Their daughter might be royalty, but Carole and Michael Middleton like to live their life out of the spotlight. So what do we know about Prince William's in-laws?
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00:00Their daughter might be royalty, but Carole and Michael Middleton like to live their life
00:04out of the spotlight.
00:05So what do we know about Prince William's in-laws?
00:09Born Carole Elizabeth Goldsmith, the future Carole Middleton experienced humble beginnings
00:13as, according to her 2021 interview with Good Housekeeping, her parents worked hard to make
00:19ends meet.
00:20The daughter of a builder and retail worker, Carole went straight into the workforce working
00:24for retailer John Lewis and, later, as a flight attendant for British Airways.
00:28Meanwhile, Michael Middleton entered British European Airways Flight School after studying
00:33at the University of Surrey.
00:34Michael subsequently began work as a flight dispatcher and he met Carole in the 1970s
00:39when she started working for the same company as him.
00:41In a 2018 interview with The Telegraph, Carole described Michael as shy.
00:46Despite this, it was Carole who seemingly experienced an awkward moment early in their
00:50relationship.
00:51Carole told the publication that she suffered something of a cooking mishap that saw her
00:55attempt to impress Michael fall flat.
00:57She explained,
00:58"[I was trying to impress him with a mushroom risotto and it looked like grey porridge.
01:02It was very Bridget Jones."
01:03It's, um, blue."
01:06Blue?
01:07No, but blue is good.
01:09If you ask me, there isn't enough food.
01:12Despite Carole Middleton's mushroom-risotto-turned-porridge incident, Michael Middleton married her on
01:17June 21, 1980.
01:19Given their private nature, the wedding ceremony was relatively small and ordinary.
01:24Michael and Carole enjoyed a modest gathering at the parish church of St. James in Buckinghamshire,
01:29where guests enjoyed food around a bonfire.
01:30Carole later told The Telegraph that she had organized the event herself.
01:34She said,
01:35"[I found the venue, organized the wedding breakfast, the bonfire, and the chilli con
01:38carne in the evening.]
01:39Aside from that, not much is known about Michael and Carole's ceremony, but Carole's brother,
01:43Gary Goldsmith, gave us a rare insight into their special day through an in-depth interview
01:47with the Daily Mail in 2013.
01:49He said,
01:50"[It was natural, informal and classy, but wasn't pretentious or ostentatious, very unlike
01:55the weddings I was used to.]
01:56Afterward, we went back to Mike's brother Simon's for a big chilli and a party."
02:01Michael and Carole Middleton were busy for the next few years as they transitioned from
02:05newlyweds to doting parents.
02:07In his interview with the Daily Mail, Gary Goldsmith stated that Carole was pregnant
02:11within a year of her wedding.
02:12On January 9, 1982, Michael and Carole welcomed their first child, Katherine Middleton.
02:17The pair wasted no time in the years following Katherine's birth as Michael and Carole welcomed
02:22Pippa Middleton in 1983 and James Middleton in 1987.
02:26As their children grew and started leading successful lives of their own, the Middleton
02:30family's relationship remained positive, and they've always remained relatively close to
02:34one another.
02:35Michael and Carole's approach to parenthood is likely a reason for this deep connection.
02:39In her interview with the Daily Mail in 2021, Carole touched on their family dynamics and
02:43how she juggled other aspects of life with her husband.
02:46She said,
02:47"[The only thing I can say about being a mother is how much I loved it and still do.]
02:50Mike was a good hands-on father and we found a way to make business and family life work."
02:56Carole Middleton decided to try her hand at entrepreneurship the same year her son, James,
03:00was born.
03:01As someone who'd had a hand in planning her own wedding in 1980, Carole seemingly had
03:05a knack for party planning.
03:07And so she launched Party Pieces.
03:09It was a very clever idea.
03:10It filled a gap.
03:11This is a very affluent area and there were lots of children, lots of people in the area
03:16that just wanted that service."
03:17According to Carole's interview with Sheer Lux, the inspiration for the business was
03:21actually her children.
03:22She recalled,
03:23"[It was the children who inspired Party Pieces.
