Prince Charles got to celebrate his 70th birthday for what felt like a full month. He celebrated with complimentary documentaries and biographies, soft-focus PR fluff, and lots of photo-ops and photoshoots with his two sons, their wives and his three grandchildren. The fact that Charles got so much time with William and Kate’s kids did not go unnoticed, especially considering that just a few years ago, Charles couldn’t bribe his way into his grandkids’ lives. He was left trying to guilt William into giving him access to George and Charlotte by leaking some “woe is Charles” articles and quotes to friendly outlets. Well, William got the message. And so did Carole Middleton, who pulls all the strings for the Cambridges. Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair had the exclusive, and here are some highlights:
Charles has been spending more time with his grandkids: While in the past Charles has privately bemoaned the fact that he doesn’t get to see enough of his grandchildren, largely because of his punishing work schedule, sources close to the future king say he has made “a big effort” to spend more time with his growing family and plans to make a point of seeing more of them.
Carole Middleton has been fading into the background: Another prominent royal grandparent has been far less publicly visible. Carole Middleton—Kate’s mother, who has also been an instrumental part of their family’s life—has deliberately taken more of a back seat in the Cambridge family life. While Carole is still a regular guest at Kensington Palace frequently driving her Range Rover through the courtyard to Apartment 1A so that she can join the family for tea time, Carole has been seen less in recent months.
Carole isn’t the go-to babysitter anymore: “Kate and William have some extra help at the moment with Louis being so little and Carole is here a bit less,” says a source. “She is still around, of course, Kate and William love having her over, but she’s not around as much.”
Carole has made a conscious choice to spend less time with the Cambridges: She has, according to one family friend, made a point of giving the Cambridges some space. “Carole was quite wounded over the suggestions that she had elbowed Charles out [of] the way when it came to spending time with the grandchildren,” said the source. “She is very hands-on and Kate and William really value all her help, but Carole doesn’t want to tread on toes. She has been careful to make sure she’s not always at the house, and if Charles requests some time with George and Charlotte, which he increasingly does, Carole will make herself scarce and always makes sure Charles gets the time he wants with them alone.”
Where will the Cambridges spend Christmas? The Palace has yet to confirm where the Cambridges will celebrate Christmas. Usually, they alternate between Christmas with Kate’s family and Christmas with the royals at Sandringham. Last year they were at Sandringham. William promised Kate when they married that she would not be expected to spend every Christmas with the royals. Charles, however, is said to be keen for the family to be together to cap off what has been an eventful year. As well as his own 70th birthday there have been two royal weddings, two royal babies, and news of Harry and Meghan’s baby on the way.
Wow, there’s a lot to unpack. First of all, I feel very strongly that the Cambridges will spend Christmas at Anmer Hall/Sandringham. Yes, they did that last year, and this should be the off-year they spend in Bucklebury, but I think a combination of factors will mean An Anmer Hall Cambridge Christmas – they won’t want Harry and Meghan to have all of the Royal Christmas headlines, especially if Doria Ragland is there. And Charles and the Queen will likely want the full family at Sandringham this year and will make special requests of the Cambridges. My guess is that the Middletons will probably stay at Anmer anyway.
As for Carole and how careful she’s being… well, I think it’s a combination of factors, and Carole being sensitive to Charles’ needs is only one of those factors. I think Carole finally “got” how her stage-management of her adult daughter’s life was not helping Kate’s image. It’s totally possible that Carole is still the puppet-master behind the scenes, but I think Kate has moved Carole into a more “advisory” role rather than “life manager.” It’s also interesting that Nicholl got a confirmation that Will and Kate have hired more nannies or nanny-types. We haven’t heard much about that, but it makes sense. Nanny Maria can’t do everything.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red, Chris Jackson for Clarence House and WENN.
Didn’t Carole also have another new grandchild this year? Time to spend time with her other daughter.
Carole has a new grandchild, and Pippa is a first time mom. It’s not hard to imagine Carole thinking (rightfully) that Pippa needs more of mom’s attention right now.
Besides, I never got the hate-on for Carole and her spending time with Kate and the kids. She’s family. William and Kate may also be of the mind that more Middleton influence will make their kids happier in the long run.
I don’t get the hate either. My mother wasn’t around when my children were small, I would have given anything to have her there.
My mother made it clear from the get-go that she wanted nothing to do with our child, and, sadly, it was one of the few points on which she was genuinely honest and consistent. I think grandparents who can truly enjoy and bond with their grandkids are such an amazing gift and support. The more love, the better.
