Carole Middleton is ‘a very pushy mother,’ Will & Kate told her to ‘back off’?

Carole Middleton’s presence is felt throughout Tina Brown’s The Palace Papers, likely because Carole was probably one of Brown’s sources. Under the guise of praising the “normal” middle-class home life the Middletons provided Prince William, Brown did make Carole and Kate both sound like stalkers. Once Kate and Carole got their hooks into William, they were never letting him go. What’s interesting about that is I’ve gotten the feeling, especially in the past year, that William has really begun to distance himself from Carole in particular.

I don’t know when this “distancing” started, but I realized something was going on when William flatly refused to allow Kate to come to the unveiling of the Diana statue, and Kate and Camp Middleton basically threw a two-week-long tantrum about it. Part of that tantrum was Carole running to Angela Levin (of all people) in an attempt to keep William in line. Levin wrote a sugary piece about how Carole was William’s second mother and a better mother than Diana. I sh-t you not. Well, now there’s curious piece in OK!/Star Magazine about Kate AND William having some kind of falling out with Carole because Carole was over-involved in their marriage and their lives.

It looks like the royal’s family drama goes well beyond their troubles with Prince Harry. While Kate Middleton often turned to her mother Carole Middleton for extra help with her and Prince William’s kids, an insider told Star magazine that the ladies’ relationship has taken a turn south, as the Duchess of Cambridge’s mom has become a little too involved in her daughter’s personal life.

“Carole is a very pushy mother,” the insider said, adding that the duo haven’t talked in three months after Kate told her “to back off.”

The tension reportedly started during the early days of the pandemic, when Kate, 40, and William, 39, quarantined with Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 4. Much to their surprise, they realized that they were capable of handling the tots without extra assistance. “It was the first time in Kate’s life that she got to be with George, Charlotte and Louis full time,” noted the source. “The Duchess embraced every minute of it and realized she can do without her bossy mother trying to take over.”

Before she sat her down for a chat, Middleton, 63, used to just show up unannounced at the mom-of-three’s door.

“Kate would be in the middle of a Zoom call or homeschooling the kids, and it would be Carole with a suitcase expecting to stay over. She’d walk into the house like she owned the place and try to take over the homeschooling and tell Kate how to dress the kids,” the insider recalled. “It irritated William to no end.”

“William didn’t want Carole there at night after the kids were put to bed. It’s the only quality time he gets to spend with his wife,” the source pointed out. And while “most grandparents can’t get enough of their grandchildren, Carole is bordering on obsession.”

The Cambridges are also annoyed at how Middleton — the founder of Party Pieces supplies company — takes advantage of her royal ties, as she reportedly “reminds customers she’s related to the Queen” all the time. In fact, her business is now offering Platinum Jubilee-themed products, which most people see as “tacky.”

“Kate can’t take anymore humiliation and told her mom to stop pushing her products onto William’s family,” the source shared. “William offered Carole an ultimatum. Now time will only tell whether they can repair their relationship.”

[From OK! Magazine]

Well, dang. Weird how the American tabloids have a more interesting take on the Carole/William dynamic than all of the British media put together. Honestly, I do think there was some kind of significant shift during the pandemic, when the Cambridge family was mostly at Anmer Hall. Remember how the Queen told William he could use the Sandringham main house? I always believed that was when they started living apart for real, with William in the big house and Kate at Anmer. And Carole probably did barge in, but she’s always done that. She’s always stage-managed William and Kate’s relationship and William liked it… until he didn’t. Hm.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar and Backgrid.

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172 Responses to “Carole Middleton is ‘a very pushy mother,’ Will & Kate told her to ‘back off’?”

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  1. C says:

    So now they are admitting Kate was never with her kids full time till two years ago? And a PR piece against Carole who always coddled William and had a picture of him as her phone wallpaper while they were dating?
    It begins.

    • Princess Peach says:

      Next they will blame them for Harry leaving and that will justify William in divorcing.

      • C says:

        These stories are why I am not so sure about the idea that they will live separate lives but never divorce.

        If they were just going to be separated but keep up the facade (even though they suck at it) why the need for these stories? Surely they would be irrelevant? wouldn’t William encourage the idea that he’s still close with Carole, to pretend everything is business as usual? Who knows.

