Who are Kate Middleton’s parents Michael and Carole?

CAROLE and Michael Middleton shot to fame the moment their daughter Kate Middleton married Prince William.

As well as being the parents of the Princess of Wales, they also have two younger children - Pippa and James. 

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Who is Carole Middleton?

Carole Middleton (nee Goldsmith) was born in London in 1955, to a relatively normal family and grew up in Southall.

She initially left school at 16, later returning and achieving four A-Levels.

Originally planning on being a teacher, she was unable to when her parents couldn't put her through university.

She subsequently worked as a shop assistant for John Lewis, then as a secretary for British Airways.

She later transferred to ground crew.

By her marriage in 1980, she was working as a flight attendant.  

Who is Michael Middleton?

Michael Middleton was born in 1949 to a wealthy family who already had some ties to aristocracy.

He attended to the prestigious Clifton College in Bristol.

He boarded at Brown's House (like his father and grandfather before him).

The Clifton College archives record that Michael was a praepostor, the title for a college prefect.

He represented the school in rugby and tennis.

After attending the University of Surrey, he commenced studies to become a pilot before switching to ground control when he graduated from the company's internal course.

How did Carole and Michael meet?

Michael met Carole when they were both working as ground crew.

They were married on 21 June 1980 at St James's Parish Church in Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and later bought a Victorian house near Reading.

What do Michael and Carole Middleton do for a living?

In 1987 the Middletons launched their own business, Party Pieces, after Carole realised she could make some money from creating party bags.

After growing the firm into a multi-million-pound business, Party Pieces was badly hit by Covid restrictions and in April 2023, the company called in advisers at restructuring firm Interpath to try to raise fresh funds for the business.

However, the family decided to move on from the company and in May 2023 the business sold in a pre-package deal to the Essex-based entrepreneur James Sinclair.

What is Michael and Carole Middleton's net worth?

Michael and Carole's Party Pieces business meant that the couple turned themselves into self-made millionaires. At the time of Kate's wedding to Prince William in 2011 the business was estimated to be worth £30million. However, as of 2024, it's thought the couple have more than £54million between them.

How old are Michael and Carole Middleton?

Michael's date of birth is June 23, 1949, and Carole was born on January 31, 1955. Michael turned 75 in June 2024, while Carole turned 69 in January 2024.

This means Michael is just one year younger than daughter Kate's father-in-law King Charles, who was born on November 14, 1948. Charles' wife, Queen Camilla, is a year older than her husband and turned 77 in July 2024.

Camilla's date of birth is July 17, 1947.

Where do Michael and Carole Middleton live?

Since moving there in 2013, the Middletons have lived in a £5million mansion dubbed the Bucklebury Manor.

The grade-II listed Georgian property boasts seven bedrooms, five reception rooms - including a drawing room and library - and 18 acres of land complete with a tennis court and outdoor swimming pool.

Traditional log fireplaces, a kitchen with a large wooden dining table, and a conservatory with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows have previously been shown in rare pictures shared from inside the house.

Is Kate Middleton descended from royalty and do her family have royal titles?

The short answer is, no, Michael and Carol do not have any type of royal title, despite Michael being descended from the landed gentry. This is because they are not part of the Royal Family, though their daughter is to be future Queen of England.

Their daughter Kate married into the family which is why it is only her, her husband and her children that have royal titles.

She is, however, indirectly related to royalty on her father's side.

The Middleton family is linked to a former prime minister, though. William Petty-FitzMaurice served as British Prime Minister for a year, from 1782 to 1783.

The link to the Middleton family is through Lady Bullock, Michael's cousin.

Through his direct ancestor, Dame Anne Fairfax, Michael Middleton has several descents from King Edward III.

Who are Michael and Carole's children?

Michael and Carole are now the proud grandparents to second-in-line to the throne Prince George, his sister Princess Charlotte, and Prince William and Princess Kate’s third child, Louis.

They also have three more grandchildren through their second daughter Pippa, who is married to hedge-fund manager James Matthews.

James and Pippa share two daughters, Grace and Rose, and have one son called Arthur.

Michael and Carole's son James Middleton married French financial analyst Alizée Thevenet on September 11, 2021.

They had their first son Inigo in October 2023.

The name Inigo is of Spanish and Basque origin, and means "fiery".