The Prince and Princess of Wales have brought the monarchy into the modern age when it comes to parenting. Their hands-on approach sees them clear their diaries as much as possible during school holidays and doing drop-offs and pick-ups. However, Carole and Michael Middleton also play a “crucial” part in their lives.
Writing in his newly-published biography, William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, royal editor Russell Myers claims that the “presence” of Kate’s parents has made a huge difference, particularly when the kids were very young.
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According to Myers, the Prince of Wales once told an aide that having his parents-in-law there meant they had “more room to breathe”. Reflecting on what things were like when Prince George, Charlotte and Louis were younger, the author adds, “Michael and Carole enjoyed visiting the couple in Norfolk and would often stay for weekends, providing much-needed extra support for the young family.”
Nowadays the Middletons live far closer to Prince William and Kate, who’ve lived in Berkshire since late 2022. Their new home, Forest Lodge, is still on the Windsor Castle estate and under an hour’s drive away from Carole and Michael in Bucklebury.
The family Kate grew up in couldn’t be more different from Prince William’s and he’s said to love the “normalcy” they bring to his and his children’s lives. Royal expert Duncan Larcombe has previously stated that William has also been inspired by the “Middleton model” of parenting.
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“Although there are some similarities, George is being raised in a very different way to Prince William,” Duncan alleged. “William has based his children’s upbringing on the Middleton model – three children, affluent, but hardworking parents and lots of love in the house.”
In the couple’s engagement interview, the Prince of Wales described how “very close” his wife’s family was and how much they’d embraced him with open arms.
“Kate’s got a very, very close family. I get on really well with them and I’m very lucky that they’ve been so supportive,” he said. “Mike and Carole have been really loving and caring and really fun and have been really welcoming towards me so I’ve felt really a part of the family.”
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Given how tight-knit the Princess of Wales and her parents have always been, it’s perhaps no surprise that they remained a “constant presence” after she became a mother herself and have been so key in supporting the Wales family.
Carole in particular has been dubbed a “Mary Poppins-like figure” helping out with her grandchildren and she’s said to have stepped up even more after Kate was diagnosed with cancer in 2024.
“She has been both a physical and emotional support to Kate. The Middletons are a traditional family, which is why William enjoyed being around them so much. When things go wrong, they pull together under Carole’s direction,” royal expert Ingrid Seward claimed last year. “She is the matriarch of this family and they all take her advice”.