Every mother has her own particular way of parenting, regardless of who she is. Be it a working mom or a royal mom, every mother hopes to raise her children in the best way possible. The women who married everyone’s favorite English princes, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, are quite different, which means their approaches to motherhood are just as different. Here are some of the ways the two deviate despite both being royal.

Public Appearances

Marrying Prince William means that Kate Middleton has to take on many public appearances, about 2000 per year! While Kate and Will try to keep their kids’ lives as private as possible, they do still make quite a bit of public appearances.

 

Rarely Seen

Meghan Markle was very open about the negativity from the public she experienced when joining the royal family. She has shared that she wants to keep her baby Archie away from that kind of negativity, and she and Harry have said that they had “no other option” but stay away from the spotlight so they could keep their son away from “intense scrutiny.”

 

Public Christenings

All of Kate Middleton and William’s kids were christened while wearing a replica of Queen Victoria’s christening gown. All of their children were christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. The Queen was present at the christenings of George and Charlotte.

 

Private Christening

Meghan and Harry decided to have their baby’s christening at a private chapel at Windsor Castle with just 25 guests in attendance. The Queen did not attend the ceremony but Kate Middleton and Prince William were there. Baby Archie was also christened by The Archbishop of Canterbury.

 

Line Of Succession

Next in line for the throne is Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Charles. Following him is his son, Prince William. After him come his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis respectively. It is likely that Prince William will become king one day.

 

Unlikely King

While Prince Harry is sixth in line to the throne, it seems highly unlikely that he will become king. His son, Master Archie Harrison, follows him and is seventh in line to the throne. Harry and Meghan chose not to give him a royal title, and goes by “Master” instead.

 

Fully British

Both Kate Middleton, who was born in Berkshire, England, and Prince William, who was born in London are fully British. Middleton’s family has ties to British aristocracy going back until 1926. Their three children all have deep English roots.

 

British American

Baby Archie’s father is fully British, but his mother Meghan was born in Los Angeles. She is also of African American descent. That means that Archie is multi-racial as well, in addition to being both an American and British citizen.

 

A Normal Childhood

Kate has expressed that she had a wonderful childhood and wants her children to experience a “normal” childhood as much as possible. Cai Graham, a parenting expert, has said: “Admittedly, Kate has learned the importance to showing her children a ‘normal life’, as Diana did so very well, in queuing in theme parks or having the occasional trip to McDonald’s!”

 

Private Citizen

When Harry and Meghan knew they were expecting, they began to think about how they wanted to raise their child. Thinking of all the negative press both Meghan and Harry’s late mother Princess Diana experienced, they decided to forgo giving their baby a royal title and raise him as a private citizen. They hope that he can have a normal upbringing.

 

Aware Of Privilege

In an interview with Huffington Post, Kate has shared: “Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge, 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.”

 

Mental Health Struggles

In a candid interview with Today, Meghan shared her struggles with her mental health during her early days of motherhood. She said: “Look, any woman, especially when they’re pregnant– you’re really vulnerable. So that was made really challenging. And then, you have a newborn, you know? It’s really a lot.”

 

Kids’ Brands Clothing

Prince William and Kate’s children make frequent public appearances, and a lot of emphasis is placed on their outfits. Kate chooses classic brands like Rachel Riley, Amaia Kids, Papouelli, and Pepa & Co. Often, the clothes that they are seen in sell out within minutes. London-based consulting firm Brand Finance has estimated that the two eldest royal children contributed $7.7 billion to the UK economy.

 

Meghan Opts For H&M

While on a trip to South Africa, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex brought their baby Archie along. The 5 month old was photographed wearing H&M overalls that cost $20, and quickly sold out of stores. While visiting a woman’s shelter in Cape Town, Markle brought clothes that Archie had outgrown to donate.

 

Famous Nanny

Kate and William hired Maria Teresa Turrion when Prince George was about six months old and she has been the children’s nanny ever since. She graduated from the Norland College, which is known for its exceptional child-rearing classes. She is typically seen sending off the children to and from school and helps out during royal weddings as well.

