shy” couple in royal history). With that being said though, Kate Middleton never feels alone. At least, not in a physical sense. And with three small children to take care of, there’s always someone available to give her a helping hand when she needs it the most. Not a lot of moms in Kate’s position can say that. Motherhood can oftentimes feel like the loneliest job in the world, especially when the going gets tough.

While no one knows just how much Kate walks the walk or talks the talk, she is aware of the problems, though. Kate once had this to say during a speech (via Royal.co.uk): “Mothers take on an overwhelming responsibility of caring for their families. Their role is vital in providing unconditional love, care, and support at home, particularly in the early years of a child’s development. We therefore should do everything we can to support and value their hard work.”

6 Her Life Will Always Look Picture Perfect

Of course, no one knows how Prince William and Kate Middleton’s life looks like from the inside. All we know is what they choose to show us in public and often times that public image is a very well crafted one. To the naked eye, it looks picture perfect, even when it’s not.

As many people can recall, Princess Diana’s life also looked very picture perfect. But her life slowly but surely spiraled out of control, especially after her divorce from Prince Charles.

Kate knows that and that’s why she’s worked very hard to maintain a sense of control, even during the most difficult times. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have her mother-in-law around to tell her what to do and what not to do, which she regrets the most. Princess Diana would have been a great asset in her life right now.

Speaking about how she regrets never meeting Princess Diana, Kate told the BBC back in 2010, “Obviously I would have loved to have met her and she's obviously she's an inspirational woman to look up to. Obviously on this day and you know going forward and things, you know it is a wonderful family, the members who I've met have achieved a lot and you know very inspirational and so, yes, I do.”

5 She Breaks Royal Rules

Kate Middleton is a notorious rule breaker. Everyone has seen her break the royal rulebook several times. As a matter of fact, Kate makes it pretty clear that she’s willing to do things her own way, regardless of what many people might say about it. She travels with her kids, she repeats outfits in public, and she will even cancel royal engagements to stay at home.

And while it might look like she’s shy and soft-spoken in public, it’s pretty clear that she’s in the driver’s seat.

She even controls her family’s public image by releasing photos that she’s taken of her kids, which is something no royal has done before her. Clearly, Kate has taken a much more modern approach to her royal as a duchess and a mother, regardless if people agree to it or not.

According to Good Housekeeping, one royal expert had this to say, “William is very press-shy, for all the obvious reasons. He blames the press for his mother's death, to some extent. Kate Middleton is the coolest head in the royal family. She knows how to handle them, and one way to handle them is to release photos on your own terms."

4 She Doesn’t Always Listen To Prince William

Truth be told, Kate Middleton doesn't always listen to her husband, Prince William. But then again, what married couple works like clockwork? Everyone has their good days and their bad, but at the end of the day, it’s their partnership that matters the most. The Duchess of Cambridge understands this and that’s why she’s made it no secret that she is very grateful for everything that she has in her life, thanks to her marriage to Prince William. While he might not always show it, it’s obvious that Prince William loves Kate Middleton. They are in it to win it together while weathering every storm that comes their way. After all, they’ve already made it this far in life.

Kate knows that she will always have to deal with as many downs in her life as ups. It’s a constant royal rollercoaster, so to speak.

According to Romper, Kate once gushed about her husband, “You know, over the years William has looked after me, he's treated me very well — as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and also through the bad times. I’m very, very lucky. He looks after me as much as possible."

3 And She Certainly Doesn’t Listen To Queen Elizabeth

A lot of people believe that there’s some discord between Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth behind Buckingham Palace doors. Now, we don’t know if this is certain, and we might never know the truth, really. But we do know is that Kate Middleton doesn’t always obey Prince William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

It’s pretty apparent that Kate is raising her children very differently than how Queen Elizabeth once raised hers.

But with all of this being said, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Kate Middleton still respects the Queen. After all, she is one of the most well-respected royals of her time. She’s also managed to stay on top of the popularity charts too, which isn’t always easy.

Speaking to ITV, Kate had this to say, “All the time William and I are so struck by the Queen's sense of duty and commitment. And I think to do that by yourself would be a very lonely place to be. But I think to have the support of your husband there by your side on those occasions – and behind closed doors as well – I think is really special. William and I have got quite a long way to go. But, no, it really, really is fantastic."

2 She Has A Different Approach To Parenting

Simply put, Kate Middleton has a different approach to parenting, especially compared to the rest of the royal family. She knows that she had a much different upbringing than the one that Prince William and Prince Harry had. It was normal, it was full of fun and laughter, the great outdoors, and plenty of family memories. She’s also managed to change Prince William and his approach and outlook on life throughout their marriage. And luckily for Kate, Prince William has noticed this change, too. And it’s one that he is very comfortable with. She’s helped him open up and be better in tune with his feelings.

William has said that he is very grateful for how Kate has changed him and the positive influence that the rest of the Middleton family has had on him.

"I’m a lot more emotional than I used to be," William said, according to Hello Magazine back in 2016. "I never used to get too wound up or worried about things. But now the smallest little things, you well up a little more, you get affected by the sort of things that happen around the world or whatever a lot more, I think, as a father."

1 She Can Give Her Kids The Best Of Both Worlds

If there’s one thing that sets Kate Middleton apart from the rest of the pack, it’s that she is in the position that she can give her kids the best of both worlds. At Buckingham Palace, they get to enjoy all of the finer things in life that comes with being a part of the royal family.

But at the Middleton manor, they get to be regular kids. They get to watch cartoons on television, eat sugar, chase horses and pigs, and get dirty whenever they need or want to.

And most importantly, they can also be themselves. This way Kate knows that her children will get to know what life is like for normal kids their age. But at the same time, they will also learn how to take pride in their work and responsibilities as royals and future leaders of the monarchy.

“They're not having them raised by a coterie of nannies behind palace walls," one royal expert told Good Housekeeping. "Charles had no real exposure as a small child to the world outside the royal circle. She does have a nanny, but really Kate is a hands-on mom. The Cambridges are following in Diana's footsteps with that one.”

References: Vogue Magazine, Royal.co.uk, People Magazine, BBC, Australia Women’s World, Royal.co.uk, Good Housekeeping, Romper, ITV, Hello Magazine