Party Pieces posted this new Glamour Shot of Carole Middleton this week, in honor of International Women’s Day. Party Pieces being the Middleton family’s business, which they operate out of Bucklebury next to a grow operation. The finances of Party Pieces have never made any sense, and last year, we heard that PP had taken a seven-figure hit during the pandemic. I always wonder why Carole and Mike didn’t sell PP years ago, but maybe they couldn’t find a reliable buyer who would keep their secrets. In any case, here’s the message posted to IG:
Happy International Women’s Day!
A message from our founder: “I like being able to be myself at work and make decisions that instinctively feel right. I feel passionately about giving other women this opportunity too, which is why we have plenty of women making key decisions at Party Pieces. I always tell women starting out in business to do things their own way and be themselves. It can be easier said than done, but don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself or to make tough decisions, seek advice from trusted collaborators and follow your instincts.”
It’s not bad advice at all and Carole does strike me as someone who prefers to have everything done “her way” professionally and personally. She’s a natural manager, and I tend to believe she’s stage-managed Kate and William for the better part of two decades (only to see it blow up in her face). I genuinely wonder if Carole really overstepped with William in some way and that was the beginning of the end.
Meanwhile, I’m old enough to remember when Salt Island was obsessed with the idea that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would monetize their royal titles and sell royal-branded tchotchkes. That never came to pass, but Party Pieces keeps selling royal-related sh-t. Party Pieces has put out a big line of celebratory junk for the Queen’s Jubbly. You can buy mini-Union Jacks and mini-crown cake toppers and on and on.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.
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- Carole Middleton Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse – Ladies Day, Day 3 Berkshire, England – 21.06.12,Image: 308735318, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Wenn / Avalon
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- Carole Middleton attending the wedding of her daughter Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark’s Church, Englefield, Berkshire, UK. 20/05/2017.,Image: 513165692, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- 167256, Carole Middleton, the mother of the Duchess of Cambridge and Pippa Middleton, spectates from the Royal box on day four of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. London, United Kingdom – Thursday July 6, 2017. UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT Photograph: Ã?© Stephen Lock/i-Images, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE,Image: 533038972, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- Michael and Carole Middleton arriving for the christening of Prince Louis, the youngest son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, London.
“It can be easier said than done, but don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself or to make tough decisions, seek advice from trusted collaborators and follow your instincts.”
A great piece of advice, but the irony of her saying it when she and her brother Gary were on the record giving interviews slamming Meghan for doing exactly this….
What interviews were these?
For Carole, the Telegraph and Good Housekeeping. She doesn’t mention Meghan by name but talks about how being royal is more than giving speeches and little nasty implied remarks, and there was a lot of PR from her about how she “didn’t want to draw attention to herself” because of Meghan and Harry’s “self promotion” while Prince Philip was ill.
For Gary – he’s spoken to the Daily Mail and 60 Minutes Australia and also posted social media. He on the other hand mentions Meghan by name and insulted both Meghan and Harry repeatedly.
Yeah, I don’t really want to hear any more advice from women who didn’t blaze their own trails in the business world. I’m not “in business” and have mostly worked in public sector and/or higher ed environments, but I’ve been a woman in the workplace striving for leadership roles for more than twenty years. I don’t have a huge amount of advice to offer because I’ve made my share of missteps. But I would urge any younger woman to hold the door open for others. I can’t speak to men of color, so I’m not, but I can say that we should all stand up against toxic broism in the office. And every time someone says that “networking” is the answer, ask questions about where networking occurs and who benefits from it.
She can say this while her daughter is praised for keeping silent and for having married a rich man. Ok sure.
That is the cognitive dissonance for me, too. If I didn’t know what I know about this woman and her children—I’d think she would have coached her daughters to be independent entrepreneurs. Or at least, careers independent of their marital status. It’s such a throwback to coach your daughters to “chase rich men.”
And the PR the Middleton’s are putting out about how Kate’s only interest in life is pleasing William really goes with this.
Since Carole is living in opposite world, I will say that I absolutely believe she raised Kate to be her own person and not a doormat to her husband, and that’s why Kate is so good at her job, has a husband who loves her, and totally does not have to purchase praise for herself on social media.
Even the way the DM reports this is full of snark…idk what’s going on, but the Fail is definitely unhappy with the Cambridges right now:
“Kate Middleton’s mother Carole cashes in on Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by flogging budget themed party goods – including £3 balloons and £5 cake decorations of Her Majesty”
Oh yeah, just analyze the diction in that sentence! Cashes in on and flogging! Budget themed… they basically just summed up what they think of Carole with an E. Yikes!
Whoa 👀
Of course the Fail is snarky. It’s a misogynist, racist rag that expects all white women to marry rich men. They have nothing but disdain for business women.
Tough call. No question Carol Middleton is an operator. She’s worked her way up in the world. Not necessarily through business savvy, but you gotta admire her hustle. Still, she’s also a misogynist who expects white women who are her daughters to have no goal other than marrying rich men, so how is she different from The Fail?
Carole also has no problems attacking a biracial woman for having the same traits she pretends to care about simply because that same biracial woman makes her own daughter look inadequate and lazy by comparison.
Wouldn’t *any* British party business would sell Jubbly junk? Eh.
If only she advised her daughters to be academics and business smart instead of pushing them to rich wealthy men who treat them like crap.
