DM: The Middletons are ‘virtually part-time nannies’ to George & Charlotte

British Royals Seen During Trooping The Colour Parade In London

We’re coming up on Princess Charlotte’s second birthday. Which means it’s time for the Daily Mail’s royal reporters to take stock of the long-simmering beef between Prince William and his father, Prince Charles, and how William uses his children to passive-aggressively poke at his father. We’ve heard before that Charles rarely sees his only grandchildren. Some of those stories even came from Charles’ camp, probably in a “two can play that passive-aggressive game, William” way, in an effort to paint Charles as a comfy, grandfatherly, sympathetic type. William’s camp, on the other hand, always paints Charles as distant and too work-obsessed to actually schedule time with his grandkids. So, the latest from the Daily Mail is just more of the same, but I found it interesting. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

Charlotte attends church with the Middletons. One member of the Middletons’ congregation tells what is supposed to be a charming story of how Charlotte talked loudly through one church service. But the real story is pro-Middleton: the Middletons are so normal and homey and of course they regularly attend church with their children and grandchildren.

The Idyllic Life of Bucklebury Manor. Charlotte and George are described as “frequent visitors to the Middletons’ £4.7 million home, Bucklebury Manor,” which is where they can “run around the 18-acre grounds, dip their fingers in the pond teeming with frog spawn, or collect eggs from the chicken coop.”

The second housekeeper. William and Kate insist that Anmer Hall will still be their full-time home, even if they are making a big deal about moving back to London in the late summer. The DM notes, “As if to emphasise the point, they’ve just employed a second full-time housekeeper [at Anmer].”

Charlotte’s Middleton eyes.
Many have commented that while George looks strikingly like his father, save for George’s big, brown eyes. Apparently, Charlotte also has “distinctive, dark ‘Middleton eyes’ according to her mother.” All of this is very strange because Kate actually has kind of hazel-y eyes which are not dark.

Charlotte’s life. She does art projects with her mom and Spanish Nanny Maria buys Charlotte lots of Spanish baby clothes. Having a daughter has reportedly made William “more vulnerable.”

Prince Charles has little-to-no influence with his grandkids. Charles is “pragmatic” about not seeing the grandkids, although he does “rant and rail” about it privately. Charles “more often than not he caves in to his notoriously truculent eldest son over everything from his career decisions to money.” Charles is worried that if he presses the issue, he’ll NEVER see the grandkids. But as it is, Charles has barely seen Charlotte in these two years. Unlike the Middletons, who are described as “virtually part-time nannies’ to the children.” William and Kate have an open-door policy for Carole and Michael, and Carole and Mike often do “pop around” unannounced.

Bill Middleton is really happening. One source says, “William chose the Middletons as his surrogate family long ago, even before the children were born. He has nailed his colours to the mast in that respect.”

Charles works, William doesn’t. Charles’ schedule is fully booked six months in advance and he works constantly. William obviously does not, and the DM notes: “while Charles’s own schedule is arranged meticulously six to seven months in advance, William and Kate’s office at Kensington Palace is notoriously tardy in confirming their diary.”

Will & Kate are making conscious choices: A source says: “Let’s just say they haven’t really done anything to make it easy for him. Charles does the best he can, but there are constraints.”

[From The Daily Mail]

It strikes me that Charles was hoping to create a situation similar to what he enjoyed with his grandparents, King George VI and the Queen Mother. He was very young when his grandfather died, but he was close to his grandmother for as long as she lived. She was the motherly figure in his life, as opposed to his own mother, and he probably wanted to have the same kind of emotional intimacy with his own grandchildren (also: Lord Mountbatten was a grandfatherly/debauched-uncle-type in his life too). So… William keeps playing this dangerous game. One day, Charles will have enough of it, and Bill Middleton’s tantrums will blow up in his face. Or perhaps Carole Middleton’s machinations will blow up in her face. Maybe all of the above.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit St Marks Englefield on Christmas Day

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit St Marks Englefield on Christmas Day

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

125 Responses to “DM: The Middletons are ‘virtually part-time nannies’ to George & Charlotte”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. amalia says:

    I think Charles will show the Middletons who’s the boss when he’s king.

    • Megan says:

      I don’t think so. Charles may not like the state of his relationship with William and his family, but he clearly accepts it. My guess is that he is hoping for a warmer relationship with Harry’s children.

    • perplexed says:

      I think Charles loves his son which is why he accepts things the way they are.

