How the Middleton family got rich. The story of Carol Middleton, or how to raise your daughters to be a future queen and millionaire

(Kate Middleton, born January 9, 1982, Reading, England) – , Duchess of Cambridge. Distinctive feature Kate Middleton's style includes sophisticated and elegant toiletries in subdued tones.

Biography

Family. Education and career

Kate Middleton was born on January 9, 1982 in Reading, Berkshire, England, to the family of pilot Michael Francis and flight attendant Carol Elizabeth. Kate has a sister, Philippa Charlotte (Pippa), and a brother, James William.

In 2000, after graduating from Marlborough College in Wiltshire, Kate Middleton entered the Florence Institute.

In 2001-2005 Kate Middleton studied at the elite University of St. Andrews. She graduated from the educational institution with second degree honors with a degree in art history.

In 2005, Middleton began working for her parents' company, Party Pieces, which they opened in 1987. The organization was engaged in postal delivery of goods for the holidays. Kate designed catalogs and executed marketing campaigns.

In 2006, Kate worked part-time in the purchasing department of a chain of clothing stores in a classic english style Jigsaw in London.

Personal life and wedding with Prince William

In 2001, while studying at the University of St. Andrews, Middleton met Prince William. In 2003, young people began dating.

In November 2010, it became known about Kate Middleton's engagement to Prince William.

On April 29, 2011, Kate Middleton married Prince William. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London. For this event, Middleton ordered two wedding dresses. The first outfit was created. The satin dress was fastened at the back with 58 buttons and had a train 2.7 meters long. The sleeves of the dress and the upper part of the bodice were made of embroidered patterns in the form of an English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Irish shamrock - symbols of the United Kingdom. The dress also had lace trim. In total, the outfit consisted of about 2000 applications. The dress is valued at $50,000.

“We wanted to achieve something incredibly beautiful and complex. The subtlety is in the details.”

Sarah Burton

After the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds went to a reception at Buckingham Palace. For the evening, Kate Middleton chose a floor-length satin dress combined with angora wool. The author of the outfit was , who previously designed the wardrobe for Princess Diana.

In 2011, in honor of the Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, Bling My Thing gave the couple a MINI Cooper. The car's roof was decorated with 300,000 red, blue and white crystals, laid out in a British flag pattern.

Critics note that during this period Middleton chose boring outfits that made her look older.

Since 2009, Kate Middleton's image has become more sophisticated and thoughtful. Many elegant dresses and skirts, fitted jackets, coats and jackets appeared in her wardrobe. Middleton refused high boots, giving preference to pumps, sandals and. She began to complement the look with neat handbags.

In 2009, Style.com named Kate Middleton a style icon.

In 2010, Middleton was included in People magazine's list of "best dressed celebrities." From 2010 to 2013, for 4 years in a row, Middleton's name appeared on the list of "the most stylish celebrities on the planet" according to .

In 2011, The New York Post reported that it had tried several times to get Kate Middleton to agree to appear on the cover of Vogue US. The press service of the royal family noted that “the Duchess of Cambridge has no plans to cooperate with the publication.” The New York Post suggested that Middleton fears condemnation from Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2013, OK! named Kate Middleton the most beautiful woman of the year, noting her appearance and ability to look good.

“Kate knows that the key to elegance is the ability to combine wardrobe items and choose the right clothes for the occasion. She always looks graceful, but natural, luxurious, but not royal.”

Marc-Francis Vandelli, editor of OK!

Kate Middleton's style

Kate Middleton prefers elegant dresses with a classic cut. She chooses clothes from Alexander McQueen, Issa, Whistles and Reiss, Erdem, Roland Mouret, Jenny Packham, Alice by Temperley, ; shoes by Stuart Weitzman, L.K. Bennett, Hobbs, ; handbags from Mulberry, L.K. Bennett, Anya Hindmarch; hats from Philip Treacy. When it comes to jewelry, the style icon prefers pieces from Kiki McDonough.

Official Skins

For formal events, Kate Middleton chooses laconic and sophisticated feminine outfits. She uses minimal jewelry and does not wear massive jewelry. In formal settings, Kate Middleton wears mainly closed sheath dresses of medium length or floor length, pencil skirts in combination with blouses and shirts. When it comes to outerwear, the style icon prefers jackets, blazers and coats. As a rule, Middleton complements the look with either minaudières, belts at the waist, hats and neat jewelry. For formal occasions, the style icon chooses shoes, wedges or heels.