    • Yvette says:

      @C … Not only that, but “they haven’t spoken to Carole in three months”? Weren’t the Middletons with the Cambridges on that sky holiday that allowed William to miss Harry and Meghan’s visit with the Queen prior to Invictus? I couldn’t sworn I read that in an article. But perhaps I’m wrong.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Yvette, I remember it, too. I know what was said, but there aren’t any pictures showing the family together, so I’ve doubted that W was there. I suspect that perhaps W hasn’t seen Ma for three (or more) months. I seriously doubt Katie has banned Ma.

        Who else thinks that being full time with the kids really means that the Nanny saw more of the kids? W & K may have seen them more, too, but I truly can’t see either of them doing homeschooling. I think that was the Nanny, too.

      • equality says:

        @Saucy&Sassy The nanny doing the homeschooling would make more sense anyway since she is professionally trained and has a degree in early years development. The assignments were likely handed out by virtual school with their real teachers anyway.

      • HeatherC says:

        Kate is an expert in early childhood remember. I’m sure she handled the home schooling all on her own.
        /s

    • goofpuff says:

      That’s how you know this was all made up. No way Will or Kate actually did anything with the kids much less quarantined together. They have a team of nannies for that. they have a full household staff. i can buy william is getting tired of Carol but Kate? Nope.

      • aftershocks says:

        ^^ Exactly @goofpuff. While I can believe that something is going down behind-the-scenes, I think this story is manufactured, for whatever reason. Most likely for distraction from what’s really going on.

        The article claims shizz that we know can’t be true. For example, during a ‘make work’ Zoom call with other mothers last year, Kate’s description of being cooped up with her kids during the pandemic was: “Frustrated,” NOT “embraced every minute.” ROFL 🤣🤣😂😜

        Receipts, receipts, receipts… 😋

  2. Noki says:

    I still dont get how William wasnt put off by this mother and daughter duo that plotted their whole lives to hook him. Its not like it wasnt in the tabloids before they got engaged. Reading how someone changed schools and gap years to stalk me will gurantee my distance from them.

    • Elizabeth Regina says:

      He probably liked all that as he is narcissistic enough to see himself as the prize. Marrying Kate was a downgrade for him and a last resort as none of the women he wanted, wanted him back but at least he made her run after him for 10 years. That’s why on their wedding day she turned to him and asked if he was happy. That question to me defines their whole relationship.

      • Nic919 says:

        That was a huge red flag that this wasn’t a regular relationship because normally the bride isn’t supposed to ask the groom if he’s happy. And that’s after Harry was telling William that Kate looked good while coming down the aisle and he didn’t turn around to watch her right away.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        I never once had to ask my husband for validation of his feelings. I knew and he showed it. I think people in healthy and mutual relationships understand this.

      • Noki says:

        @ Elizabeth Regina I never knew she asked him this….was it part of her vows? Did he respond ?

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        I thought it was the other way around – that he turned to her and asked her if ‘she was happy now?’ during the carriage ride back to the palace. It was caught on camera.

      • CuriousCole says:

        I think Kate asked if he was okay on their wedding day? As someone who lost her dad at the same age William lost Diana, this is one of the very few times I don’t harbor suspicions about this question having a double/twisted meaning. I’m sure he did have moments of truly missing his mother that day.

      • C says:

        No, she asked if he was happy. I don’t think that’s necessarily weird, he asked her “how are you doing?” and she said “great”.

        What WAS weird to me is him completely ignoring her as she walks down the aisle, acting like he didn’t want to hold her hand for the vows, and her having to get into the carriage without any help while he fiddled with his gloves.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Yes, William is a great fiddler, he also fiddled with his scarf that time when he ignored Meghan after a Christmas service, I believe. He’s so talented with his fiddling we should just call him Nero.

      • Kt says:

        I can not believe I never saw/ knew that 😯

      • February Pisces says:

        I think from willies POV he knew all about Kate and her mothers stalking, I mean he must have been told about it like a million times. But he also knew how desperate she was to cling on to him. Over the course of 10 years he dumped her god knows how many times and she always came running back for more. He could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted and she was never going to challenge him.