      But I don’t get why the Middletons think they could take on the royal family. Diana tried, and well, well all know what happened there. I’m not talking simply about her death — in the months leading up to her death, people seemed to not like her as much. It was her death that solidified her as a gloriously beautiful woman who would never age and always be in people’s hears forever. Had she lived, I’m not sure how she’d be viewed today. And I think of Diana as having been more 100 times more PR savvy and believe than the Middletons. And yet there were times where people did seem to get a little annoyed with her…

  2. Alleycat says:

    What was the point in describing George and Charlotte’s features? It’s not strange that the grandkids could look the grandparents. That paragraph was really bizarre.

  3. Guest says:

    Everybody knows he is a Middleton. He’d probably would love to rename the House of Windsor to the House of Middleton.

  4. Kitty says:

    DO you guys ever think that maybe The Queen and Charles knows that William and Kate are NOt the future of the monarchy?

    • QueenElisabeth says:

      Why wouldn’t they be? Charles is the prince of wales which is the tradition title of the heir to the throne. There is nothing that states that William will not eventually inherit

    • India says:

      There have been rumors for quite some time that Kate never gave birth to George and Charlotte. Many are saying the actual parents are Mike and Carole Middleton thanks to the wonders of modern medicine.

      • Megan says:

        Seriously? That is the silliest conspiracy theory I’ve heard about the BRF.

      • Flufff says:

        LOL, some people are cray-cray.

        Better than the “actually lizard people” theory which is actually more widespread than the “Kate didn’t birth her kids” ct. Don’t know what that means about society.

      • LAK says:

        I think India is pulling Kitty’s leg because Kitty posts the same question every time she posts. Kitty’s question is as plausible as India’s theory.

      • PrincessK says:

        @India, Fantastic comment!!!!!….RTFLMAO……..

    • Maria says:

      Kitty, I would really like to know what you seem to believe is going to happen. The Queen dies, Charles becomes king. Charles has longevity in his genes and has a healthy lifestyle, he could be king for twenty years or more. William will become king in his fifties, which gives him twenty years to grow up and stop sulking. The Royal family thrives on continuity, and unless something drastic happens, they will continue to reign. End of story.

      • nic919 says:

        Something like Brexit could be drastic enough to reconsider the reason for supporting one family with immense riches. I don’t think the monarchy ends in the UK once the Queen passes, but many commonwealth countries are already wondering why they should have a foreigner as symbolic head of state and it is only the Queen’s longevity and dedication to duty that tends to hold back the tide.
        Charles does “work” hard in the royal sense, but he has barely recovered from the Diana years and so there is no sense of loyalty there as there is with the Queen. As for William, he is causing his own issues because as Diana’s son, the public was prepared to give him all the breaks, but his own laziness and petulance is making things worse (Kate isn’t helping either). He is 35 years old and his personality is set. Why hasn’t he matured already? Most 35 year olds don’t have drastic personality changes and there is nothing forcing him to change, which makes this even more unlikely. He is like Trump. Tons of power and privilege and no one telling him no, not even his wife. William is not going to change in 20 years unless he is forced to. And as the UK has to make more cuts to things like NHS, while Kate spends 250K a year for pretty dresses, something is going to give if the tone deaf behaviour does not change.

      • Kitty says:

        nic919, exactly!!! Things are changing in the world. Who would have thought Brexit and Trump being president would happen? Anything can happen now.

      • Maria says:

        My question is how do you see that happening? The second the Queen dies, Charles becomes king. So is this going to happen after he is crowned, will there be a referendum, will there be a coup d’état? Will the BRF be exiled? Who will decide? The government, the people? Will there be a revolution like in Russia where you take the whole family to the basement and shoot them all? And the royal family can survive without a commonwealth. They will just be smaller. I just don’t see it happening, but I am not a Brit. I would like to see Harry as king, but how is that going to happen?

      • nic919 says:

        The monarchy only has a symbolic function in the UK at this point. No coup d’Etat is needed.

        A referendum could easily happen, in fact look at how there will be another one for Scottish independence and should they leave, then what happens to the Crown then? Do the Scots really want to support this family? And when it comes to the government, well they will make anything a referendum if it is the difference between them keeping power or not. If Brexit really pulls down the UK and social services have to be cut drastically, then people will be looking at the BRF much more closely.

        It will be far easier for the Commonwealth countries to snap the cord because the Queen is only a symbol and has no role in how those countries are governed. Just call the GG the president and give them the same role as before and easy peasy… no more BRF.

      • Ravine says:

        I get what you guys are saying about Brexit and Trump, but in this case I don’t think it’s much of an argument. The monarchy has survived many, many such changes over the centuries. Heck, I bet there were people saying “the monarchy will never survive!” in 1973 when the U.K. *joined* the EU.