Kate Middleton's wardrobe contains items in the style, mainly from Alexander McQueen: pencil skirts with golden buttons, double-breasted ones, jackets, jackets and blouses with epaulettes.

Kate Middleton combines items from luxury brands with clothes from affordable brands. Her wardrobe includes outfits from Temperley London, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Roksanda Ilincic and, at the same time, from Whistles and Reiss, Zara. After Middleton appears in clothes of one brand or another, these items sell out in a matter of hours. On April 20, 2011, the day after her wedding to Prince William, Kate wore a blue Zara dress and LK Bennett wedges. These models sold out within a few hours. LK Bennett has released an additional batch of platform shoes.

On May 24, 2011, for a meeting with Barack and Kate Middleton, she wore a beige mid-length dress from Reiss Shola, costing £175. After photos of Kate wearing this outfit appeared online, traffic to the online store increased by more than 300%.

Kate Middleton repeatedly appears in designer outfits from past collections. Fashion journalists note that the style icon deliberately chooses things that are no longer available for sale, so as not to influence popularity or provoke a wave of imitation. In January 2013, at the opening of her own portrait at the National Portrait Gallery, Kate Middleton appeared in a burgundy Whistles dress from the fall-winter 2011/2012 collection. The outfit had a V-neck, long sheer sleeves and was completed with a black belt at the waist.

Everyday looks

In an informal setting, the style icon often wears knitted dresses, jeans paired with a shirt, boots or flat shoes. From outerwear, Middleton chooses jackets, blazers, and, less often, knitted ones. In June 2011, during a trip to Calgary, Kate wore Goldsign flared jeans, a white and blue Alice by Temperley shirt, brown boots and a white cowboy-style hat.

During active rest Kate Middleton wears sporty pieces that suit the occasion.

Makeup and hairstyle

Kate Middleton's makeup is a dark accent on the eyes combined with transparent gloss or lipstick in natural shades, as well as golden blush.

Middleton styles her hair in large curls, leaving them loose, or slightly curls the ends of the strands. Sometimes a style icon does a French braid or bun.

Kate Middleton's style critique

Fashion critics have mixed feelings about Kate Middleton's style.

Sarah Burton and Roland Mouret note the femininity, laconicism, elegance and aristocracy of her images.

“Her style is so sharp and simple, but you can always see that she is up to date with the latest trends. She has a lot of time to get into character and choose exceptional and beautiful outfits for formal occasions."

Giorgio Armani

And Stefano Gabbana calls Kate a simpleton, also emphasizing that “she is quite nice, although not sexy enough.” considers Middleton's images boring and ordinary. The designer notes that the Duchess should wear the same outfit several times: “You don’t need to wear something red one day and almost the same thing, only blue, the next. I think it would be great if she wore the same clothes over and over again."

Some experts, on the contrary, criticize Kate for wearing the same outfit twice. In 2009, for William Nicholas van Castem's wedding to Alice Haden-Paton, Middleton wore a light blue Jane Troughton coat with an arabesque print. Kate wore the same outfit on June 12, 2011, to celebrate the 90th birthday of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
Kate Middleton does not accept items as gifts from brands and never comments on her appearance and the cost of the outfits.

“Kate’s associates and the Duchess herself will never discuss the prices of the Princess of England’s outfits and accessories. This will remain between Middleton and her clothing designers."

Press service of Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton's best looks

In 2011, for the BAFTA Awards, Kate Middleton chose a floor-length chiffon dress in the color of delicate lilac from Alexander McQueen. The outfit was completed with a belt at the waist, as well as Jimmy Choo shoes and a clutch.

That same year, at a gala concert in Ottawa, the style icon appeared in a deep purple mid-length dress with a V-neck from Issa. Kate completed the look with black Prada pumps and a black Anya Hindmarch clutch.

In 2011, to visit the British Consul General, Kate Middleton chose a laconic mid-length green dress.

In June 2011, for dinner charitable organization ARK, Kate Middleton wore a pale pink floor-length chiffon dress from Jenny Packham. The outfit was embroidered with sequins and Swarovski crystals. The style icon accessorized her look with a satin L.K clutch. Bennett with matching and open shoes from the same brand.

