Kate Middleton Skipped An Important Ceremony To Help Prince George Through A Major Milestone

William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales', dedication to their children is obvious in so much of what they do. But one place their devotion to their three children, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte, really shines through is when it comes to finding that balance between work and home life.

We saw that on full display back in September 2023 when it was announced that Kate Middleton wouldn't be tagging along on a trip to Singapore for the Earthshot Prize Awards. People confirmed before William (who actually founded the awards) jetted off that he'd be making the trip without his spouse, as Kate decided to stay home in the U.K. to help George because he had exams at school. William confirmed that was the case in November 2023 as he spoke on stage to those who had gathered for the annual event. "I should mention Catherine is very sorry she can't be here, she's helping George through his first set of major exams," William said (via Daily Mail). 

That wasn't the only Earthshot-related event Kate missed that year, though. Kate also didn't join William for a brief September 2023 trip to New York City for the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit. That was for a very similar reason, as People noted the two like to make it so one of them is home with their kids whenever they can.

When Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022, Catherine, Princess of Wales, opted to stay with her kids while William, Princes of Wales, visited his grandmother's Balmoral estate in Scotland to say his goodbyes and be with the rest of his family. In a statement, Kensington Palace confirmed, "[Kate] has remained in Windsor as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are on their first full day at their new school." Shortly after the late queen's passing, The Sun published candid photos of Kate driving to collect her children — who have grown up a lot since the passing of their great-grandmother — from their school.

Back in 2019, a source opened up to The Sun about Kate's intentions for raising her and William's children. The insider admitted that the royal couple wants to make sure that their kids, despite being in the line of succession, still grow up with as many normal experiences as possible. "She and William don't want them to live in a gilded bubble. They want them to grow up having the same experiences as other kids," the source said.

Kate Middleton herself has also been vocal about how dedicated she is to being home with her children and spending quality time with them, and much of that is based on her own upbringing. Kate, of course, was a commoner before marrying Prince William, so didn't grow up in the royal spotlight in the same way her children are doing. "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," she shared on the "Happy Mum, Happy Baby" podcast in 2022. "And 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."

The following year, a source spoke to People about why William and Kate try to make sure they're there for their kids as much as they can, despite their very busy royal schedules and unique lives. "Coming from a different background, [Kate] appreciates the importance of having family time. She wasn't brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day," the insider explained.