When one looks to the royal family, it’s easy to assume their lives might lead a little, um, differently to our own.
But when you strip back the couture, the whirlwind royal tours, the hundreds of lenses pointed their way, one might realise they’re really not so different to us after all.
If you needed an example, allow Duchess Catherine to tell you directly.
The 39-year-old mum-of-three just made another appearance from her country home Anmer Hall in Norfolk amid the UK lockdown.
Like us, the Duchess has continued to work from home throughout the pandemic, with a well set-up work station perched perfectly in her lounge.
Sound familiar? Well, okay, we might not have three to four spacious loungerooms to choose from for our own working from home set-up, but you get the picture.
Kate has a cosy working from home set-up at Anmer Hall.
(Kensington Palace)To add to the relativity, the topic of Duchess Catherine’s latest working Zoom call was on something many people are also doing (or have also done in the last twelve months) – homeschooling their children.
While Australian schools are largely back to business as usual, the UK’s current strict lockdown means many parents are homeschooling their kids.
Kate has been homeschooling her children Prince George, age seven, and Princess Charlotte, age five, from their country residence for the larger part of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her call, which was broadcast on Thursday, the Duchess explained the complexities of navigating homeschooling around our own working lives.
“I know how challenging it is juggling work, home life, school life and everything else that you as parents are doing,” she told the call recipients, three parents, whose children attend Roe Green Junior School in Brent.
In a hilarious game of ‘show and tell’, Kate also let out a few secrets, including one very specific visual: “I’ve become a hairdresser this lockdown, much to my children’s horror, seeing mum cutting hair.”
She also admitted: “We’ve had to become a teacher – and I think, personally, I feel pulled in so many different directions and you try your best with everything but at the end of the day I do feel exhausted.”
The Duchess spoke to several parents whose children attend Roe Green Junior School in Brent.
(Kensington Palace)She gave the parents a message of encouragement as the UK braces for a prolonged lockdown as the virus’ spread is fought against.
“So really well done. Fingers crossed, let’s hope for the positivity as you’ve all been saying. Make sure everyone looks after themselves – it’s very hard to prioritise but it’s definitely needed now more than ever.”
In another sweet moment, Kate was asked who had been her biggest support to her throughout the pandemic – she held up one word: “William.”
Kate paid tribute to her husband’s support during the video call.
(Kensington Palace)Last year, the Duchess spoke candidly about homeschooling George and Charlotte during the UK’s first lockdown.
Speaking to the hosts of the UK’s This Morning, she told them: “George gets very upset because he just wants to do all of Charlotte’s projects. Spider sandwiches are far cooler than literacy work!”
And speaking of the realities of raising children during a pandemic: “It is difficult, it’s hard to explain to a 5 and a 6, nearly 7-year-old, what’s going on,” she added at the time.
Of course, living in a gorgeous country estate like Kate and her family isn’t the reality of many, however, it’s comforting to know that the Duchess is shining the spotlight on the incredible work parents are doing.
And when it all comes down to it, she too is a mother, trying to do the best for her children in a difficult situation. We’re all human after all.
