Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales has been a loyal servant of the crown since marrying into the royal family, but there’s one crucial sticking point to her life in the spotlight – her children must always come first

Ever since Kate Middleton stepped into the royal spotlight by marrying Prince William all the way back in 2011, the Princess of Wales has been a loyal servant of the crown and a loving wife to her husband. Yet while it’s safe to say the Princess has done more than her fair share of royal engagements over the years, crucially she always put her children above the needs of the monarchy.

So much so, Kate is even said to have laid down clear ‘life rules’ concerning the demands of her job and the needs of her children, as she told the royal family that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would always be her number one priority. The interesting revelation was made by royal expert and author Robert Jobson who writes in his new book Catherine, the Princess of Wales that Kate “knows her own mind and even established some fundamental life rules that she would stick to when she joined ‘The Firm.’ ”

Kate has always vowed to put her children before her royal duties
 

Kate reportedly laid down her terms while she was still pregnant with Princess Charlotte in 2015, and asked William to present her ground rules to both Queen Elizabeth and then- Prince Charles. According to Jobson, Kate “wanted space to grow into her role and said she needed more time to adapt to the peculiarities of royal life.”

“She was clear from the outset that she would not be pigeonholed into carrying out particular duties and insisted on having her full quota of maternity leave, away from the glare of the media and the public,” he wrote in the book.

The author also added: “Her priority, she emphasised, would always be her family.”

Kate Middleton delighted fans when she made her first public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis at this year’s Trooping the Colour ( 
Image:
James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)

The Princess of Wales attended Wimbledon earlier this Summer alongside daughter Princess Charlotte ( 
Image:
WireImage)

Yet just as Kate prioritises her children, the future Queen Consort has also learnt to prioritise her health too, especially as she continues to battle cancer. In order to focus solely on her recovery, the Princess stepped back from public engagements earlier this year – but in a clear sign of good progress has made two appearances in recent months, at Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon.

“She is doing things slowly and when she is ready,” Jobson told PEOPLE of Princess Kate ’s return to public duty this summer.

“She isn’t being governed by it being a good picture opportunity. They aren’t worried about visibility — they are just going to do it, and that will be visible rather than the other way around. The health and the proper recovery is what is important.”