        For weak willed men like Willie, keen is the perfect companion because he doesn’t want an equal partner who will challenge him and demand her worth. Also a lot of people end op settling for the person who they know will never leave them, over someone who might.

      • Meg says:

        @C
        At the time i thought it was traditional him not watching her walk down the aisle, but since then Harry and Eugene’s husband both watched their brides walk down the aisle. Eugene’s husband even adorably put his glasses on so he could see her so it’s not traditional?
        Yes he sat down while she climbed into the carriage, I remember Harry standing helping Meghan because those trains are huge and you could trip with all those people watching and waiting it’s just nerve wracking

      • Nic919 says:

        I watched a clip of Diana and Charles at their wedding and even Charles was turned to watch Diana walk down the aisle.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        Curious Cole
        We all process grief in our own ways and I’m sorry for your loss. I also lost my dad same age as they did. Months after Diana passed. And if William didn’t process his grief by then? If Kate didn’t make him so happy his grief bubbled up and overwhelmed his happy day? That’s multiple unresolved issues at the very least imo.

        And it was caught and was never denied that Kate asked William if he was happy.

      • Elizabeth Regina says:

        @noki she asked if he was happy as they got into the carriage to be driven off. She seemed to be seeking reassurance. Everything about that scene left me cold.

      • aftershocks says:

        ^^ Right everyone. For me, when I look back at the engagement interview, W&K both just seem shallow, uncertain and uncomfortable. Mumbly McButtons can barely get her words out. And that was the first time the general public ever heard Kate’s speaking voice. Or, at least her faux speaking voice. Someone should have warned her against trying to put on a British upper-class accent! If you’re going to try that, get help from an accents and speech expert and put in the practice so you can at the very least speak clearly and be understood!

        W&K’s engagement interview truly suffers in comparison to M&H’s memorable, quote-worthy, authentic engagement interview. Tom Bradby was the interviewer for W&K, and he sounds much more interesting and ‘engaged’ than they do, even though he’s never shown on camera. LOL!

        Comparing W&K’s body language, and their interaction against M&H’s is like child’s play. Where are all the online body language experts to breakdown W&K’s awkwardness in that interview?

    • Izzy says:

      No one else wanted to marry William. Keen was basically the last woman standing.

      • Noki says:

        Sure she was the last woman standing.My point remains that from Williams point of view was that not just plain creepy,i wouldnt necessarily take it as a compliment as the Future King ofcourse many commoner girls would still want him without going the basic instinct route.

    • Laura says:

      What about all the nannies that we know are around?
      Are we just supposed to swallow that Nanny Maria wasn’t in their quarantine bubble?
      And that poor overworked Kate was doing all that childcare, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning and she stepped up to it magnificently.
      Lol. In reality the worm has prob turned for Will and Carole. She was prob just being Carole and Will was like “not today”

      • Nic919 says:

        I think William wasn’t able to get the space during lockdown that he normally had and he likely got fed up of how often Carole was around.

    • Sue E Generis says:

      William is both dim and willfully ignorant. I think he lives in such a bubble, and is such a terror, that reality seeps into his orbit quite a bit later than everyone else. I don’t think he fully realized how totally they played him until a few years ago, that’s when we stopped getting stories about him vacationing with the Middletons etc.

  3. Jan90067 says:

    There was a time when Ma and Pa were invited to almost every. single. royal event. Then it stopped. Now, I think we’ve seen them at *one* in the last year?

    I think CallMeWills didn’t like seeing Ma around so much when his scepter “needed cleaning”.

    • Elizabeth Regina says:

      They were all present and correct at the 4 chords and an appregio concert.

  4. ThatsNotOkay says:

    Harry’s brother is trapped, in more ways than one. That Tatler article opened his eyes. His wife and mother-in-law stalked him, gaslit him, manipulated him, and now he’s never fully getting rid of them. Once upon a time, I would have–and did–felt for him. Now?…

    • TangerineTree says:

      I believe he was 28 when he married and K was 29. It was not as if he was 50 years old and without an heir. He most likely would have made a better choice of a partner in his 30s.

      • Duch says:

        Dunno about that. PC was in his 30’s when he chose (the teenager) Diana.

      • Duch says:

        Not sure about choosing more wisely in his 30s. Remember Charles chose the teenaged Diana when he was in his 30s.