      • PrincessK says:

        Aside from the Camilla issue, at 35 Charles was a MUCH more interesting and likeable character than William. I actually think that Charles will be a good King, I am looking forward to it. William appears not to really be passionate about anything, unlike his father. I am not concerned about the number of royal duties William performs, he is so shy anyway but it would be nice to know what he really disinterested in, and what gets him going, otherwise he is going to be a real bore, and an even more boring King. At the age of 35 William is not going to change his personality is set. Harry, who is more confident and has a natural sense of fun, on the other hand we know is really passionate about Africa, he really loves doing charitable activities there and I am sure he cannot wait to introduce Meghan to his Sentenbale charity. Diana got it so wrong when she said that William will be a better King than Charles, but miracles do happen.

    • Lindsey says:

      Yes I do but hopefully he would love and want a relationship with his grandchildren even if his son and DIL by extension, seem to be keen on distroying traditions dating back hundreds of tradition.

  5. Prince says:

    Who knows what is true and what is not true. That said, I think Charles will be a good king – unlike William. Some people already call him William the weak.

    • Joannie says:

      I think William will be a better king when the time comes.

      • nic919 says:

        I am sure he will pivot, just like trump will right? Spoiled men with unchecked power and immaturity always rise up to the challenge when no one forces them to.

  6. boredblond says:

    “Part time nannies”..is that what rich people call parents?😎

    • Olenna says:

      Probably not. This is the Daily Mail talking it’s usual nonsense.

      • LAK says:

        Considering Robert Lacey, royal family suck up and biographer, described them the same way, i don’t think the DM is making this one up. Robert Lacey told people magazine that Carole was so hands on that she was like a victorian style governess.

    • Matomeda says:

      I do t get the drama of it. If I had to work FT I’d much rather family take care of my kids than a stranger. It’s nice.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They have multiple paid nannies, and yet we are given the story that W&K cannot work more because they have to be with the kids. Because only bad parents work, to paraphrase William. Now we learn that in addition to the paid nannies, Carole and Mike are always there. When are the “hands-on” parents being hands-on, so hands-on that they do not have time to work?

        Answer being, they’re off doing whatever they want, kids are taken care of by others, and W&K aren’t working.

  7. alfaQ says:

    Well when the Queen is gone, William will have to “work” more, whether he likes it or not.

  8. RussianBlueCat says:

    What is Charles’s relationship like with Prince Harry? It will be interesting to see what happens if Harry and Meghan get more serious about their relationship( marriage, children) and if Charles will focus more on Harry.

    • KLO says:

      I am not at all surprised if William resents Charles for the way he handled their family and his mom Diana. Since he was the oldest child, it seems he had to emotionally parent his mother often, after another one of Charles escapades, snubs and betrayals.
      Maybe Harry as the younger child was not so tied up in his parents relationship as Wills was and because of that is more able to not be resentful.

      • LAK says:

        I think Diana emotionally abused William on this point. She used him as an emotional crutch and told him far more than a child should know about her emotional difficulties with his father. That is not a good parent. No matter how many fabulous photo ops of her hugging him in public.

        William definitely needs to ‘start a conversation’ to get rid of the bad emotional mojo she laid at his feet. Until then, he will not have a good relationship with his father.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        LAK,

        If the stories of Diana using her teenage son as a confidante are true then I’d agree. Such actions ARE emotional abuse – I’ve lived through just such a situation with my mother and it is so messed up, not to mention damaging. My mother’s effort to turn me against my father didn’t work, quite the opposite – but he didn’t do anything wrong.

        I’m not as conversant with the marriage and divorce of Charles and Diana so I don’t know if this behaviour on her part is actually true – but if it is then it is terrible parenting.

        She was VERY VERY young when she was married and became a mother – and I understand that she came from a deeply dysfunctional home/family. It can’t have helped that she married into a family that have always struck me as being dysfunctional too.

        It takes a lot of reflection, self-insight and maturity to change dysfunctional patterns (especially if you’ve grown up in them) and she never struck me as a emotionally mature person. Furthermore, the halo-effect of her early, tragic death also tends to ignore flaws over virtues.

      • Elizabeth says:

        Agreed, LAK. I have no trouble acknowledging the dysfunction within the RF, but the Spencers were far worse. I believe Earl Spencer was very emotionally abusive; adults don’t suddenly become bulimic without some kind of abusive or hyper-controlling background – possibly alcoholism. Diana couldn’t figure out how to manipulate Charles the way she did with so many other people. Her tantrums and attempts at suicide were a form of emotional blackmail and he just chose not to put up with it.

      • HappyMom says:

        @Elizabeth-fyi-many people from “normal” families develop eating disorders-they develop from a lack of self esteem.

  9. SKF says:

    I’m sure there are people here much more in the know than me; but isn’t this theory feeding into the mythology of the queen mother rather than the reality? From what I understand, rather than being the sweet, down-to-earth grandmotherly type we were long fed; she was actually quite mean, snobbish, cutting, a massive spender and a big drinker. She hated the peasants much more that Gwyneth ever has, and she was quite a cold and nasty peace of work. She was magnificent at PR and worked to make things happen in her favour a lot. Her daughters could never stand up to her and always deferred to her.

