Queen Elizabeth and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are two of the most famous women in the world. But as the Mirror reports, early in Kate's journey as a mother - shortly after the birth of her first child, Prince George, in 2013 - the two were just mothers, united by the challenges of new parenthood.

Kate and Prince William decided early on that they wanted to be hands-on parents, and with George, born in July 2013, they initially opted for no help from anyone. However, according to royal expert Katie Nicole (via the Mirror), juggling the care of a young baby and royal duties was not an easy task for first-time parents. This led Kate to have a heart-to-heart with Her Majesty the Queen, where Kate opened up about her struggles as a new mom.

"In her conversation with the Queen, Kate confided that being alone with George and not having a full-time nanny or maternity nurse was very hard," Nicole said in the documentary "Kate Middleton: Nicole is a True Royalty documentary, "Kate Middleton: Heir We Go Again," she said. William and Kate wanted to be real parents, and they did so until September."

Today, Maria Borraro, the Cambridges' nanny, is an integral part of the Cambridges' three children's lives, and William and Kate still remain active and hands-on parents, trying to give their children as normal a life as possible. Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, regularly helps care for George and his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

"William and Kate are able to be so ordinary because they have the Middletons in their lives," Nicole says. 'Carol is a regular passerby through the golden gates of Kensington Palace. She drives through in her Land Rover. Everyone knows her and there is no security. She helps with bedtime and bath time. She is absolutely indispensable."

Kate's royal calendar is more packed than ever, and like many of us, even the Duchess of Cambridge feels the ever-present mother guilt that many mothers experience. When asked on the podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby if she ever felt motherly guilt, Kate said, "Yes, absolutely."

Even on that particular morning, Kate admitted that on her way to record the podcast, George and Charlotte asked her why she didn't drop them off at school.

"It's always a challenge," Kate said. 'I hear it over and over again from moms who aren't necessarily working and aren't being pulled in the direction of having to balance work and family.'

I sympathize, Kate.