All About Kate Middleton's Parents, Michael and Carole Middleton

Michael and Carole Middleton are the parents of Kate, Pippa and James Middleton

Before Kate Middleton became the Princess of Wales, she grew up in Bucklebury, England with her parents Michael and Carole Middleton.

After marrying in 1980, Michael and Carole welcomed Kate in 1980. They had two more children, daughter Pippa and son James.

Since Kate’s wedding to Prince William in April 2011, the Middletons have developed a strong relationship with the British royal family. Carole shared a particularly close bond with the late Queen Elizabeth, who recognized Carole and Michael’s influence on Prince William when he and Kate began their relationship.

Royal insider and author Ingrid Seward told PEOPLE in 2016, “Because of the circumstances of William’s childhood, the Queen has gone out of her way to include the Middletons much more than she normally would. She realizes that they play a big role in her family’s lives — and she’s happy about that.”

Princess Kate’s parents also celebrated big and small occasions with the royal family. Michael and Carole attended the coronation of King Charles in May 2023 and Kate’s annual “Royal Carols: Together At Christmas” concert at Westminster Abbey in December 2023.

From starting her own party equipment business to raising a future royal, here’s everything you need to know about Kate Middleton’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.

Michael and Carole met while working at British Airways

Prince Charles, Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall after the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty

Michael and Carole both worked at British Airways when they met in the 1970s. Carole worked as a flight attendant, while Michael was a flight dispatcher.

They got married in 1980

Michael and Carole Middleton outside their home near the village of Bucklebury in 2010.

Stefan Rousseau – WPA Pool/Getty

The couple married in Buckinghamshire, England on June 21, 1980 – exactly two years before their future son-in-law, Prince William, was born to King Charles and Princess Diana. Although Carole and Michael never publicly shared photos from their wedding day, fans got a glimpse of Carole’s wedding dress when their son James married Alizee Thevenet in 2021.

Alizee chose to wear Carole’s wedding dress during her ceremony. In an interview with Hello! Alizee explained that she and her mother-in-law were discussing ideas for her wedding dress when she decided to try on Carole’s dress to see how it looked.

“It fit me perfectly and was exactly what I wanted,” Alizee said of the floor-length Bardot dress. “It’s always bothered me that wedding dresses are only worn once, so it was amazing to give such a beautiful dress a second go.”

They have three children

Kate Middleton with sister Pippa and father Michael in Jerash, Jordan.

Middleton Family/Clarence House/Getty

The Middletons have three children together. Their eldest, Kate, was born on January 9, 1982. Sister Pippa joined her on September 6, 1983, and brother James on April 15, 1987.

Carole and Michael raised their children in the village of Bucklebury, England. Princess Kate’s upbringing in the countryside contributed to her love of the outdoors – and in 2019 she named “bouldering in the Lake District” as one of her happy memories.

Kate also opened up about her childhood during her appearance on The 2020 Happy mom, happy baby podcast. After sharing that she enjoys spending time outside with her family, the royals explained: “I remember that from my childhood – doing simple things, going for walks together, and that’s actually what I try to do with my kids because I totally removes all complications, all pressures… as a parent, I think these experiences also mean a lot to children and the world they are in, which is a real adventure for them at that age.”

They founded their company Party Pieces in 1987

Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton at Wimbledon in tennis 2021.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

In 1987, Michael and Carole started the party supply company Party Pieces. Carole was inspired to start the business while looking for decorations for Kate’s 5th birthday.

“My children have inspired my work and have been involved from the very beginning,” she told za Daily mail 2021. “The success we have achieved has helped us build the life we ​​currently have. I feel incredibly lucky to have found the professional fulfillment I’ve always wanted.”

Carole began assembling prototypes for the business at her kitchen table and pitched the product to several retailers. She came up with the idea to open her own store after being rejected several times.

All the Middleton children also worked for the company: Kate was a project manager before marrying Prince William.

In 2022, Carole told SheerLuxe that she and Michael initially ran Party Pieces on their own. “My husband and I were young and a bit inexperienced, but very enthusiastic, so we weren’t too worried,” she told the newspaper. “We took all the early setbacks in our stride and had fun building the business together. When Michael and I first started Party Pieces, we did everything ourselves. Takes orders, fills boxes and sometimes makes deliveries.”

Carole and Michael owned Party Pieces for over three decades before selling the business to an entrepreneur in May 2023.

Carole was especially close to Queen Elizabeth

Carole Middleton and Queen Elizabeth II at the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011.

Anwar Hussein/Getty

Both Middletons enjoyed close relationships with the royal family, but Carole in particular had a very close relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth. In 2016, a regular onlooker at Balmoral Castle in Scotland told PEOPLE, “I’ve never met a family as drawn into the royal family as the Middletons.”

Another source added: “The Middleton parents really could be people next door. They are lucky that their daughter will be a future queen, but there are no delusions of grandeur.”

In turn, Queen Elizabeth also made sure to include Prince William’s grandson Prince William’s in-laws in many family events and celebrations, especially since William lost his own mother at a young age.

Carole is also particularly close to her grandchildren, something the late Queen admired and appreciated about her.

Royal expert Seward told PEOPLE of Carole, “She’ll take the time to read to them, play with them and do all the things you want a grandma to do.”

Michael walked Kate down the aisle when she married Prince William in 2011

Prince William, Catherine Middleton and her father Michael Middleton at Westminster Abbey during the royal wedding in 2011.

Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty

Michael was ready to play a major role at Princess Kate’s wedding in 2011: he walked his daughter down the aisle at Westminster Abbey.

As royal wedding guest Martin Fidler — a local from Kate’s hometown of Bucklebury — later recalled, the moment Kate entered the ceremony with her dad was special.

“When Kate walked in — what a beautiful sight,” he told PEOPLE in 2021. “She looked incredible. And she hasn’t changed at all in 10 years.”

Michael and Carole sometimes attend royal events

Carole, Michael, James and Philippa Middleton in 2011.

Ian Gavan/GP/Getty

The couple have been close to the royal family for several years and attend royal events big and small. Kate’s entire family was on hand to support her when she hosted her first royal Christmas concert in December 2021.

A month earlier, the Middleton family attended the Royal Variety Performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where they listened to performances by Ed Sheeran, James Blunt and others. Back in 2016, William invited the Middletons to the prestigious Tusk Awards, which honor wildlife protectors in Africa.

The Middletons also attended casual events with the royal family. The Princess of Wales is a known tennis fan and her family visit Wimbledon every year. In 2022, Kate was spotted blowing a kiss to her parents as they sat on the other side of the stadium.

They are grandparents several times over

Prince George, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the 2022 Platinum Awards.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Michael and Carole have seven grandchildren. Princess Kate and Prince William are the parents of three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Pippa also shares three children – Arthur, Grace and Rose – with her husband James Matthews. In October 2023, James and Alizee had their first child, a son, Inigo.

Carole made it clear that becoming a grandmother was a welcome change. She said Saga magazine in 2021 that she enjoyed sharing her favorite activities, such as gardening, with her grandchildren.

“It’s important that kids grow up appreciating nature, and part of that is letting them get a little muddy,” she said.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education