03:25I was planning Catherine's fifth birthday party and all I could find was some basic
03:29clown plates.
03:30I realized there was a gap in the market for party wear that wasn't too expensive, looked
03:34good and added a bit of a special touch."
03:36From her kitchen to a small business unit, Carole was dead set on this venture and even
03:40dragged Michael into it.
03:42After quitting his job at British Airways, Michael became her dedicated business partner,
03:46turning Party Pieces into a full-fledged family business.
03:49Carole told Sheer Lux,
03:51"[Michael and I work well together.
03:52We have complementary skills, so our roles have always been quite clear.
03:56I love spotting the latest party finds, curating and designing collections, while Michael focused
04:00on the operational side of things."
04:03Michael and Carole Middleton's life was changed forever when their daughter, Catherine, married
04:07Prince William.
04:08As a result, the pair frequently began to attend numerous royal events together.
04:12This in turn brought Michael and Carole into the limelight, which was a new experience
04:16for them.
04:17Michael allegedly made it known how he felt about their excessive public appearances after
04:21Catherine and William's wedding in 2011.
04:24Following a heartfelt father-of-the-bride speech, Michael reportedly told his close
04:27friends,
04:28"'Thank goodness that's over, and I'll never have to do it again.'"
04:30For Michael, who is known to be quiet, it makes sense why he doesn't like being the
04:34center of attention.
04:35Carole appears to share the same notion, as she only steps into the limelight when it
04:39involves her children or her business.
04:41Notably, Carole has been the victim of a number of smear campaigns and bizarre rumors over
04:45the years.
04:46William's told The Telegraph,
04:47"'Over the years, it's proved wise not to say anything.'"
04:51Following their marriage in 1980, Michael and Carole Middleton moved into a semi-detached
04:55cottage in Bradfield, Berkshire.
04:57They lived here well after they were very successful with their business, still running
05:01their business out of the shed.
05:03Once Catherine turned 13, the pair moved to Oak Acre in Bucklebury, which became their
05:07mainstay family home.
05:08The £1.5 million property was both comfortable and relatively modest, providing them the
05:13perfect balance of openness and privacy.
05:16Things changed once Catherine married Prince William, however.
05:19While this meant a bright future for their daughter, it also meant that there would be
05:22an extreme increase in public attention.
05:24Since their house in Oak Acre couldn't protect them against this, Michael and Carole upgraded
05:28their home to the Bucklebury Manor in 2012.
05:31The seven-bedroom manor appears to be more secluded, but remains within their stomping
05:35grounds.
05:36Although this meant Michael, Carole, and their children had to say goodbye to their family
05:39home, the new £4.7 million property appears to be more suitable for Michael and Carole,
05:44as they'd been able to live their lives without the general public having access to their
05:48immediate whereabouts.
05:50Both the royal family and the public quickly took to Princess Catherine once she and Prince
05:54William made their relationship official, and Michael and Carole Middleton apparently
05:58played a key role in this.
05:59As entrepreneurs, Michael and Carole used their success to make sure that their family
06:03was well-educated.
06:04This arguably allowed Catherine to make her way into the royal family with ease.
06:08From attending Down House School, Michael and Carole moved Catherine to Marlborough
06:12College in Wiltshire after Catherine was allegedly being bullied.
06:15During his appearance in the 2017 documentary Kate Middleton, Working Class to Windsor,
06:20former BBC reporter Michael Cole said that their decision to transfer their daughter
06:24to the £40,000-a-term school showed how much they valued her education.
06:28Given the school's positive reputation in the United Kingdom, it gave Catherine the
06:32needed credibility as a potential entrant into the royal family.
06:36Cole explained,
06:37"...What they did is what good parents have always done.
06:39They've invested in education.
06:41It cost them a lot of money.
06:42They send all of their three children to good schools."
06:44And in the case of Kate to Marlborough, which is one of the top public schools where she
06:48did quite well.
06:50As Michael and Carole Middleton watched their children grow into their own, it was expected
06:54that they would soon become grandparents.
06:56Princess Catherine and Prince William were the first to honor them with grandchildren,
06:59introducing Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis into their ever-growing family.
