When it comes to the royal family, the public often emphasises the way in which they service the Commonwealth… that or gawk over their spectacular outfits.
But amid all the waving and shaking hands (although not during COVID), it’s easy to forget that the royals are just like us in so many ways.
WATCH: Prince Harry and Prince William play with Princess Diana
While the Queen may be a token of the monarchy to so many, she is also a mother, who has birthed many other mothers and fathers in her time.
In doing so, Her Majesty has created a massive family tree that we often look at through an historical lens – forgetting that the royals have personal family lives just like the rest of us.
Indeed, the monarchy is full of mums, dads and kids – not to mention many pets – each with their own family dynamics.
Considering Mother’s Day is right around the corner (have you got your mum a gift yet?) we’re paying tribute to all the incredible royal mothers out there.
THE QUEEN, 94
Of course, we have to start with the Queen. The head honcho. The boss of The Firm.
Queen Elizabeth the II and the recently departed Prince Philip shared four kids between them. There’s the eldest, Prince Charles who is the heir to the throne, then there’s Princess Anne, the controversial Prince Andrew and the lesser known Prince Edward.
Her Majesty also has eight grandchildren – Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn.
When it came to being a mother, let’s just say the Queen was ever-so-preoccupied with her royal duties. A 1994 biography of Charles claimed it was “inevitably the nursery staff” who cared for him the most.
But, despite still being as busy as ever, it seems Her Majesty is making some time for her great grandchildren, with Prince Harry revealing that his son Archie and the monarch are pretty regular Zoom buddies.
PRINCESS ANNE, 70
Princess Anne is the second and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth. The royal has been married twice. Once to Mark Phillips and then to her current husband Timothy Laurence.
With Mark, Anne had just two kids, Peter and Zara.
Speaking of her mother Anne, Zara told the BBC back in 2010, “I look at her and just think if I was going to be a mother, that’s what I would want to be like.
“I would like to be as good a mother as she has been to us.”
Peter added: “Her advice generally about life has been invaluable.”
SARAH FERGUSON, 61
Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson is not a royal by birth, but by her marriage to the highly controversial Prince Andrew. Though the pair are separated now, they still maintain a close relationship.
Fergie and Andrew share Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie together.
Speaking to Hello! about the tight bond the four of them share, Fergie said: “A table goes best with four legs. A table can’t stand on three legs, really, so you have the Duke and I, and the two girls. We’re a family unit and we lead by example… I think the one thing I’ve done incredibly well – although I say it myself – is that I’m a really good mum. And I think that my girls show that.”
PRINCESS DIANA, Would have turned 60 this year
Princess Diana, aka the People’s Princess, was adored for the positively “normal” approach she took to parenting her sons, William and Harry, whom she shared with Charles.
Until William was born, it was custom for royal children to be educated by a governess. But no amount of claim to the throne was going to stop Diana from sending the future King, and later his brother, to public school.
Adamant on providing her children with an ordinary upbringing, Diana sent both William and Harry to Eton College in Berkshire, England.
Once again, the princess’ decision made history as William became the first ever future monarch to be educated this way. And clearly it was the right call in his eyes; the Duke of Cambridge has followed in his mother’s footsteps by sending his two eldest children – Prince George, seven, and Princess Charlotte, five, – to Thomas’ Battersea school in south-west London.
What’s more, conscious of not subjecting her young boys to too many suit-and-tie events, Diana reportedly would sneak out of the palace with William and Harry to go and get some Maccas.
Diana also allowed William and Harry wear casual clothing like jeans and baseball caps, as well as taking them to theme- and water-parks.
SOPHIE OF WESSEX, 56
Like Fergie, Sophie is not a royal by birth but by her marriage to the Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward.
The couple share two children together – Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Servern.
In a rare interview for Good Housekeeping back in 2020, Sophie opened up about her mothering style.
“I would like to think that I am a loving mother without being too overbearing! You would need to ask them; I would hope they would be nice, at least about my attempts at cooking!”
ZARA TINDALL, 39
Zara Tindall, daughter to Princess Anne, married rugby union player Mike Tindall in 2011 and the pair have three kids together, Mia, Lena and, just recently, Lucas.
Their youngest, Lucas, was born just last month in quite surprising circumstances.
“Arrived very quickly. Didn’t make it to hospital. On the bathroom floor,” Mike revealed on his podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
“So yeah, it was running to the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, get the mat on the floor, towels down, brace, brace, brace,” he added.