    • graymatters says:

      True, but it’s also true that QM was the closest thing to a loving family Charles’ had while his parents were away touring for months at a time. She also sent care packages and many letters when he was away at boarding school, where he was bullied. It’s striking that she did not enjoy the same level of closeness with Anne, who would/will never inherit the crown.

      Princess Bea has commented on how warm and loving Gan-Gan was as well. It’s unlikely she spent a lot of time with her great-grandchildren, but she apparently turned on the charm for them, too.

      • tigerlily says:

        I wonder if QM wasn’t as close to Anne due to Anne being so like Philip? I’ve heard that QM wasn’t wild about Philip and Elizabeth marrying-she wanted Elizabeth to marry an English or Scottish noble. Philip went through quite a baptism by fire when he married into the royal family.

    • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

      Yeah the QM was a bit of a battle axe – I believe it was her who was behind Wallis being denied the HRH title. She hated Wallis and its been rumoured that she had a ‘bit of a thing’ for David, who was a notorious charmer and ladies man.

      • Elizabeth says:

        Scuttlebutt is that she turned down Bertie’ s first couple of proposals because she really wanted David.

      • notasugarhere says:

        “A marshmallow made on a welding machine” – Cecil Beaton’s take on the Queen Mum.

    • Va Va Kaboom says:

      The QM always had her eye on history and her family’s place in it. She coddled and, forgive me, curated Charles from the moment he was born. Her youngest daughter and other grandchildren have discussed how coldly the QM treated them in comparison.

      She was from the old school of Royaling, mostly following her in-laws (especially Queen Mary’s) SOP. For them it was all about the heir, which when you read up on what her husband’s childhood was like as the spare may make your opinion of her fall even farther.

  10. Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

    No surprise there. The nuggets in the article are telling:

    – Charles capitulates to William over everything inc money. Makes me wonder what they are demanding Charles pays for? Is Charles funding the Middleton’s as well?
    – How little time W&K spend with their children? If Carole and Mike are practically part time Nannies then where are their parents? They are certainly NOT working hard on their duties so what are they doing?
    – Dig at how Carole is ruling over the Cambridge shadow court. I know its something we like to joke about on here but having the press report on it is something else
    – Show how disrespectful they are to the RF and the institution that they are part of. Esp from the Middleton PoV, they spend 10 years clawing their way into it and now they are there they are spitting nails that they are not at the centre, controlling it all

    There are periodically articles like this, usually released by Chuck’s camp. This is Chucks dysfunctional way of slapping his son and DIL down and reminding them who funds their lifestyle.

    I long for the day when Chuck decides he has had enough – the gossip would be epic.

  11. Anne says:

    No one won and no one will win with BRF, bc RF won with a more dangerous opponent than Queen Carole.

  12. COSquared says:

    If you read the whole piece, it mentions how Bill Middleton “purposely sets family days knowing that Charles will have a scheduling conflict”. Douchey…And Pippa’s PR is trying really hard these days.

  13. Talie says:

    None of this is abnormal…usually kids are closer with one set of grandparents more than the other. What is stopping Charles from reaching out to his son and asking to be more involved? His ego? Carole and Michael Middleton are close with their daughter, obviously, but they clearly make an effort to stay in the loop.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Because Charles does over 500 engagements a year, plus The Prince’s Trust, the Duchy, Dumfries House, some of the Queen’s duties, and taking over land management of Balmoral and Sandringham. His schedule is planned 6-9 months in advance, and W&K appear to plan things deliberately so he cannot attend.

      • bluhare says:

        I generally agree, nas. However, Charles does know the dates his grandchildren were born and could leave those days open.

      • notasugarhere says:

        When these two move the goal posts at every turn? If he cleared one weekend, they’d have it the other one. If he reserved both weekends, they have it in the middle of the week. If he cleared two full weeks around each of their birthdays? They’d probably still find a way to have a party at a time he couldn’t attend. It appears that any time Charles is scheduled to be near Sandringham, they go hide out at Middleton Manor.

      • LAK says:

        Bluhare, i’m with Nota on this one.

        An example of goalposts being moved……..Charles had an engagement on Sandrigham to judge a village fete. WK spent that same day in Berkshire. Twitter reporters commented on the divergent schedules when Charles could have popped into Anmer since he was in Sandrigham.

        The article makes it very clear that it’s not an open door to Charles. He has to ask to pop in whilst Carole etal can simply pop in whenever they feel like it.