During the ceremony, dedicated to the Day Canada, style icon donned White dress medium length from Reiss Nanette. Kate completed the look with a red maple leaf hat from Philip Treacy, a red and beige fan-shaped clutch from Anya Hindmarch and shoes from Hobbs.

In 2011, at the Calgary airport, Kate Middleton appeared in a mid-length mimosa dress from Jenny Packham.

For The Sun Military Awards ceremony, which took place at the Imperial War Museum in London, the style icon wore a black, floor-length, off-the-shoulder corduroy dress by Alexander McQueen.

In January 2012, for the London premiere of Steven Spielberg's War Horse, Kate Middleton chose a floor-length black lace V-neck dress from Alice by Temperley.

In May 2012, Kate Middleton appeared at a charity concert in honor of the opening Olympic Games in London wearing a floor-length turquoise dress from Jenny Packham. Top part The dress was decorated with lace.

In September of the same year, for dinner with Tony Tan, the President of Singapore, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a mid-length satin white dress from Prabal Gurung with an abstract purple and lilac pattern.

Kate Middleton

Public figure Date of birth January 19 (Capricorn) 1982 (37) Place of birth Reading Instagram @kensingtonroyal

Kate Middleton is the wife of the heir to the British throne, a Scottish countess. She is called a modern "Cinderella". Kate had no family ties to English nobility, but that didn’t stop her from becoming part of the royal family. She is the mother of future successors to the throne and one of the first who was able to win the hearts of ordinary Britons after the death of Princess Diana. Middleton is raising children, devoting a lot of time to charitable activities and proudly bears the title of Duchess of Cambridge.

Biography of Kate Middleton

The future Duchess Kate Middleton was born in the small English city of Reading in 1982. On January 9, the first daughter was born into a family of ordinary workers, who was given the name Katherine Elizabeth. Later, the girl had a sister, Philippa Charlotte, and a brother, James William.

Kate's parents were at first airline employees: her mother was a flight attendant, her father was a dispatcher, then a pilot. From 1982 to 1986, the family lived in Jordan at the father’s place of work. Soon the Middletons returned to England and opened their own company transporting and selling holiday goods. The enterprise began to generate significant profits, amounting to millions.

Having become rich, the family moved to live in their own mansion in the village of Bucklebury, Berkshire. In 1995, Catherine graduated from St. Andrews School and entered the prestigious Marlborough College. During her student years, Kate was interested in different types sports She acquired excellent knowledge in the fields of chemistry, biology and art history. In 2000, the girl completed her studies and took a break. She devoted her holidays to travel, sports and charity.

In 2001, Catherine successfully passed the exams at St. Andrews Higher Education Institution. Within its walls she met her future husband. In 2005, Middleton defended her bachelor's degree in art history. After receiving her education, the girl began working in the family business. She also worked part-time for the popular London boutique chain Jigsaw in the wholesale purchasing department.

Middleton was interested in photography and dreamed of doing it professionally. Her life changed dramatically after marriage, and these plans were not realized.

In 2003, Kate Middleton was officially invited to the royal party in honor of William's 21st birthday. The guests included only close friends and relatives. A couple of years later, the entire British and world press was full of headlines about the prince’s chosen one. It was difficult time for Katherine. She was not used to such intrusive public attention and defended herself from journalists by resorting to the services of a lawyer.

Having become the unofficial bride of the heir to the throne, the girl moved to live in central London. Appeared in 2006 new wave rumors after the Middleton family appeared at the Kingdom's military academy graduation. The ceremony was attended by Elizabeth II and other members of the British dynasty.

2007 was difficult year in a couple's relationship. William went to the Dorset military camp, and his beloved remained in the capital. She had to fight off the journalists alone. In April, information appeared about the termination of the relationship. After 5 months, the young people announced their reconciliation.

In the fall of 2010, the lovers' engagement was officially announced. The world media began to describe in detail the preparations for the wedding. The engagement ceremony took place in Kenya in April 2011. The celebration was broadcast on all television channels in the world in live. The magnificent wedding took place in one of the halls of Westminster.

In the summer of 2013, the royal couple had their first child, George Alexander Louis. In the family circle he is called George. A couple of years later, Princess Kate Middleton gave her husband a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. From the first months of life, children travel a lot with their parents.

