Prince William used to ‘lie on the couch with his head on Carole Middleton’s lap’ during visits to Kate Middleton’s Bucklebury home, royal insider claims

IT'S well known just how close Prince William is to wife Kate Middleton's family.

However, a royal expert has claimed Kate's mum Carole played a maternal role in Wills' life during the early days of the romance and her future son-in-law would lie on the sofa with his head on her lap when visiting the family home.

5

The 37-year-old Duke - who lost his own mum Princess Diana at the age of 15 in 1997 - saw romance blossom with fellow St Andrews student Kate, now 37, in 2003.

He then started paying regular visits to the Middleton home in the West Berkshire village of Bucklebury.

Speaking in new documentary William and Harry: Brothers In Arms, NBC's royal correspondent Ashley Pearson suggests he saw a mother figure in Carole, 64, during this time.

She said: "He would lie on the couch with his head in the lap of Mrs Middleton.

"Or he would sit after dinner and talk for hours with Mr Middleton."

5

The expert explains that part of Kate's appeal back then was the close-knit family she came with.

Ashley explains: "Talking to a royal insider several years ago, she told me one of the reasons William fell in love with Kate Middleton from the very beginning was because of her family and her close relationship with her siblings and parents.

5

5

She adds: "He loved the way Kate was very friendly and playful with her brother James or her sister Pippa.

"Feeling part of that close, tight-knit, very British family was the first time in his life that he'd had that experience and for William it was entirely intoxicating."

5

Since they married in 2011, he has remained close to the Middleton family - and so have his children.

Earlier this week, we told you how Prince George and Princess Charlotte play "shopkeepers" with nan Carole at her firm Party Pieces.

William and Harry: Brothers In Arms, airs on Sunday, 10pm, on Really.

Yesterday, we told you how the Queen makes her own secret-recipe gravy for her beloved dogs.

Earlier this week, we revealed how the monarch "didn’t enjoy her conversations with Diana as they left her drained and confused", a royal editor has claimed.

And Archie Harrison is "very cute and very gentle" according to Meghan Markle’s "idol" who paid a secret trip to Frogmore last month.

Kate Middleton and Prince William arrive at Wimbledon to watch men’s final