        Plus WK schedule things when they know Charles can’t make it. Very spiteful and petty if you ask me because inviting someone you know can’t attend is passive-aggressive to the extreme, but it allows you to play the martyr who keeps getting turned down.

      • bluhare says:

        It’s difficult to move the date of the child’s birthday. And he could reach out to them as well. Last year they had it on her birthday, I think, and he could ask to see her that day.

        And that’s a good conspiracy theory but I’m not sure it comes out in the wash.

        ETA: I didn’t say it was an open door, LAK; didn’t mean to imply that at all. My point was he knows when their birthdays are and he could clear his calendar that day and request to see them. Now, if they don’t allow it, that’s on WK. And a crappy thing to do to their children if so, because you know they (or at least Kate) will be with them on their actual birthday. Along with Carole and Mike.

      • notasugarhere says:

        As you say yourself, he could clear the day and they could refuse. They can move the date of the parties, to make sure he cannot attend. And be at Middleton Manor when they know Charles is near Sandringham. Even if he could finally get “permission” to show up at the birthday party? As I wrote elsewhere, I consider it emotionally abusive if he is never allowed 1-on-1 time to build a relationship with these kids away from the Middletons watchful gaze.

        That is how this has been playing out for three years, with Charles being denied time. Notice we get articles from Charles about how he wants to see them more. The rebuttal are articles saying the Midds are wonderful, hands-on grandparents — nothing about how they try to make sure Charles gets time with the kids. Because clearly Carole is cutting him out as W&K are. She’s positioning herself to be beloved Granny (like Queen Mum was to Charles).

      • bluhare says:

        You’re right. They *could* do all that. However, I find it difficult to believe that they wouldn’t have plans for the child on her birthday that Charles could attend if he chose. Now if Charles places conditions on what he will or won’t do and who else can be there , then that *is* his problem. And if they refuse to let him go because they don’t want him there then that’s plain mean.

      • LAK says:

        I think the fact that Charles has taken to airing his grievances via the media is indicative of total cold freeze from the other side.

        One would think that after the war of the Wales he would approach this in a better way, but apparently he didn’t learn the lesson.

      • bluhare says:

        He also expected them to reach out to him, which I think is a bit heavy handed; however, I do take your point. As I said, if he wanted to go he could ask. And if he does ask and they refuse? Just plain mean. I certainly could see the Middletons being quite proud they’ve got a bat with which to smack Charles. Example A: That bloody wedding coming up is being touted as Royal Wedding Redux the way the DM is carrying on about it.

      • PrincessK says:

        Charles and the Queen are from the old school. They clearly do not approve of the molly coddling style of child rearing which William and Kate are exhibiting. The real shocker was when the Queen publicly rebuked William and told him to get up when he knelt down on the balcony to make eye contact with Prince George over something. The truth is the RF children cannot be parented like other children. They have to be drilled to be able to cope with boring public engagements, standing up straight to attention for long periods learning to remain silent, not giving away thoughts through facial expression, making boring small talk, always smiling etc etc. Modern parenting will not teach RF children this. William and Kate should bring their children to see their grandfather and defer to him. But Camilla is the real elephant in the room, I am sure she makes William’s skin crawl and he really does not want her to enjoy his children, a joy Camilla snatched away from his own mother.

      • PrincessK says:

        Oh please, the RF does not work like that, they do not just pop in to each others places like we do. Charles makes an appointment before he can see the Queen. They are not like us, and they should not be, they have their estates and palaces and staff to run and organise. William needs to start learning that he cannot live an ordinary life and his father cannot be an ordinary grandparent.

    • Lightpurple says:

      We do not know that he hasn’t reached out to his son.

      • Maria says:

        I’m sure he has. After Diana died he was a good father to the boys. A bad move on William and Kate’s part. Charles is going to be king sooner rather than later, and he could really make it difficult for them. I feel bad for Charles. Distant parents, an ill-suited marriage, and now one of his sons is turning against him, and is depriving him of his grandchildren.

      • Talie says:

        He seems to mainly communicate through the media, these days.

  14. PettyRiperton says:

    We’ve heard for years in documentaries and books about Will having to be his mother’s shoulder to cry on over things his father did. So I’m not at all surprised he resents Charles and uses the only weapon he has against his father.

    Many people didn’t think Charles would make a good king when he was Will’s and look how the tide has turned on that. Will has plenty of time to change public opinion around.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Charles will make a good king. He’s been the most active, productive Prince of Wales in history.

      If William had a problem with his parents infidelities, he wouldn’t have cheated on KM for years. Nor would he have accepted living in the house where his father and Camilla had their relationship.

      My conclusion remains – William has no problem with what his parents did, only how it negatively impacted himself. Does he pay any attention to how his own actions impact his children? Being away for 6 months after the birth of their son for example? I doubt it.