HELLO! presents 35 interesting facts about first-generation duchess and possible future British queen Kate Middleton, many of which are unknown to the general public.

Kate was born into the family of an air traffic controller and British Airways stewardess, Michael and Carole Middleton, in the small town of Reading. She has younger sister Philippa (Pippa) and brother James.

Little Kate was called Squeak. Communicating with British schoolchildren, the Duchess recalled that as a child she had two Guinea pigs: One was named Pipp, after her sister Pippa, and the other was called Squeak, because that was her pet nickname, Kate.

The future duchess studied at two schools, including one of the most expensive private colleges in the country, Marlborough College. Classmates recalled that she was “ordinary, hardworking, athletic and sociable.” At the same time, she is also remembered as a very cheerful girl who, together with her sister, lit up parties. Now Kate is practically deprived of the opportunity to communicate with friends. She does not belong to herself, has no right to be tired or Bad mood. She is always friendly, always smiling, personifying the beautiful face of the British monarchy.

When the future duchess was 11 years old, she played Eliza Doolittle in the amateur play Pygmalion. A fragment of her speech has been preserved and can be found on the Internet. The press wrote that Kate, a commoner who ended up in the palace, repeated the fate of the heroine of the play.

In April 2011, Kate married Queen Elizabeth II's grandson, Prince William, and received the titles HRH Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn (a Scottish title) and Lady Carrickfergus (a Northern Ireland title).

Click on the photo to view the gallery Wedding of William and Kate, April 29, 2011

Despite the fact that Catherine is the wife of a prince, she cannot be called “Princess Catherine” because she is not of royal blood. Only if William is “promoted” to Prince of Wales (the title of heir to the throne currently held by his father Charles), Catherine will be able to become - after her husband - Princess of Wales.

If the Queen passes the throne to William rather than her heir apparent, Prince Charles, Kate will be known as "Her Majesty Queen Consort Catherine VI."

The root of Kate's surname is middle - a reminder that the Duchess's ancestors are representatives of the middle class. And her parents have already become upper-middle, “above average”, having become rich in online trading, which they were one of the first to join.

On her mother's side, the Duchess's origins are quite proletarian. Her family included miners, builders, butchers, plasterers, bakers and servants. But the duchess’s father has a “richer” pedigree. Biographers, having set a goal, managed to find even viscounts and baronets among Michael’s distant ancestors. Moreover, through the “fifths-tenths” of the Middletons and Windsors it turned out common relative- King Edward III (1312-1377).

Kate's treatment at court is the subject of endless discussion. It is known that before the wedding, young aristocrats laughed behind her back: “Remove the flaps!” - hinting that the prince's bride is the daughter of ordinary civil aviation workers.

Kate has compromising relatives with whom the Duchess does not communicate: her uncle Gary Goldsmith, who served a prison sentence for drug possession, and her second cousin, a stripper who performs under the name Katrina Darling.

In April 2016, British royal biographer Christopher Andersen published a book in which he claimed that Kate had an enemy at court in the person of the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla (formerly Parker-Bowles). Allegedly, Camilla, using the influence of her husband, Prince Charles, tried to drive a wedge between William and Kate and prevent their engagement.

Kate had to wait nine years for a marriage proposal. They met William in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews and began dating in 2003. The press nicknamed Kate Waity Katie.

It is believed that Katherine owes her successful marriage to her mother. Allegedly, it was Carole Middleton who insisted on choosing the University of St. Andrews, where her daughter could meet the heir. And in 2007, when William left Kate, Carol advised her not to give up and go to parties in order to make the prince jealous. Three months later, the lovers were reunited.

William and Kate's wedding in 2011 was not the most expensive ceremony of all time. Its cost was estimated at $34 million, while the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana cost $110 million by modern standards.

Having married William at the age of 29, the Duchess became the oldest royal bride in British history.

Catherine's wedding dress from Alexander McQueen is stored in Buckingham Palace. Only once, in the summer of 2011, it was demonstrated to the public at an exhibition dedicated to a wedding.

Kate did not throw the bride's bouquet of lilies of the valley into the crowd of unmarried friends, but, according to tradition, at the end of the celebrations, she laid it on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey.