“Fortunately the midwife who was going to meet us at the hospital wasn’t that far away so she drove up just as we had assumed the posit [position] and the second midwife arrived just after the head had arrived.”
Back in 2019, Zara confessed to Now To Love she gets “mum guilt” when she’s away competing in equestrian competitions.
DUCHESS CATHERINE, 39
Kate Middleton is perhaps one of the most influential royal mums of them all, as she – along with Prince William – is raising the future heir.
Kate Middleton married into the royal family in 2011 in a BIG and televised ceremony. Since then, she and William have had three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Like Zara, Kate has also confessed she is afflicted by mum guilt.
Speaking candidly on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast last year, the Duchess of Cambridge admitted to feeling guilty when it comes to her little royals, particularly when they put her on the spot with one confronting question.
“This morning, coming to the nursery visit here – George and Charlotte were like ‘Mummy how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?’” the Duchess revealed.
As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have only one royal nanny to help them with Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, juggling the three children is no easy feat.
“It’s a constant challenge,”Kate tells Giovanna. “You hear it time after time from mums, even mums who aren’t necessarily working and aren’t pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life.”
Even performing the day-to-day tasks can take its toll on the Duchess, who admits that she is a very “hands-on” mum when it comes to dealing with the energetic little princes and princess.
“You’re pulled in all sorts of directions,” Kate claims, before adding, “How actually can you physically get all three children out of the car at the same time? You can’t.”
(FORMER) DUCHESS MEGHAN, 39
From the heir’s wife to the spare’s wife. Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in 2018, also in a BIG televised event. These royals sure do love a TV wedding, huh?
The former actress now shares one baby boy, Archie, with Prince Harry, with another little girl on the way!
The Duke and Duchess confirmed they were expecting via their representatives, with a gorgeous picture of the pair in their back yard, smiling as Meghan lies in Harry’s lap with her baby bump visibly beneath a flowy dress.
“We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother,” a spokesperson reportedly confirmed to US publication People magazine.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,” they added.
Motherhood hasn’t been easy for Meghan, who suffered a harrowing miscarriage back in 2020. Just a year earlier, in the infamous ITV South Africa documentary, the former actress spoke candidly about the vulnerability of pregnancy and the challenges of being a new mother.
“Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it’s a lot,” she said. “So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed.” she said.
PRINCESS EUGENIE, 31
The latest royal mum is Fergie’s daughter Princess Eugenie! The royal and her husband Jack Brooksbank welcomed their first son, August, into the world on the 9th February, 2021.
“Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie was safely delivered of a son today, 9th February 2021, at 0855hrs at The Portland Hospital. Jack Brooksbank was present.” read an official statement on the royal family’s website.
The new mum has since been keeping the world updated with adorable snaps of her little one. Heading to her Instagram on the UK’s Mother’s Day, Eugenie posted the sweetest pic of the bub lying atop a picnic rug in a garden.
“I’m so excited to be August’s mum and as you can see I’m enjoying my first Mother’s Day.” Eugenie captioned the photo.
And, of course, we can’t forget about the Danish royals
QUEEN MARGRETHE, 80
Margrethe II of Denmark shares two kids with the sadly departed Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark.
the Queen’s first son is Frederik, aka the Crown Prince of Denmark, and her second son is Prince Joachim of Denmark.
Margrethe also, like the Queen of England, has eight grandchildren. There are Frederik’s children: Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, and Joachim’s children: Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena.
Back in 2012, Queen Margrethe spoke to the Luxembourg Times about “the most important support any parent can give their children”.
Drawing on her own experience, Margrethe suggested that to give your children confidence in themselves is the best thing one can do as a parent.
PRINCESS MARY, 49
Lucky last, we have our Aussie sweetheart Princess Mary, who married Prince Frederik in 2004.
The couple share four kids together: Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Back in 2019, royal commentator Angela Mollard described Mary as the “backbone of the family” to the podcast, New Idea Royals.
Speaking to Hello! back in 2016, Mary also opened up about losing her own mother at such a young age.
“I was 26. It happened too early,” the Princess said. “It’s so hard to see when it is so close and personal, but as you get older, you learn to appreciate the time you had together as a gift. And the loss offers something that you wouldn’t have otherwise. It make you a strong person.”