      • Joannie says:

        Nota you dont know that william cheated on K. You werent there to know that he didnt see his son for six months. You’re simply making up lies based on what you want to believe. Your comment is pure fiction.

      • notasugarhere says:

        We have the photographic proof through the years, including proof from others on the bases that he was sneaking women in for overnights while he was seeing KM. Stories from those who were there, including members of the set, about how she tolerated the cheating they all saw as long as it was quiet. And it was KM’s own words at an event in NZ that showed he absented himself for the first six months.

      • Joannie says:

        Not true Nota! You’re reading too much into some innocuous comment and putting your own spin on it. There’s zero proof. Only gossip.

      • PettyRiperton says:

        NOTASUGARHERE, You can cape for Charles all you want but cheating isn’t the only thing that can make a guy a bad husband. We don’t know what Diana use to tell Will.
        Will cheating on Kate is neither here nor there, Kate loves the lifestyle and the title. She dealt with whatever he was doing when they were dating she’s made her peace with it.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Her own words, joannie. Her own words prove he was “not around much” during the first 6 months. Photo proof isn’t word of mouth, it is photo proof.

        Regarding being a good king, it has nothing to do with whether or not Charles was a good husband. With what he has done already, he has done more than any previous POW. Some think that William is acting out against Charles because of the relationship with Diana, when what I see is William acting as both his parents did and being as truculent and whiplash as Diana.

        William doesn’t have time to turn public sentiment around. The time to be gathering favor is now, while they are “young” and relatively attractive. While the kids are young, to get the public to ooh and ahh over them. W&K have wasted the 5 years of goodwill from the wedding, and making it worse with their attitude towards the kids vs. public and media.

    • tigerlily says:

      Petty, William should be resenting Diana for making him her confidante. What a horrid thing for a mother to do to a child! Diana knew full well what she was getting into when she married Charles, she knew all about Camilla, I am sure her sister filled her in on how life was as a gf of Charles’s. And she still married him. Yes Charles was at fault but so was Diana and it is ridiculous the way she has been turned into a martyr.

  15. Loz says:

    It’s called being a grandparent.

  16. Kitty says:

    I think Charles will have a warmer relationship with Harry and his family.

    • HappyMom says:

      I agree. If it’s Meghan, her own family lives in the US. Charles will be the local grandparent. I think he will be much closer to them.

      • PrincessK says:

        Hopefully Doria will spend a lot of time in the UK when the grand kids come.

  17. Lainey says:

    Pretty sure they’re a lot more than part-time.
    “run around the 18-acre grounds, dip their fingers in the pond teeming with frog spawn, or collect eggs from the chicken coop.”- Are they not able to do this at Amner. We get stories of them visiting the farms there and the house has a good bit of land around it.

    • Megan says:

      I absolutely adored my grandparents and still miss them terribly. I think George and Charlotte are lucky to be so close to their grandparents.

    • LAK says:

      I think it’s so funny they bring up the 18acres of Middleton towers when the kids live on 20,000 acres Sandrigham. A working farm. In a rural county.

      • notasugarhere says:

        As if Highgrove and the Duchy couldn’t provide learning engagement for outdoor activities, with a grandfather who champions traditional farming and rural life.

      • Maria says:

        Didn’t Charles build some kind of playhouse on the grounds at Highgrove for his grandchildren? I bet it is hardly ever used.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      They’d rather go to Bucklebury to look at chickens.
      Instead of Highgrove.
      Where Chaz raises chickens.
      And, indeed, wrote a book on rare breeds of chickens.
      SMDH
      Jason and WK have tunnel vision and don’t take into account that most people are aware of the wider reality surrounding WK.

  18. minx says:

    And this is a problem?

    • Bitchy says:

      Granny Carole is driving a wedge in between Prince Charles and his son and his grandson.
      Yep, that is a problem. It would even be a problem if they were not royal.

      • minx says:

        I can’t stand any of them, really, but Charles doesn’t strike me as the type to care that much how often he sees his grandkids.

      • hdc364 says:

        No, she isn’t driving the wedge. She is exploiting it. Believe me, she figured out his weaknesses long before they were married. His biggest weakness, William’s inability to go to his father and sort out his “Daddy issues”, is the horse that this family rode all the way into the monarchy.

  19. Bitchy says:

    Short term the Middletons gain.
    Long term both the Middletons and the monarchy will lose. Because basically the Middletons are alienating both William and his son Prince George from their Royal Family despite both William and PG being future kings. From whom are they supposed to learn Royal machinations if not from the RF? The Middletons are putting up William and PG against Prince Charles who is their father / grandfather. How and where are Will and Kate supposed to build their own power base if not close to the RF? Last time William and Kate tried to build their own power base (their own pr and such) it did blow up in their face.

