Kate will 'lean' on her trusted nanny Maria Borrallo as she recovers from abdominal surgery – leaving William 'present as a father, attending royal duties and providing emotional support' to his wife

The Princess of Wales will 'rely on' her trusted nanny as she recovers from abdominal surgery – with Maria Borrallo's help being 'invaluable' at this difficult time, a royal expert has said.

Kate, 42, is a 'hands-on mother' but will need to 'rest as much as possible' – and Maria's contribution will be important so that William has the capacity to resume royal duties, Richard Fitzwilliams added.

Kate left the London Clinic after 14 days and is now back home surrounded by her husband and three loving children.

Prince William will take on additional parenting responsibilities and has cleared his diary from official duties while she recovers, supports his wife and only returns to public commitments once she is settled.

The family is also supported by their staff, including loyal, long-standing nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, whose role could be crucial in the coming weeks.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline: 'Kate has clearly had major surgery. As a hand-holding mother, she will need to rest as much as possible, if possible.

'This means that she will rely on Maria a lot in the coming weeks and perhaps months.

'There will be a lot of speculation about when Willem can resume his royal duties. Clearly, especially given King Charles' temporary incapacity, the sooner the better. This makes Maria's contribution in these difficult times all the more valuable.'

Mr Fitzwilliams said Kate has begun what everyone hopes will be a full recovery, but added that there will be a long 'recovery'.

“William will be with her and relinquish royal duties for as long as he feels it is necessary. “He always put his family first,” he said.

'Kate is as much of a mother as her role allows, but she has said that having a nanny is essential.

'Maria Teresa is, according to reports, hugely popular with the children, but her training at Norland makes her ideal for everything this role requires.

'She is of course a background figure, who you see on important royal occasions and who is indispensable at a time like this.

'Her training at the prestigious Norland College in Bath, where she learned a wide variety of skills and was able to work long hours where necessary, will be particularly useful during the crucial weeks of Catherine's recovery.

“The coming weeks could be difficult and will be a test for this formidable figure so trusted by the future king and queen.”

Parenting expert Jo Frost told us Hello! that Mary is an important part of the Wales family.

'The blessing of her caring ways and wonderful service to the family ensures that the children are in good, steady hands, giving William the flexibility to be present as a father, fulfilling his royal duties at home where he can and the emotional support to be who he needs to be for his wife.”

The Spanish 'supernanny' was hired by Kate and William in 2014 to help them care for Prince George when he was eight months old. She now also takes care of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

She lived with the family at Kensington Palace, but when they moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor's Home Park she was no longer a live-in nanny, although she continued to care for the children while living in another property.

When she was hired, Kensington Palace released a statement saying: 'Maria is a full-time nanny who recently joined us and will be accompanying the Duke and Duchess and Prince George to New Zealand and Australia.

He added: 'We will provide no further details about Maria or her employment, other than to say that the Duke and Duchess are of course pleased that she has chosen to join them.'

Maria Borrallo was born in Madrid, but grew up in Palencia in northern Spain.

A graduate of the prestigious nanny school Norland College, it is said that as a child she was nicknamed Santa – Spanish for saint – by those closest to her.

The institution's students are known for their distinctive uniforms and are trained in all aspects of youth care during their three-year course.

The training costs a total of £36,000 and the Bath college has added martial arts training and stunt driving to the curriculum to cater for modern customers – many of whom are celebrities and the super-rich.

It is believed that Tae Kwon-Do is the martial art par excellence – which has been specially adapted to include how to avoid a potential abductee with a stroller.

Nannies are also trained in how to deal with paparazzi and are taken to the Castle Combe Racing Circuit in Wiltshire to perfect their driving skills and learn how to drive at high speed in all weather conditions.

Friends in Maria's hometown previously claimed she would have become a nun had she not followed her passion for caring for children.

Her frugal lifestyle made her the perfect candidate to become a servant of God, they said.

Ms. Borrallo's brother Luis followed a religious path after being ordained as a deacon in 2011.

Born in Madrid, but raised in Palencia, she is the second of the eldest of four children, born to an engineer father Luis, who died of cancer, and her teacher mother, Maria Teresa.

During her childhood, she attended church regularly with the rest of her family.

Ms. Borrallo left Spain more than twenty years ago after graduating in teaching. However, she returns to Palencia to see her family whenever she gets the chance.

One of her brothers, Ignacio, teaches private students the viola and violin.

On an online resume, he states that he is one of the most sought-after violin and viola teachers in the Spanish region of Castile and León, with more than 20 years of experience in conservatories and music schools in his home country and Canada.

Her youngest brother Pablo, a teacher, lives and works in the south of France.