Not just that.. The grandkids are older now. Was Charles going to change nappies or teach them? Doesnt’ seem likely, while carole and mike middleton seem like they would be hands on grandchildren and be there for the mother.
Ding ding ding
I also think Will and Kate and the kids will spend part of Christmas with the Middletons for the same reason. The new babies.
Carole also has another grandkid now, who I think is being raised in London. So maybe she’s just spreading herself a bit thinner.
Oh, and there is always MIke. Maybe she wants to hang with her husband for a while, too.
Couldn’t it also be that right now Carole is busy with Pippa and Pippa’s new baby? Perhaps the Middleton parents will be spending their holiday with the Matthewses anyway?
I have a question and I’m not being sarcastic. Given the size of the actual country of England, isn’t it possible that they could go to family get togethers at more than one relative’s house? It’s not like one set of family lives in Florida and one in Nebraska.
From what I understand, The Queen’s Christmas celebrations are highly scheduled affairs with an agenda for the whole day. Coming and going might rub her the wrong way. Perhaps trading off years was the better compromise.
For normal British families, yes, one often does Christmas lunch with one set of grandparents and Christmas dinner with the other, if they don’t live too far apart. dietcokehead is right that the Royals are different, though. You could probably spend Christmas Eve with one set and Christmas Day with another, but you couldn’t split up the day.
She seems like a smart, loving mom and grandmother who doesn’t want to make waves. Seems Carole will always have a firm spot with no need to press anything, especially now that W&K are likely more confident as parents and Pippa has a baby.
Maybe Carole wants to spend more time with her other daughter and new grandchild?
One of the things that I find interesting about this whole line of stories recently is that someone at KP is definitely aware of image and optics and how things are playing out in the press and they have realized that there are a few easy ways to improve image. For William, working more was the most obvious thing, which we have seen this year, and it has helped his image tremendously.
There have been a few other things as well but when you add this in – its not whether or not it is actually true (that Carole is taking a backseat, etc) its that someone realized Carole’s constant presence just “looked” bad and so we have this article talking about how she isn’t so present anymore.
also I have always thought they had three nannies. Definitely at least two – Nanny Maria is often at events where not all the children are (like Harry and Meghan’s wedding, Maria was there but Louis was not, so he was clearly with another nanny) and a third nanny while Louis is so small makes sense. Nanny Maria is probably the primary one for the older kids, there’s probably one who is full time for Louis, and then a third who fills in the blanks.
I think Catherine Quinn has been quietly reshaping the Cambridge’s household and how it is run – IIRC she’s a Charles hire. I suspect she’s made it known how bad it looks having Carole around all the time. As for Carole, well if she wants that title then she is going to have to play nice to Charles and build a relationship with him as I don’t think things will go well for the DoLittles when Chuck becomes King and they don’t step up. The image of Carole being a pushy, controlling stage mother is very much ingrained in the image/perception of the Cambridges. If they want to be taken seriously as senior royals then they have to learn to stand on their own 2 feet and show that they are able to lead rather than be led by Carole, Queen Mother in Waiting. Same goes for her siblings, who act like they are practically royal themselves.
There were plenty of stories of Carole being difficult with the staff at KP and Amner so perhaps CQ got involved with that too.
I’m sure you’re right. I have no idea why Catherine Quinn would want to bury herself in that nest of vipers, but I’m sure you’re right.
Carole controls the media, the editors, W&K, the palace, their pr, and she does all this while running a successful business and being a doting grandmother to four. Give this woman a medal. A true feminist icon!
Her and Kris Jenner 😂
Hahaha!
Glad Carole is stepping back.
All her hard work is now complete.
Didn’t Terribly Moderately Failed Marshmallowy Brother James just (mildly, vaguely) confirm that Kate and Wills and fam would be spending the holidays with the Middletons?
Honestly, I see Kate (and William) as fairly passive-aggressive, and could see them avoiding Sandringham if Doria has been invited while the Midds never have… I think that could chafe, especially as the Midds are so desperate to play up the Royal-adjacent angle…
Are the Middletons really so desperate to play up the “royal-adjacent” thing, though? They *are* connected to the royal family and everyone knows it. Not like the Mids are proclaiming their status everyday at noon in the town square.
Hear ye! Hear ye! The Royals like us! They really, really like us!
