As the Princess of Wales undergoes recovery from her abdominal surgery, she receives invaluable support from her loved ones.
Prince William, her husband, is effectively juggling his royal responsibilities with caring for their children. This entails accompanying them to school and attending their various activities.
However, among those offering constant support to Kate are her parents and siblings. The inception of their company, Party Pieces, dates back to when Kate was just a five-year-old. Recognizing a lack of elegant tableware options while preparing for her birthday celebration, the Middletons identified a business opportunity. This endeavor proved lucrative, enabling them to provide a comfortable life for their three children, Kate, Pippa, and James, which included boarding school education.
“Party Pieces was literally born at our kitchen table, so I suppose the ‘big break’ moment came when I realized there were lots of other parents looking for more affordable and imaginative partyware and that I had correctly identified a gap in the market for quality products that added something special,” explained Carole Middleton, Kate’s mother, in an interview with SheerLuxe.
“It was incredibly thrilling to realize that I had a viable business concept.”
Not only were Carole and her husband Michael pivotal in the success of the family company, but their children also played significant roles.
“Pippa managed our ‘Party Times’ blog, James contributed with the cakes after completing his schooling, and Catherine spearheaded the development of our initial birthday and baby category,” Carole disclosed.
“We were young and somewhat inexperienced, but filled with enthusiasm, so we didn’t dwell on our worries too much.”
Reports from various magazines suggest that Middleton’s company is currently facing financial challenges, with debts totaling $3.3 million.
When Kate began dating William and eventually entered the royal family, her mother harbored concerns that she might become absorbed by the royal lifestyle and obligations. However, she kept these apprehensions to herself at the time.
Even before her involvement with William, Kate endured bullying during her time at the all-girls boarding school Downe House, where her parents paid approximately £28,000 in tuition fees. Former classmates recall that she faced considerable teasing and bullying, feeling like she didn’t belong there.
According to a friend from a later school, Gemma Williamson, Kate had undergone severe bullying, evident from her thin and pale appearance and lack of confidence. Emma Sayle, another former classmate, described the school as “cliquey,” noting the pressure to excel and conform.
“It is a very cliquey school, and there was a lot of pressure,” Sayle remarked. “The girls were all high achievers, and there were lots of girls with eating disorders. Everyone wanted to be the best, the fittest, the prettiest. I think Kate was miserable from the start.”
“Being notably slender and taller than her peers, she attracted attention for the wrong reasons and endured teasing for appearing gangly and lanky,” remarked royal expert Katie Nicholl.
During an episode of Vanity Fair’s DYNASTY podcast last year, royal expert Katie Nicholl, author of The New Royals, recounted how William’s “snooty” friends would whisper “doors to manual” when Kate arrived at one of West London’s nightclubs.
These aristocratic friends, known as the “Glosse Posse” due to their Gloucestershire roots, didn’t consider Kate to be on their social level. Despite facing such derogatory comments, Kate chose not to react but instead opted to ignore them.
“It was never water off a duck’s back, but she has extraordinary strength of character and resilience. I’ve never once seen or heard of her losing her temper,” revealed a royal aide to the Sunday Times Magazine.
William consistently defended Kate against any mockery or mistreatment from his friends. According to a 2021 article from the Daily Mail, a royal source stated, “[William] flies off the handle at any sign of Kate being patronized and stamps that out very quickly. It’s one of his triggers.”
“When Kate felt isolated from his life, he confronted the ‘friends’ who were not only abusive toward her but also her mother, mocking her English [and] calling her ‘door to manual’ as she used to be a hostess. [William] made it clear he didn’t tolerate disrespect to [Kate] or his in-laws,” shared royal expert Canellecitadelle on Twitter.
At one point, Kate’s family was referred to as “the en masse Middletons” because they would arrive at events in a “pristine” Land Rover, bringing along all the trappings of an upper-class picnic.
“The snootiness of the upper classes leveled at what they called the ‘en masse Middletons,’ this idea that the Middletons would turn up for a picnic at a social event, for example, and they would arrive in their pristine Land Rover that had been newly polished, along with a brand new Fortnum and Masons hamper, all the paraphernalia that comes with an upper-class picnic,” explained Katie Nicholl on the DYNASTY podcast.
“But of course, [they were] alongside the sort of true aristocratic double baron titles that turn up at these events, arriving in their muddy Land Rovers, with their moth-eaten blankets full of holes, and some sort of oddly cobbled-together picnic with hardboiled eggs rather than M&S finest.”
As time has passed, Kate Middleton has garnered increasing appreciation from the British public, and today, she ranks highly among the favorite members of the royal family.
As Kate Middleton recovers from her surgery, which the public perceives as more serious due to the Palace’s limited details, her mother, Carole Middleton, is providing support and assistance with the children.
Reports suggest that Carole Middleton is deeply concerned about her daughter’s health and has been described as “clucking around like a mother hen” by former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond.
In a 2018 interview with The Telegraph on her birthday, Carole Middleton expressed her “biggest fear” of losing a family member as her children grew up. Despite the challenges, she emphasized the importance of maintaining close family ties and balancing her responsibilities with her work.
“Her parents play a significant role in the upbringing of their grandchildren,” a source informed People Magazine. “Their presence will be reassuring for Kate as she returns to Windsor to recover.”