    • Starlight says:

      i agree with this as to quote Charles “The March of the Middletons”has more in that statement than we realise. On Christmas Day morning we were all looking on in surprise at William attending a church service away from the traditional Sandrngham with the royals. The posse of blacked out 4x 4 s turning up outside Englefield Green church with the clan arriving. It really did take the limelight away from Charles and Camilla and all the royal family who year in year out spend Christmas Day with the senior royals. I mean you really have to think that Sophie has so done her duty. But I think Kate has an nferiority complex regarding her middle class background either that or W and K have decided that royal traditions are no longer a necessity to keep the monarchy going. So by not giving George equal access to Charles well he misses out and n his royal grandparentage because Carole and Mike are not royal.

  20. spidey says:

    Leaving aside the general dislike of the Cambridges, I think it is nice that the two kids get to see their non-royal grandparents so often. Other non-royal grandparents have generally been cut out of the picture in the past.

    And of course we don’t actually know how often Charles gets to see the kids privately – the press just could be stirring (I know, what a terrible thought!).

    Sorry if you get duplicate style posts – I’m having problems with them disappearing again.

    • suze says:

      I agree that this might all be sh*t stirring on tbe part of the DM.Charles is busy and he may see his grandkids privately more often than is known

      I do disagree that other non royal grandparents have been “cut out of the picture”.

      Diana had a difficult relationship with her birth family, but that was entirely on her, not the responsibility of the royal family.

      Queen Elizabeth had an exceedingly warm relationship with the Queen Mothers family. Many of her closest confidents came from that family, and she spent every summer of her life in close proximity to them.

      Prince Philips mother lived with the family at Buckingham Palace.

      Sophies father spends Christmas with the royal family. Fergie father WORKED for them, and was a constant presence.

      • spidey says:

        But ask Mark Phillips parent what they think.

        And every Christmas Day has had to be spent with the royals at Sandringham.

      • Bitchy says:

        @ suze

        Your text makes it sound as if Diana’s difficult relation with her birth family were her own fault. It would seem that Diana’s birth family didn’t equip her with a stable? and warm? and nurturing? upbringing and support she would have needed. As a result she had difficulties as a young adult.

        Camilla knew why she suggested Diana to Prince Charles. She must have seen a weak and unstable? and insecure? Diana as an advantage for her and her relationship with Charles. They picked a weak victim. Such thinking is disguisting. And know it looks like that woman might become Queen.

        Compare that to the young Princess Elisabeth who chosed nearly an equal for a spouse: royal and aristocratic as herself, older and more experienced even, though allegedly poor but with military prospects. So marriage wasn’t Prince Phillips only “career option”. 😉

        I am not impressed by Charles nor his choices of companions.

      • PrincessK says:

        Yes, but these are in-laws are discreet, we hardly hear about them in the press. The Middleton’s must be a nightmare as far as the Palace is concerned. The public are beginning to feel that the Middleton’s really are part of the RF, especially as they get equal if not more press coverage, and appear to love it and relish the reality show aspects of it all.

  21. Tanya says:

    I don’t get why the Middletons are being blamed. Will is a grown man. If he wanted his kids to see his father, they’d see him. Clearly he doesn’t, and it doesn’t take much speculation to understand why.

    • notasugarhere says:

      He cheated on KM for 10 years. Their relationship began through cheating. They live in the house where Charles and Camilla had their relationship. Whatever reasons you think William has, he has shown no problem with infidelity.

      • Uh..What? says:

        What does that have to do with anything that O.P said?

      • notasugarhere says:

        My reply appeared in the wrong place. Something has been a bit messed up with posting on this thread today.

  22. Moon says:

    It sounds like will is taking it out on Charles for his infidelity and being a bad parent when he was younger.

    • Maria says:

      I think Charles was a good father. It was Diana who insisted that he wasn’t. And Charles was especially good as a single parent. And he did wait eight years before he remarried. I know he cheated on Diana and I have never been a big Camilla fan, but Diana cheated too. And the man made a mistake by marrying Diana. Let him live in peace.
      I’m sure Charles would spend time with his grandkids if he were allowed.

      • Moon says:

        No I’m with you, I find Charles a tragic figure actually, I’m glad he got to marry his real love. But it was probably hard for will. Speaking as a child of a cheating father, I was hard on mine for a long time. I think will is still taking his anger out on Charles.

      • PrincessK says:

        @Moon, I don’t think Camilla is Charles real love, his real love is himself. Camilla trapped Charles because she was forever licking his boots and reassuring him about his every move and praising his every word, and he lapped it up and started to believe that he could not cope without her. Not only was Camilla a rottweiler she was a mastermind and first class tactician.