When William is not around, the commoner Kate is obliged to curtsy to all the princes and princesses of the blood. However, in practice this rule is not observed and the Duchess does not have to bow to anyone except the Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

According to insiders, Catherine calls William “Big Willie”, and he calls her “baby”

Kate is considered a good housewife. She admitted that she loves to cook for her husband and children. She has been seen carrying bags in Tesco and Waitrose supermarkets more than once.

Catherine's responsibilities in her "post" as Duchess include not only accompanying her husband and raising his heirs, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The Duchess is official ambassador British Olympic and Paralympic teams, a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, and seven charities.

With Princess Charlotte, autumn 2016

At the end of 2015, Elizabeth II's husband, Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, appointed Catherine Honorary Commander of the British Royal Air Force Cadet Corps, a post he himself held for more than 60 years.

In March 2012, Kate gave her first speech in public. It happened in Ipswich, in the east of England, at the opening ceremony of a new hospice building for children.

In 2016, British women chose the Duchess of Cambridge as the most influential style icon. Singer Rita Ora took second place, and actress Emma Watson took third place.

Kate's gray hair was noticed when she was expecting her first child, Prince George. The Duchess's "sloppiness" drew disapproval from critics. It turned out that Kate refused to dye it on purpose, since, according to some experts, it could provoke cancer in the unborn child. By the way, during her second pregnancy, Kate began to turn gray again.

Kate's smile is called perfect. However, it turns out that her perfect teeth are not a gift from nature, but are largely the merit of the French dentist Didier Fillon, the creator of the “harmonious asymmetry” technique. Didier deliberately makes his teeth slightly imperfect so that they do not look “Hollywood” - smooth and uniform, like white piano keys.

Click on the photo to view the gallery

Kate's neat nose has inspired many women in the UK and US to change the shape of their own organ of smell. After the wedding of William and Kate in 2011, there was a real boom in operations in the United States, which began to be called “royal rhinoplasty.”

Kate wears nylon tights even in hot weather. It is believed that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a fan of John Lewis “invisible” tights, which are almost invisible to the eye, but reliably mask skin imperfections, became an example for her.

The economic situation in the world is such that even Buckingham Palace is trying to look more modest. Kate often wears clothes and jewelry from affordable brands. She appeared in both £56 and £45 dresses." Golden Rule“Not wearing an outfit more than once is also not observed by her.

In her youth, Kate played tennis, swimming, athletics, netball (a type of basketball) and hockey.

Her main sporting achievement during her years at St. Andrews School is the pole vault to a height of 1.5 meters.

Kate has three scars on her head. There are suggestions that these are “combat wounds” she received while playing sports.

In 2012, Prince William and Catherine sued a photographer from France who managed to capture the Duchess topless during their vacation in the south of France, as well as three magazines in France, Ireland and Italy that published these photographs.

According to royal photographers, the secret of Catherine's good photographs is that she never looks at the camera. She practically never has half-closed eyes or a tired or dissatisfied expression on her face in photos.

Who is the eldest son of Prince Charles. In Scotland she is known as the Countess of Strathearn.

Family

The current representative Kate Middleton's height, weight and other data are of interest to many (and not only the British).

And we will start the story with the fact that she was born in the city of Reading in 1982. The parents of the future duchess were brought together civil Aviation: Michael worked as an air traffic controller and Carol worked as a flight attendant. The wedding took place in 1980 in Buckenhamshire.

In 1987, the Middleton couple founded Party Pieces, a mail order company. She firmly established herself in the British market, making Michael and Carol millionaires.

Only the richest, most famous and influential people attended the main ceremony. This list includes: Guy Ritchie, Elton John, David Beckham and many others.

The British capital made very good money from this wedding. Guest spending reached 107 million pounds (about $176 million).

In 2011, the film “Kate and William” was released on wide screens, dedicated to the relationship and wedding of the prince and princess.

Children

In early December 2012, the official messenger of the royal court made a press statement about the duchess's pregnancy. With symptoms of toxicosis, she was admitted to King Edward Hospital for several days. In July 2013, Kate Middleton (height and weight regularly appears in gossip column) gave birth to a son - George Alexander Louis.

In September 2014, the press learned about the duchess's second pregnancy. It was originally planned that the child would be born in April 2015. But a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, was born early next month.