Do you know something about Terribly Moderately Wealthy that we do not? He and Pippa always seems very happy.
When TMW dad was arrested some stories were floating about, it was about how he treated female staff in much the same way as his dad treated that woman. Don’t know if there’s any truth but stories were out there.
His father was arrested in 2018 for the alleged rape of a minor under his authority in the late 90s. Charges were eventually dropped but no reason was given other than “he can’t be prosecuted”. I have no doubt it’s because he’s “royal adjacent”.
It does seem like Pippa lucked out with a man who truly loves her and treats her very well. That does not detract from the point that Carol raised Pippa to chase aristos who would (and did) treat her badly. The stars were shining on Pippa that she didn’t manage to snag old money. Marrying into new money was the best thing that could happen to her under the circumstances.
So no — no evidence that her husband treats her like crap. Awesome.
Carole’s daughters failed at every venture they’ve tried, *except* for landing a man. And in Pippa’s case, she failed at landing a titled man, despite her desperate efforts.
It’s better than “get off your fucking ass and work,” I guess.
It’s sound advice and it’s a great picture. Yes, I know, filters yada, she still looks good and is always well put together.
Has Middleton pr hit celebitchy?
CarolE’s face looks completely different to the dating years. It’s not ‘filters’, it’s a boat load of work with a cosmetic surgeon and photoshop.
CarolE is scum. Look at the attacks on meghan straight from Middleton manor. KWEEN Carole might lose her crown and it wouldn’t happen to a nicer person.
Lol. So true.
The Duchess, yes indeed. But Carole knows exactly what she did with both daughters and she’s perfectly satisfied with that. How in the world can she say the truth to the world, though? What would her book be called– From Mistress to Wife: You Can Marry a Wealthy Man?
That would be a bestseller, honestly (possibly only Camilla’s memoirs could top it). And it would be fine if it was out in the open, for me… It’s the “love story” hypocrisy that grates, the pretensions of gentility, the carefully crafted PR spin.
Why promote her stuff on your blog?
I genuinely don’t think anyone on here is going to buy her stuff after reading this article. However, it is evidence that people have always been cashing in on the royal name. So the “concern” over the sussexes doing so was never genuine but instead spiteful and racist. I’m glad this article serves as a reminder of that.
I thought the “concern” was that it is ok to cash in if you are royally adjacent ( I.e. the Midds) but not if you are an actual member of the royal family not named Peter Phillips.
Not bad advice – find trustworthy collaborators, trust your instincts, and realize that you are your own best and most reliable advocate. Much better than Kim’s “work hard”.
I mean this is an immense privilege afforded mostly to wealthy, white women and is kind of indicative of what’s wrong with some of the “advice” publicised in media or packaged up in bestselling books from lifestyle coaches.
In the U.K. from 2009-2019, 1 black female entrepreneur got VC funding out of 15,833 funded entrepreneurs. Actual statistic revealed during black history month.
We can’t all be so confident we’ll get funded by our shady brother we can just be ourselves, CAROLE. (Should this not be the new business advice Karen? Kim K has been such a Carole recently (it works so well! And it’s a C so that will annoy her.))
Giving other women opportunities is not really associated with the Middleton females.
You can’t fault Carol(e) for her hard word in making her business successful – pity she didn’t install that same drive in her children.
Kate is a dead ringer for Carole who is also the best dressed Middleton woman.
“…which is why we have plenty of women making key decisions at Party Pieces.”
‘Plenty of women’ is hilarious to me, like can you not be a little more specific? x% of our executive team are women, anything? Just plenty of ’em?
She could name members of that team, but doesn’t. Also, never saw how this business made so much money. Are we sure it’s not a front for Uncle Gary’s money?
If found that suspicious, as well. ‘Plenty of women’ sounds like someone wanting to say we’re really diverse! No, really! No sexism or racism here!
Better advice than Kim Kardashian at least!
Well, just because you are a hard worker and self made, doesn’t mean your children will be the same no matter how much you try to teach them. My husband for example, is a hard working Selfmademen. His son from his first marriage is an adult and totally different no matter how much he tried with him. He is unfortunately very lazy and hates to work. Maybe carole is just happy that her daughters married good enough so she doesn’t need to support them. Look at james.
Well, they paid Kate’s bills for years so she didn’t have to work and could land William, even paying cash for a flat in Chelsea after graduation so she could move to London for him. I imagine they’re anxious to protect their investment in her royal life.
I’m not sure I’m understanding the concept of “sometimes your children just don’t want to work”. I had an extremely wealthy father but if I didn’t work as an adult my bills wouldn’t get paid and that’s the end of it. He’d help me in an emergency if I needed it, but if I’d asked him to subsidize a life of shopping, partying and socializing like Kate’s parents did for her after graduation, he’d have laughed in my face.
It’s obvious she never gave that advice to Kate.
She should’ve said that to her daughter. She should be ashamed. Both she and Kate are horrible people.
If Carole actually meant her advice she wouldn’t be helping coordinate smear campaigns against any woman who poses a threat to her insecure daughter. Saying feminist shit is meaningless when none of your children actually live that motto and your entire life is spent chasing a patriarchal dream while attacking any woman who is a perceived threat to that dream.
And Carole only ever worked hard at grifting.
She is the British equivalent of Kris Jenner.
And what could be the advice for her son, who’s business hopping from one to another?