  23. spidey says:

    Be interesting to see what happens if/when Pippa has a family.

  24. KatM says:

    Serious question…do the royals leak this kind of information to people at The Daily Mail? Where do they get this from? It seems like there is a consistent narrative that Charles feels second to the Middletons which really would not surprise me. Carole Middleton has done everything to ensure that her daughters were well equipped so to speak to socialize/fit in with the upper classes. I have no doubt that she is very involved in their day to day lives still. She is their grandmother, which is understandable that she would be, but I sometimes feel bad for Charles if this is really true. I get the impression that William and his father do not have the closest of relationships.

    • LAK says:

      Yes and no.

      The royals have always had surrogates in all the tabloids through which they speak to the public or publicly fight each other.

      They sanction articles, leak against each other etc. It seems inconceivable to non British people, but it’s fact.

      Further, the Middletons are close to the editor of the DM and he has advised them or given them positive media depending on agenda.

      That said, not every story in the papers is true. The media like to make stuff up too.

      It’s very muddy waters indeed.

      • PrincessK says:

        Hmmm…..I wonder if the Middleton’s are behind the attempts to slur Meghan’s character?

  25. Nikki says:

    I am genuinely curious how everyone knows Carole is the mastermind of everything bad. Several people said it is SHE who denies Charles access, so she’ll be the favorite. In my experience, the parents are mostly responsible for deciding who does or doesn’t see their children. If Carole is indeed an avid social climber, I think she’d schedule things when the almost king, Charles, could attend, for bragging rights. I think she wants to please her son in law, and it pleases him to shut Charles out. And I’ve never understood how the public knows that every ambitious move has come from Carol, and not a word against her husband, their kids’ father, after all. She is a warm, loving, involved grandmother; are y’all sure this is merely social ambition??

    • KatM says:

      I assume you are addressing my post so I will simply say once again: It has been the narrative in the press that Carole Middleton is a social climber. I then asked where The Daily Mail gets their information regarding Charles. I think most people assume that the Middletons are this way because, with all due respect, it is not like they have shied away from the press. I do not recall seeing Sophie’s family writing books about entertaining/cooking or appearing on The Today Show. In addition to that, not many adults in this day and age graduate from a top-ranked university and live in a flat in the middle of Chelsea bought and paid for by their parents, while they are not employed for over five years. So I really do not think it is that much of a stretch to think that Carole has set up her children so that they can socialize with the upper classes. Most parent’s do not buy a million dollar home in the middle of a very nice area in SW London so their children can live in it while not working. Maybe Carole Middleton is a very nice person…who knows…but she certainly has made sure that her children are well equipped financially to socialize with the upper classes.

      • Joannie says:

        How does the press know such things? I think they make it up. They have nothing else to write about so they embellish a nothing story.

      • Bitchy says:

        Admittedly Pippa has worked for some party organiser / caterer for a while. But that one catered to the upper classes, too, so it fell in line with the strategy of placing the daughters in the realm and reach of the upper classes’ bachelors.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Carole knows which side her bread is buttered on. If William is anti-Charles, Carole will be anti-Charles. Mike is a shadowy figure who always appears to be a cowed puppet to me.

      • PrincessK says:

        Yes, if it were not for publicity hungry and pushy Carole, Michael Middleton would have been the perfect in law for the RF to have. I sense that he really dislikes all the attention his wife and daughters crave.

  26. winter says:

    w and ch have serious relationship issues that just haven’t been properly address i think he has asked to the children but his son refused with the middletons cosign wills actions . I don’t think charles was the big mean monster to diana like everyone claims he saw her as being dramatic the royals are simple not love dovey witch diana needed .

    • Bitchy says:

      Charles behaved quite shabbily. He married a weak? young? insecure? woman who was no match for his and Camilla’s machinations and that was why he married her. And Diana didn’t even understand that until it was too late. He ruinded Diana’s life to quite some extent. Just imagine Diana had married a more decent husband and imagine she had been able to grow and have a stable relationship.

      I am not impressed by Charles’ choices of companions. He choosed Diana because he was weak and had both bad judgement and bad intentions. And why he choosed Camilla I don’t understand. He is the heir presumptive. There are many women who would love to be his companion.

  27. Shannon says:

    I don’t see the big deal. He’s obviously closer to them and there must be a reason for that. I view being a royal as my worst nightmare – sure, it comes with money, but also with other people controlling your life. Kind of like when I moved back in with my parents – whom I love to death – for a while. Sure, I had no bills, but I also had no privacy and my life was not my own. I’m happier being broke af in my own place for sure. Luckily, I had a choice, and I got out as soon as I could. He doesn’t. I think the public doesn’t show enough sympathy for that situation. You do you, William & Kate.