Kate Middleton: height, weight, parameters

Before the wedding, the Duchess wore size 46. By the ceremony itself, the girl had noticeably lost weight and gained even more weight, gaining model parameters: 86-58-88.

Kate's height is 175 centimeters. Before giving birth, the girl’s weight ranged from 55 to 60 kilograms. After the birth of her daughter, her weight increased, but we think that the Duchess will soon return to her initial parameters.

“Poor Kate! “She will be compared to Princess Diana all her life,” journalist Andrew Morton exclaimed with bitterness in his voice in the next broadcast dedicated to the memory of the Princess of Wales. Mr. Morton always knew how to make a well-selling fairy tale out of reality - after all, it was from his pen that biographies of Monica Lewinsky, Angelina Jolie and - perhaps the most scandalous of his entire career - came out. True story» Princess Diana. But here even he did not dare to speculate on the too superficial similarity between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Yes, both women became the wives of British heirs, both stood out for their democracy and kind hearts and became real queens of style. But it seems that this is where the common ground ends.

“Kate actually lived happily with William for seven years before marrying him and was very delicately integrated into royal family“,” the writer continued, “She was not thrown into the unknown in the expectation that the kitten would learn to swim on its own, as was the case with Diana.” There is no drama, Mr. Morton is sure, because unlike Lady Spencer, whose family did nothing but raise her to be the prince’s bride, Katherine always had a strong and friendly family behind her, standing behind her like a mountain - and, most importantly, her mother Carol , who, for the sake of her daughter, is not even afraid to quarrel with the Queen.

Aristocrat without a title

“Katherine had a very happy childhood - yes, she has a rival sister - but she also has parents who are always ready to support her. And this is exactly what draws William to her,” continues Diana’s biographer. But let's not lie: the Middleton family is not as simple as it might seem. After all, just by looking at Carol, who always strives to be closer to her famous daughters and to get into the frame, you understand that nothing earthly is alien to her. Yes, the daughter of a truck driver, Carol also had her own ambitions and plans for children, but still, unlike the Spencers, she was smart enough to raise eldest daughter future queen, and from the youngest - the wife of a millionaire, without traumatizing their psyche.

Of course, having become pregnant with her first daughter at the age of 26 from a simple air traffic controller (and being a flight attendant herself), Carol could not even imagine that she was carrying the future ruler of her country. Yes, she could not give birth to children in the palace, but still she always wanted only the best for herself and her family - so just sitting and waiting by the sea for the weather was not in her rules.

Born into a poor family, where her father barely earned a living and her mother ran a household, Carole Goldsmith never had any illusions that one day she would be taken into his castle by a handsome prince. Such grooms do not fall from the sky - they are met in Cambridge or at social functions. And although there were also aristocrats in her family once upon a time (her great-great-great-grandfather was a distant ancestor of Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon), the family coat of arms, along with the fortune, have long since sunk into oblivion, leaving Carol’s family to be content with their distantly noble origins in a modest house on west London.

Of course, with her father’s income, there was no question of any private establishments. The girl graduated from a regular public school, after which she immediately went to earn a living at British Airways. Stewardess. There she met her future husband, air traffic controller Michael Middleton. The guy, of course, was not a prince and could not boast of being related to any baronet, but at least there was money in his family - his grandmother Olive came from the centuries-old Lupton clan of merchants. True, his origin didn’t help him much either, so together with Carol they shared their sorrows and joys in a modest house, putting off their salaries for the next month, and occasionally remembering their venerable ancestors. After all, money is money, the couple thought, but there is still something in the world that is more valuable than wealth - real love and mutual understanding.

But, as it turned out, a fairy tale can also come to the house of a simple flight attendant - though not in the form of a prince, but in the form of fortunate circumstances. In order to somehow entertain her young daughters (James would not be born until 1987), Carol began sewing bright costumes for them and organizing parties, for which she made the props herself. So the Middleton family came up with an idea family business selling decorations and everything necessary for children's events, which after a few years began to bring in good income (Michael even gave up his career as a pilot and became the administrator of their small company “Party Pieces”). The money earned and saved was even enough to send the eldest Katherine to private primary school. Yes, Carol, of course, understood that she would have to limit herself, but her children were able to take the first step towards the life that she herself dreamed of.

So in friendly family A real holiday reigned for the Middletons - by 1987, Carol and Michael had three long-awaited children, financial position more or less stabilized, and love and mutual understanding reigned between the spouses themselves.