 

Private Nanny

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also hired a nanny, saying that she has been “a blessing” while they traveled around the globe. They have not revealed her identity and Markle strives to keep her privacy protected.

 

Gardening And Art

In an interview on podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby, Kate shared: “I had an amazing Granny who devoted a lot of time to us– playing with us, doing arts and crafts, and going to the greenhouse to do gardening, and cooking with us. I try and incorporate a lot of the experiences that she gave us at the time into the experiences that I give my children now.”

 

Cooking Together

Meghan’s close friends have shared that she loves cooking and is a very engaged and hands-on mother. Her friend Daniel Martin told Gayle King: “I’m sure the baby’s going to be raised clean and green. She loves to cook, eating organic whenever she can. I totally see her marking her own food. Totally!”

 

Silver Cross Balmoral Pram

Kate Middleton chose a $3,999 Silver Cross Balmoral Pram for Princess Charlotte. It has been described as the “Rolls Royce” of prams and has been used by the royal family for more than a century. Even the Queen herself was pushed around in one of these when she was a baby.

 

Bugaboo Fox

Meghan chose to go a different route, and chose to use a $1500 Bugaboo Fox carriage which was gifted to the couple by a friend when they were still expecting. The carriage is very practical, and also also used by Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton for her baby.

 

Close With Grandparents

Kate is close with her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. They are frequently seen around the royal family and they will often watch the children when Kate and William have official engagements. Kate is the oldest child of three.

 

Living Near Mom

After Meghan and Harry stepped down as royals, they announced that they would be splitting their time between England and the United States. In 2020 they began to look for a home in Los Angeles, where Markle’s mother lives, so they could spend more time with her.

 

Engagement Rings

Prince William proposed to Kate with the ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana. The 12-carat ring is valued at $400,000 and features an oval blue sapphire and is surrounded by solitaire diamonds. Prince Harry proposed to Meghan with a ring that featured two diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection along with a center stone from Bostwana, where the two fell in love. Her sing is valued at $350,000.

 

Prepping For The Big Day

Leading up to her wedding day, Markle experienced very harsh treatment from British tabloids. She was labelled as an American actress who was not suitable to marry into the British royal family. Two years after their wedding, the couple announced that they were stepping down as senior royals.

 

Waving To The Crowds

Following the ceremony, duchesses who have joined the royal family are expected to demonstrate a perfect regal wave to the crowds standing by the carriage ride. Kate stayed in form, with her fingers close together, while Meghan chose a more relaxed approach with spaced out fingers.

 

Prince Charles’ Outfits

William and Harry’s father, Prince Charles, chose very different outfits for the two royal weddings. For Prince William’s wedding, he wore his royal uniform with all of its regalia. While attending Harry’s wedding, he opted for a simple grey suit. His wife Camilla Parker chose similar outfits of light pink dresses and hats.

 

Walking Down The Aisle

While walking down the aisle, Kate was accompanied by her father Michael Middleton. Unfortunately, Meghan’s father was experience health issues and was not able to travel to London for her wedding. She walked down the aisle solo before Prince Charles met her halfway.

 

Their Reception Dresses

Following the royal weddings, Prince Charles hosted a wedding reception for both of his sons’ big days. Kate chose a classic Alexander McQueen dress to wear to the reception. Meghan opted for a Stella McCartney dress that reportedly cost $157,000.

 

First Kiss

Many anticipate the first kiss following the royal wedding. Prince William and Kate Middleton shared their first kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first post-wedding kiss took place outside of St. George’s Chapel right after the ceremony.

 

The Middletons’ Attire

Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton are considered to be part of the British elite society, and have ties to the British royals for many years back. At their daughter’s royal wedding, Carole wore a light blue suit and Michael chose a suit and top hat. The two wore similar outfits for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.

 

The Tiaras

Of course, no royal wedding would be complete without a tiara. At her wedding, Kate Middleton donned a Cartier tiara that was given to Queen Elizabeth II on her 18th birthday. Meghan was also given a tiara owned by the Queen. The Diamond Bandeau tiara was designed in 1932.