Princess Kate, Meghan Markle 'struggle' behind public smiles

When the Royal Family attends major events, they are fully aware that the world’s eyes are on them. Whether they are meeting the public or engaging with charity representatives, the royals are supposed to keep warm smile and impeccable appearance.

While being part of the monarchy comes with many privileges—such as wealth, influence, and the ability to champion important causes—it also demands certain sacrifices. One of the most significant is the need to suppress their personal identities in public, in order to fulfill their role as symbols of the UK.

Despite her graceful and engaging demeanor at these events, a royal expert shed light on Kate's personal challenge that makes her royal duties more difficult, reported Mirror.

Royal author and journalist Katie Nicholl, who has accompanied William and Kate on many royal tours, noted that while Kate performs her duties with poise, there is one aspect of her role that she finds particularly tough. 

According to Nicholl, the royal tours have always been challenging for Kate, not because of the public attention, but because they take her away from her children for long periods of time.

“Kate wants to be a modern, hands-on mother and struggles with being away from her children during these tours,” Nicholl explained. 

Although the royal couple can afford nannies, Kate has often relied on her mother to help care for Prince George and Princess Charlotte during these trips, which provided her with comfort and confidence. Nicholl added that it is a constant emotional tug for Kate to leave her children behind, even as she flawlessly fulfills her royal duties.

"Kate wants to be modern, she wants to be hands-on, she wants to be present," Nicholl explained, about why Kate finds the royal tours "tricky".

As a dedicated parent, the Princess of Wales struggles to be away from her children, the expert said.

"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," the expert said, per the Daily Mail.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was renowned for her ability to draw a clear line between her public duties and her private life, carefully guarding her personal side to uphold the symbolic role of the crown. 

This discipline allowed her to be a steadfast figure for the people of the UK and the Commonwealth. Many prominent royal women have followed in her footsteps, maintaining a composed public image while dealing with personal struggles behind closed doors.

One such example was the late Princess Diana, who, despite facing severe mental health challenges and an eating disorder for years, appeared radiant and full of warmth in her public appearances. It was only after the collapse of her marriage that she openly discussed the emotional toll she had been enduring in private.

Similarly, Meghan Markle revealed that during her time as a working royal, she experienced deep emotional distress, including suicidal thoughts while pregnant. 

In an interview with Oprah, Prince Harry shared that on the night Meghan confided these feelings to him, the couple still had to attend a royal engagement. Despite their internal struggles, they appeared publicly at the event, photographed smiling as if everything was fine. Harry reflected on that moment, describing the immense pressure they felt to continue fulfilling their royal duties, regardless of what was happening behind the scenes.

"Because of the system that we were in and the responsibilities and the duties that we had, we had a quick cuddle. And then we had to get changed and jump in a convoy with a police escort and drive to the Royal Albert Hall for a charity event and then step out into a wall of cameras and pretend as though everything is okay," Harry explained.

"There wasn't an option to say, 'You know what, tonight, we’re not going to go'. Because just imagine the stories that come from that. While my wife and I were in those chairs gripping each other's hand, the moment the lights go down, Meghan starts crying. I'm feeling sorry for her but I'm also really angry with myself that we’re stuck in this situation".

The constant pressure of royal responsibilities and the intense public scrutiny became overwhelming for Harry and Meghan. This strain played a significant role in their decision to step back from their roles as full-time working royals.