I can see them doing for xmas what supposedly they have done in the past – do breakfast and the church walk with the royals, and then go to Anmer for dinner at their own house. That actually seems like the easiest solution to me, especially since they still do the church stroll when they go to church with the Middletons (so its obviously not the photographers that bother them.)
Of course, if Carole and Michael Middleton want to spend the holiday with their entire family, and Pippa doesn’t want to go to Anmer – then it is more complicated. But millions of families figure it out every year.
Yes, they do Christmas at ANMER…because its residents (W&K) invite them. They don’t do Christmas at Sandringham because its residents (TQ & PP) never have/probably never will. I do think that chafes at Carole. Remember how she paid for that private hunt for William when he spent the holidays with them? She has to make it SEEM like a royal holiday, even if it isn’t.
They are just royal adjacent – at least that’s how they feel about it. Not good enough for the big house – but Doria is. If you think that doesn’t eat at Carole Middleton, you haven’t been paying attention.
Well said Enny.
Agree +100
@Enny oh I definitely think it eats at Carole and she wants to go to Sandringham lol. I just think without her being invited to the royal Christmas, Will and Kate will do what they have done in the past and do the public part of the royal Christmas and then go to anmer for their own celebration.
As long as they don’t repeat that ridiculous Boxing Day shoot, I don’t care what they do.
They spend every Christmas with the Cambridges at Amner – the whole family decamp there for the holiday season, esp as they all trot along for the church pap stroll desperate to be seen as royals.
No, they don’t. If you ever see the Middleton family, they always walk behind Will and Kate and the kids. They are rarely in the pictures and are very respectful of the hierarchy of the royal family. What do you want them to do, boycott their childrean and grand children??
This is incorrect. While the Middletons may have gone to Sandringham for Christmas a time or two, and I am not even sure if that is true, the Middletons have definitely been spotted observing Christmas in Bucklebury along with Kate and William. Why would the Middletons be in Norfolk when Kate and William are in Bucklebury?
Kate’s birthday is in early January and the Middletons come to Norfolk / Sandringham at that time and have been papped going to church on the weekend near Kate’s birthday.
This is their year for a family Christmas – they did celebrate Christmas at Sandringham last year. This year the Midds have 2 new lovely babies, so it’s the right thing to have a family Christmas, imo.
I agree and if it is in Bucklebury then we will likely get pictures of George and Charlotte.
I never got the vitriol against Carole spending time with her daughter and grandchildren.
I am in my 30s, and I always want my mum around, especially during my pregnancies. I get along perfectly fine with my in laws, but between my father in law and my mum, I will always choose my mum
If you look at Carole’s history of micro managing Kate’s life then it’s a more clearer picture.
Yes, its not that people care that a mother and her daughter are close, its that it is more of a stage-mother, micromanaging, etc. Whether or not it is true, the impression given over the past 15 years is that Kate is overly dependent on her parents (financially before she married William, and always emotionally) and like I said above – what is interesting is that the Middletons now seem to be aware of how strong that impression is and are trying to fix it.
“financially before she married William”
I’ve never understood the “shame” of being financially dependent on your parents. Having extra financial security from my parents is a bonus.
@Becks1 – I think its too late to try for the Mids to try and change that narrative as they were too strong on pushing the ‘close knit middle class family’ narrative that they spent years peddling. Carole has always been seen as a pushy, controlling, interfering and domineering force within the Cambridge relationship. Their love of the media attention was always going to bite them.
I can’t help feel that is part of a long term strategy from the Mids. They know that if current perceptions of them continue when William becomes King and they step up into their much desired royal-ajdutant roles their will be an outcry. They have made no secret of their desire to be a big part of Williams court – Pippa is even trying to set herself up as some sort of society IT girl who visits hospitals. I calling it now that as soon as Katie Keen becomes Queen Consort, Pippa and Mommy Dearest are named as her ladies in waiting who the tax payer will fund to jaunt about on her behalf or accompany her on their official tours (sorry holidays).
@DL – I think there is a difference between your parents helping you out, making it easier for you as you start your career, etc if they have the means, and being completely financial dependent on them as Kate was. It doesn’t make Kate a bad person, but it does mean that her life is going to be more intertwined with her parents than someone who struck out on their own. Of course lots of very well-off people are dependent on their family money (I mean we ARE talking about the royals here, ha) but it definitely feels “off” when it comes to Kate because it seems the point was to support her so she could date William.
