Carole Middleton has given a rare interview speaking out about her life as a working mother when her children Kate Middleton, Pippa Middleton and James Middleton were young.
MORE: Kate Middleton's mother Carole's wedding decor is even more elegant than we imagined
Speaking to SheerLuxe, Carole has made some candid comments about juggling the "physical and emotional demands" of motherhood alongside running a business. The key to making it all work for Carole was organisation. She admitted: "I had to be really organised, get up early and fit my work into school hours, while after-school clubs sometimes gave me the gift of an extra hour or two.
WATCH: Kate Middleton shows off her childish side on an official visit
"But working for myself meant I had flexibility, so I could squeeze in sports matches and school productions. School holidays were tricky, but Mike and I were a good team and we managed to juggle home and work life."
© Photo: Getty ImagesCarole has opened up about her experiences as a mother
Empathising with working mums, the mum-of-three offered advice for those going through it. The main takeaways were "accepting help when it's offered" and "surrounding yourself with a good team that you trust".
MORE: Royal in-laws: Meghan Markle, Sarah Ferguson and more eventful first meetings
STORY: Prince William and Kate Middleton give insight into family fun away from the cameras
© Photo: Getty ImagesCarole and her daughter Kate have a close relationship
She also credited her supportive husband Michael for all of his help. Carole launched her business Party Pieces with Michael after planning eldest daughter Kate's fifth birthday party and finding the partyware on the market lacking.
When their children were older, Carole involved them in the business and in the same interview, she reveals that the Duchess was in fact the one to develop the first birthday and baby category of the company.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate is working mother herself
Kate, who is now also a mother to three children, has echoed her mother's sentiment about the "constant challenge" of balancing motherhood with work life.
Speaking on Giovanna Fletcher's podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby, she said: "It's a constant challenge – you hear it time and time again 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… and always sort of questioning your own decisions and your own judgements and things like that, and I think that starts from the moment you have a baby!"
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity and royal news delivered directly to your inbox.