  5. MaryContrary says:

    I don’t believe that Kate suddenly realized she can take care of the kids without her mother. (For one thing-let’s be real-she has multiple nannies.) What I could believe is that as William was suddenly at home more because of Covid he realized that Carole is around all the time-and yes, pushy.

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      I absolutely believe that. And while Mutton Buttons wasn’t taking care of the kids full time (lolololol at the thought), she was stuck in one place for the most part. Hearing her mom’s ‘advice’ aka criticism so often and seeing how she wanted to be a constant presence in the kids’ lives (as opposed to the nannies having to bear those burdens) probably got old.

      Though the whole the FFK wanted to spend quality time with his wife at night made me laugh too. Suuuuure, Jan. That bit probably came from Kate herself, to her mom. She probably told Carole to bug off, how could she expect Will to stop going off to Sandringham all the time if she was always around? And Carole spun it for TB.

      • Jan90067 says:

        But of COURSE he wanted time alone with his wife! He was making her G&Ts, eating take out, and “chillin’ with the ‘flix” every night!

        “Rose who?”

    • Becks1 says:

      I think this is what I’m getting from this story. Once William was with Kate and the kids 24/7, he realized how dependent on Carole Kate was and how pushy Carole was (in a way that wasn’t as charming as it was when Carole was making him cheese toast or coddling him on vacation once or twice a year) and maybe even how toxic their relationship was and it turned him off. Wonder if that can be timed with the move to zooming from Sandringham – to escape Carole.

      • Nic919 says:

        I think it can. If you recall he had Covid at some point fairly early on in 2020 which was kept a secret, so he was likely left alone except for medical care and since it was pre vaccine Carole probably didn’t go near him.

        But we noticed the zoom room switch in early 2021 and that would have been several months after he recovered from Covid but there was still lockdown in the Uk. (Remember the Scotland tour that was classified as work to escape the lockdown restrictions?)

        This also lined up with when Philip was staying at Windsor Castle and not coming back to Wood Farm.

      • Robert Phillips says:

        Plus has anyone else noticed in the past year how much more Kate looks like Carole? And maybe Will realized she might act like her also and he really saw his future.

      • Elsa says:

        Y’all know so much more about this than me! Will and Kate live apart?

      • Becks1 says:

        @Elsa – its just a theory some of us have (a “tinfoil tiara theory” if you will.) Its clear they can’t stand each other; Will has made one or two comments about seeing the kids (I can’t remember the specific phrasing now); the papers have on a few occasions now referred to W&K as “sharing” the kids (which is kind of odd phrasing for a married couple), and finally about a year ago, maybe slightly longer, they suddenly started doing zoom calls from Sandringham. This made no sense bc Anmer was big enough and they had been using Anmer for almost a year at that point. But it makes sense if you think that William was living at Sandringham and Kate at Anmer.

      • Lady D says:

        There are a lot of people on the Kate hair story saying she should cut her hair to shoulder length and part it different. I think she would probably look like Carole in that second picture, if she did cut it to that length.

    • MeganC says:

      And yet they want to move to Windsor to be closer to the Midds? All of these stories are BS.

      • Jan90067 says:

        They want KATE to move closer to Ma. Wills wants to stay in London.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Jan. Bingo. Things are falling into place if you put it together. Kate is dependent on her mother, William is sick of it, Kate wants to be in Windsor to be close to her mother, etc. Separate houses coming up in 3….2…1…

  6. Denise says:

    Oh this is absolutely delicious! So much shade.

    It seems the gloves are off

    • Colby says:

      Shade requires a cleverness and subtly that is lacking here. This is just flat out insults. 🤣

  7. LovelyRose says:

    Everything about these relationships is toxic.

  8. Harper says:

    Kate found taking care of the kids without help exhausting. She got ripped for saying so too. Also, CarolE is 67, not 63.

  9. FC says:

    “It was the first time in Kate’s life that she got to be with George, Charlotte and Louis full time.” — WHAT?? I thought she was a “hands on mum” and had to leave all those events after an hour to take care of her kids.

    Also are we really supposed to believe Nanny Maria and a full staff of housekeepers aren’t at Anmer 24/7?