@DigitalUnicorn that’s a good point too. Maybe stepping back now is part of a broader strategy.
@DL – like others have said it’s one thing to have your parents and other family members as part of a supportive team but the optics around Kate & Carole just haven’t looked good historically. It not only looked like Carole was a stage mom but more importantly or damning was the fact that it made Kate (a 20+ – 30+ year old) look as if she has not, could not and cannot manage her own life, her own decisions, her own finances or her own relationships. Kate looked like a 20 to 30 something year old adolescent.
Here are a few examples, it was said at the time when Kate & William broke up that Carole “talked” to William and got Kate and William back together. Whose mother does that!?! It was also rumored that Carole was even making some of William’s favorites foods (grilled cheese—if I’m not mistaken). Carole also moved into their home to help Kate manage the staff and to help with George shortly after he was born. Instead of looking like a mother wanting to support her daughter, who is a new mom, the optics were the Kate couldn’t manage and her mother had to pull out her super hero cape and run to the rescue. Finally, re: finances, most people would love someone with deep pockets to help them out but has Kate ever earned or handled her own money? What probably equates to less than 25 hours across a few weeks working for Jigsaw, family friends, don’t count. Did she even make payroll or did she just “need” to look as if she had a job outside of keeping William happy? Just saying.
Carole has helped Kate a great deal. It can be argued that she’ & her husband have done a great job in terms of positioning her children to enter a higher social and financial bracket but Carole’s hand, after the deal was sealed, was simply too visible. Sometimes, the wizard should stay behind the curtain.
The key word is what someone wrote upthread, and that is the word “impression” there is no hard evidence that Carole is the micromanager / puppetmaster she has been been made out to be in a small number of tabloid articles. And while those stories are out there, I don’t think that the “impression” of Carole the Micromanager / Puppetmaster is a strong one and therefore I don’t think that William and Kate’s staff have taken it upon themselves to rehabilitate her image.
The strongest impression is that Carole Middleton is socially ambitious which most people don’t have a big issue with, and of those who do have an issue with a socially ambitious woman being associated with the British Royal Family, many of those folks have turned their attention to The Duchess of Sussex.
I was surprised there wasn’t allusion to the fact that Carole has additional grandmothering duties, now that Pippa has had her son. Seems more plausible her attention is temporarily focused on Pippa’s needs, fully cognizant her firstborn has received a disproportionate amount of maternal care from CM.
This reads as midds pr. all about how it’s all because of Carole that things are getting better. That she makes herself scarce for Charles. His work load was never a problem until a couple of weeeks ago, up until then it was the Cambridges straight up refusing to spend anytime with Charles. This new view makes Charles look bad and the Cambridges oh so dedicated to their family.
And surprise surprise they have more help. (Which wouldn’t be a big deal if they would just straight up admit it)
Meghan and Harry will also have multiple nannies, and I’m sure everyone else in the Royal family had multiple nannies for their kids. Why would they need to admit to having help? Having nannies is totally normal.
It’s expected that they would have a nanny or nannies and a night nurse but Kate is practically a SAHM.
@DL. The story originally was that they wouldn’t have help. That’s the weird pr game they’ve always played -won’t have household help, secretly did -won’t go skiing, went skiing, won’t have a nanny, hired multiple nannies.
They were painting themselves as down-to-earth and thrifty when it was more to avoid criticism for their spending and lack of work. It was a surprise that they didn’t want a nanny because everyone expected the royals to have nannies.
I think that the Cambridge’s have been told to limit the influence of Mrs Middleton, it is quite clear that the Queen and Charles are not particularly fond of the way in which the family has cashed in. To be honest they are doing, in a much more upper middle class way, what the very blue colllar and crass Markle’s are doing, using Royal association to get contacts and make some money.
This is old-school king-making. Carol had unlimited access when George was a baby, but now he has to learn the ways of The Firm.
Yeah, Prince Charles has said he wants to spend more time with George and show him the early ropes, whatever they might be for a young child.
We all pitch in to help my sister with her kids – my mom, her MIL, me. I’ve never seen anything odd about Carole being so involved. I hope that Doria comes to visit for great lengths of time (and eventually can move to the UK) because that grandmother/grandchild bond is so precious. Like Meg, I have a single mom. There’s something very unique about the dynamic that makes you even closer.