07:03"...He has a name truly fit for a king, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have dubbed
07:07him George Alexander Louis."
07:11Pippa Middleton welcomed Arthur, Grace, and Rose with her husband, James Matthews.
07:16Lastly, James Middleton and his partner, Elise Thévenet, had their first baby, in a go,
07:21in 2023.
07:22As Michael and Carole have been known to prioritize their family, most expect that the two are
07:26doting grandparents.
07:27Though their dedication to their private life means we rarely see them with their other
07:31grandchildren in public, we do see glimpses of this through their relationship with George,
07:35Charlotte, and Louis.
07:36Whether it be Michael expressing his protective instincts or Carole helping them to get their
07:41hands dirty through outdoor activities, the Middletons have been very much hands-on when
07:44it comes to looking after the trio.
07:46Parenting expert Jo Mitchell-Hill shared the same notion in 2023 when she told The Express
07:51how she perceived Carole as a grandmother, stating,
07:53"...I think Carole is a hands-on grandmother.
07:56It is clear to see in pictures how much she loves and adores the children, and they to
07:59her."
08:01Michael and Carole Middleton quickly became fond of their future son-in-law when he began
08:05dating Catherine.
08:06When it was announced in 2010 that the two were engaged, Michael made a rare public statement
08:10expressing his excitement for the two and how decent William had been to the entire
08:14Middleton family.
08:15He said,
08:16"...As you know, Catherine and Prince William have been going out together for quite a number
08:19of years, which is great for us because we've got to know William really well.
08:22We all think he's wonderful and we're extremely fond of him."
08:25With their daughter making her way into the royal family as a future queen, Michael and
08:29Carole had to adjust to the lifestyle changes that came with life in the upper crust.
08:33During her appearance in the documentary When the Middletons Met the Monarchy, royal expert
08:37Katie Nicholls suggested that William played a major role in easing their transition, stating,
08:42"...William sat down with them and explained how things would change."
08:45Whether it be keeping up with media coverage surrounding their daughter or making a point
08:48of not holding hands in public, it seems William's advice didn't fall on deaf ears, as Michael
08:53and Carole soon adjusted to their roles as royal in-laws.
08:57After starting their company, Party Pieces, in 1987, Michael and Carole Middleton maintained
09:02a healthy work-life balance.
09:04Michael decided to step away from the business in 2021, however, presumably to focus on other
09:08parts of his life.
09:09Speaking to Good Housekeeping about this change, Carole claimed it was for the best.
09:13She said,
09:14"...I think he is delighted, really.
09:15We were partners in life and in the business, which was great, and it worked really well
09:19for us, but I think he feels this is the right time for a change.
09:22He is in his early 70s now, and he can concentrate on other stuff.
09:25He is really supportive and quite excited to see what is going to happen."
09:29Although the change appeared to be a good thing for the company, it soon became clear
09:32that this was the prelude to its downfall.
09:35Party Pieces suffered tremendously throughout 2020, resulting in Michael and Carole suffering
09:39severe financial issues.
09:41The company later fell into administration because it owed more money than it was making.
09:45After facing a £2.6 million debt, the company collapsed, despite Carole's attempts to salvage
09:50what was left.
09:52As a result, Michael and Carole were forced to sell their business.
09:55In 2023, Party Pieces was sold to entrepreneur James Sinclair for £180,000.
10:02In 2024, it was announced that Princess Catherine had to step away from her royal duties due
10:06to an underlying health issue.
10:08After a successful abdominal surgery in January, her medical team discovered that her condition
10:12was cancerous.
10:13As a result, Catherine released a video stating that she was to undergo preventative treatment.
10:18"...William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately
10:23for the sake of our young family."
10:25Before the Princess of Wales confirmed her health issues, an insider told People magazine
10:29that Michael and Carole Middleton had been heavily supportive of their eldest daughter
10:33as she recovered from surgery.
10:34Similar to the support they gave James Middleton throughout his battle with depression, it
10:38seems that Michael and Carole are dedicating themselves to watching over Catherine and
10:42their grandchildren.
10:43The source said,
10:44"...her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren and
10:47they will be a reassuring presence when she goes back to Windsor to recuperate."