We've Finally Figured Out How Kate Middleton Gets It All Done

The Princess of Wales, clad in a bright pink suit, visits the Foundling Museum on May 25

(Image credit: Getty)

published 23 August 2023

The Princess of Wales may be royalty, but in some ways, she’s just like the rest of us—trying to grasp onto a sliver of the ever-elusive work/life balance, managing a demanding career with a husband and three children at home and, oh yeah, taking time for oneself, too. Like many of us 12 years into our career (after all, when Kate became a senior working royal upon her marriage to Prince William in 2011, she not only became a wife but a business partner in the Firm), her role has expanded, and The Mirror reports that Kate has a very specific way she divides her time so she can get it all done.

Kate’s so-called “regimented life plan” consists of dividing her life into thirds: “A third of her time is for parenting, a third is for being a wife—spending time with her husband and supporting him—and a third is for her projects and royal duties,” a friend of hers told The Telegraph. “I can’t imagine that will change, though with all three children now at school she will be juggling her time slots around, spending more time on her projects during the day and more time on the children in the evenings.”

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis together

Kate also takes time to better herself—The Daily Express cites her “ruthless discipline” in that she works out every morning, using the same determination in her workout routine that she does in her work. Royal expert Dr. Tessa Dunlop calls Kate a “gym bunny” in a recent appearance on the “To Di for Daily” podcast: “I heard from my agent, one of the slightly more impressive high-earning clients of my agent, who knew that Kate is like a ruthless gym bunny in the mornings,” Dunlop said. “I’m like, yeah, that’s more of her ruthless discipline, up early.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton competing against one another

Kate is apparently a big fan of Crossfit, which combines cardio, strength training, and gymnastics into one high-intensity session. She also likes yoga and running, and her workouts with a personal trainer often include weight training. She also plays tennis on the court at her family’s country home, Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Since becoming Princess of Wales almost a year ago, Kate’s workload has increased, and it will continue to. King Charles has big aims and goals to bring the Commonwealth closer to Britain and plans to leverage William and Kate’s “star quality” to help do so. Thankfully for her, as her role increases, she’s got that “regimented life plan” to help her organize her days.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.