No idea Kate had a momager and now all the Meghan backlash from inside makes sense. Not from Kate but momager, because they hate to be overshadowed or overlooked. I’ve worked with Momagers and these “Kate’s stepping up” stories didn’t make sense before but now do. Momager has a new target. They also come with a full artillery of resources and things to construct. Good luck staying out of her way.
Where is… whatshisname… Michael?
He never seems to appear in any of these stories. Never.
Allegedly he and Carole separated a few years ago – was all over the European press but was never reported in the UK media, supposedly because William pulled strings. He is practically running PP now and Carole allegedly has unofficially stepped away to order to focus full time on living through her children and grand children.
I believe it, they are never photographed together outside of staged events. Most couples in their golden years spend more time together, not less.
Are they still living together? They do attend things together like Wimbledon. Is that story true?
That has been a very long and unsubstantiated rumour. But there was an unknown woman who accompanied the Middleton’s to Harry’s wedding, who was she??
I think a lot of situations have changed. Kate may not need her mother as much as she did. I am very close to my mom, but I’ve noticed that I rely on her less with #3 than I did with the first two because I am more confident as a mother. Pippa also has a baby now and may need her mother the way Kate needed her before.
Carole is smart…VERY…VERY SMART…so I’m not surprised by any of this…..
Yes she is smart but not as smart as she thinks she is – she overplays her hand which is due to the fact that she does not know when to stop pushing. Chuck is not someone you want to get into it with, he’s ruthless and is a master at playing the media game. The Mids have much to hide – there have long been rumours about PP finances (at one point they were going to be investigated by HMRC for tax evasion but rumour is William got Granny to intervene to protect the royal family image) and Uncle Gary’s dodgy business dealings.
Which is why I think that Carole is very, very smart….very…VERY soon…Charles is going to be in charge…and Carole probably doesn’t want to write anymore checks…that’s Charles’ is gonna make her cash….
Considering she’s already got a BUNCH OF THEM…that he’s gonna make her pay on….
Once he’s King….
Whatever happens Carole is going to be the most influence once William is King, and that must worry Charles and the Queen.
William is pretty stubborn and Carole caters to him. She doesn’t tell him what to do. Kate takes the same approach with William. I don’t think Carole will be able to influence him unless it’s something he wants to do himself.
I don’t know PrincessK, I mean Carole is in her mid 60’s and William might not ascend the throne for another 30 years, given the longevity of the Windsors, by then she’ll be in her mid-90’s if she’s still alive.
I mean, they’ll be dead. It won’t be their problem anymore. But I hop Charles makes sure that Harry is well taken care of financially. He would need a much larger inheritance than he received from Diana to keep the lifestyle he has now.
It’s not so much when William is King that is the issue, as when William is Prince of Wales (more pertinently, Duke of Cornwall). He has to cater to Charles for his income now. But when he is Duke of Cornwall, he will have an income of £20m per year. There is no legal requirement that he release the Duchy’s accounts, as Charles voluntarily does now. I doubt that anyone, including Carole, will have much (if any) influence over him then.
I think the Middletons are just the posh version of the Markles. They both want status and money comes with being connected to the royals by marriage; the Markles are crass about it. The royals know how thirsty they are. When Jimmy went on TV to say the Midst plan to regroup they want want to reshape the family image. Doria puts it to the test – an unassuming woman who is accomplished in her own right and wants nothing from the royals. No TV interviews or projects to trade on Meghan’s marriage. That’s why the queen invited her, along with that Meghan would have her family (that truly loves and cares for her) around for Christmas.
I think this story was placed because there are rumors that Doria is going to be staying with the Sussexes. Carole is going to step back and let the nasty news pile down on Doria being there. I have no evidence for this, but I always got the sense Kate never liked Charles. Even in that pic where she is holding Louis and he is playing with him. Doesn’t seem warm.
Carole is giving the Cambridges freedom and cue articles talking about Doria’s moving into Frogmore. Oh wait! The DF is already reporting that!!!!!
I think it’s because of Pippa’s Baby, but maybe also a set up on Meghan.
I wonder if Carole relaxing her grip on the Cambridges is part of the reason why Kate has seemed happier lately.
Nice, I had not considered that angle! It’s possible, although Kate’s newly relaxed state is definitely the result of multiple factors; Louis, Meghan taking pressure/focus off her, etc…
Both William and Kate have taken their time in growing up…its about time Kate especially cut the apron strings, and as a British tax payer I’m fed up having to help pay to support the lifestyles of the many hangers on that appear with every royal generation, lapping up a royalesque lifestyle at our expense.