And soon the fruits of distant relationships arrived - in the late 80s, Michael’s grandmother left him an inheritance of several trust funds. Overnight, the family of Kate, Pippa and James became millionaires. Not rich, of course (in the UK this status gives the right to be called “well-to-do middle class”), but now they could all afford a little more.

How to raise a princess

In addition to commenting on Mrs. Middleton's figure, the head of Chanel will also note her always elegant style. Well, Carol passed it on to her daughters too. Being quite attractive woman(it was no coincidence that she was hired as a flight attendant), even in her leaner years she never stopped looking good. Palm-length skirts above the knee, jackets, fitted blouses, romantic dresses, – in fact, Kate Middleton’s legendary style began long before this girl became the prince’s bride. He will make himself known when still young Katherine begins to admire her mother’s outfits in which she came to her school events.

The art of waiting

It would seem that Carol's dream came true: she provided her children not only with a happy childhood, but also with a quality education and, more importantly, excellent upbringing. Perhaps more was not needed, but still, when Catherine entered the very prestigious University of Edinburgh, her mother gently advised her daughter to take a year off and travel, and at the same time take a closer look at the University of St. Andrews, where Prince William was supposed to enroll the following year. Of course, it didn’t come to pressure: like any reasonable mother, Carol simply left her daughter alone with this thought. And a year later, Kate became a classmate of the heir to the British Crown, leaving Edinburgh to be stormed by James and Pippa.

The romance between Miss Middleton and William did not start right away - but I think no one expected anything else. Carol, at least for sure. William at that time was just interested in Jessica Craig, and Kate herself preferred to go on dates with the handsome Rupert Finch.

Carol did not interfere, knowing that she had raised her daughter well enough for her to find a companion to match, but still her mother’s instincts did not let her down: in the end, Kate and William seriously liked each other.

For marriageable age, but not for consumption

So Catherine was preparing to leave her family and enter the British Royal House. The Middleton family, whose company instantly increased in value to £30 million thanks to the news of the engagement (analysts note that in fact, the company "Party Pieces" is hardly worth a quarter of this amount), paid a hundred thousand pounds for their daughter's wedding. The celebration was immediately dubbed another “wedding of the century”: the dress, decoration, wedding - it would seem that everything was perfect. The only one, however, who was dissatisfied was Carole Middleton, who felt that her family was not allowed to participate in organizing the event to the extent that she would have liked.

She would later realize her full potential at Pippa's wedding, but it seems that on that day - April 29, 2011 - Carol was determined that it was the first and last time, when she lets the royal family put pressure on hers.

So that her daughter would not repeat the fate of Princess Diana, Carol did not want to fade into the background and abandon the newly-crowned Duchess of Cambridge to “be devoured by protocol.” Contrary to tradition, she moved to Kensington Palace during all of Kate's pregnancies (even now, she is next to her daughter to help her cope with severe toxicosis), which sometimes caused sincere dissatisfaction with Elizabeth II. It went to extremes: they say that Carol did not even hesitate to scold William if, in her opinion, he did not pay enough attention to her daughter.

And, perhaps, her behavior could indeed be considered tactless, but, it seems, if the Duchess of Cambridge did not have the support loved one, ready to rush to her at her first word, she would hardly have been lucky enough to adapt to her new position as gently as admiring journalists describe. It is no coincidence that Carol is the only one Catherine is willing to trust to look after the children when she herself is on long-term trips. It is no coincidence that Catherine allowed her father to take the first photo of her son George in the garden of their family estate. It is no coincidence that for several years in a row, Kate, William and their children have been running to the Duchess’s parents to celebrate Christmas in a narrow family circle in Bucklebury. Love in the Middleton family is simple and clear, like a sunny day - because, unlike her famous mother-in-law, Catherine always smiles when she is with her family.

Carol continues to lead a secular lifestyle, launches a line of children's products following the news of Kate's pregnancies and advocates for her youngest daughter continued to be called by the surname Middleton in the press. The honor and reputation of her family has become her most pressing ambition today, but looking at the way she still rushes to Kensington Palace to take care of her pregnant daughter and the light that shines from her eyes when looking at her children, it becomes clear: in her In a family, real feelings stand incomparably higher than vain aspirations.