    • Pinkosaurus says:

      When they say “home full-time” it means Kate and the army of nannies and housekeepers didn’t get a break from sending the kids out to school everyday. Kate had to remain in the same enormous house every day all day with her homeschooled children and their staff. I’m sure knowing they were in the house was exhausting.

  10. Ginger says:

    Are there any photos of Will and Carole together? We keep getting these stories that they are so close and she is second mom to him but I have never seen them interact. At the Carol concert last year he wouldn’t even look at Kate’s parents. At the football match Will and Pippa were there and they never interacted. I think this is ALL Middleton PR and Will can’t stand them.

    I don’t buy this story because Kate has a live in nanny that does all of the work and Will doesn’t want to spend quality time with Kate. He can barely stand her. I do believe Carole is very pushy and tries to insert herself in their lives.

    • KFG says:

      This is coming from copykkkeen. This is her signal to Bill that she’s willing to sacrifice her mom for the crown. The spending quality time alone at night and tacky party pieces were a dead giveaway. Carol spewing all that crap the TB made Kkkate look even worse. The toffs still viewing her as trash continues to make him look bad. Chuck and Betty sending Billy and Katie out of town for the jubbly means he is on punishment and that they view her as an embarrassment for her behavior at the funeral. How she was so terribly dressed and off on the breakup tour and how she was inappropriately dressed and behaved at the memorial. Bill can’t take responsibility so he’s blaming kkkeen and she’s blaming her mother.

      • Betsy says:

        I agree that it’s coming from Kate, but does she not see how this proves that she’s hardy ever been around her kids for any great period of time? What a weird thing to admit to when she’s always been insistent that she’s such a hands on mother.

      • morgfunk says:

        nailed it! She’s willing to sacrifice her mom for the crown, or the other version which is, they needed a scapegoat, after having lost theirs (Escapegoat Sussex’s). And it obviously can’t be Wills or Kate, they aren’t taking responsibility for their behavior, that ship sailed, so Kate put her mom on the chopping block. I expect they will fully blame her for the leaks to the press too, i.e. briefing against the Sussex’s. This was inevitable and predictable even, but still pretty lame. And yes, it also makes no sense giving their most recent press about wanting to move to Windsor to be closer to Buckleberry (Court Middleton). Nothing they say ever adds up though, so that’s nothing new.

      • Pinkosaurus says:

        I was wondering if this is the first indirect attack on Kate, maybe from the Cambridge team. We know they will start taking down her family first and then her.

  11. SussexWatcher says:

    This sounds to me like groundwork for the separation. The Other Brother just can’t stand Kkkeen’s pushy mother anymore…he needs to be freeeee!

    That aside, we know TOB wasn’t with his family during the pandemic (since he got covid and none of them did). Also the nannies were there to homeschool and caretake so no way was Kkkeen doing all that. I’ll bet her exercise and (online) shopping routine didn’t change one bit.

    • FeedMeChips says:

      I can’t believe I’m going to say anything remotely defensive of these two idiots, but I actually know multiple people who caught COVID but never passed it on to their spouses and kids despite living in close quarters. It’s fascinating to me how COVID affects some and not others.

      • ML says:

        Yeah, I never came down with Covid in our family, but my husband was quite ill and our kids were mildly symptomatic. (We were all vaxxed, and my husband and I were boostered–it is a really miserable virus anyway.) The houses where Kate and William live do lend themselves to quarantining better than ours, though.

      • swirlmamad says:

        I can attest to that. When my kids and I all got Covid my husband never came down with it, even though we were lax about distancing since we just assumed he would get it too. (Luckily we had all been vaxxed/boosted and it was a mild case for all.) He had gotten his booster about 10 days before so maybe that had something to do with it, but it is very possible to NOT contract it even if others in your household have. That said, when Will got it it was pre-vaccine and maybe more likely to pass along, so it’s a little suspicious, but not definitive that they were not under the same roof at that time.

      • Green Desert says:

        I can also attest to this. My husband and I didn’t get it when our toddler had it, then we got it a few months later and my son stayed negative. We were all around each other all the time. It’s so f*cking weird.

      • Nic919 says:

        It wasn’t that kate and the kids didn’t get Covid but that it was kept a secret when Charles confirmed his diagnosis right away. If he is so important to the succession, then it should not have been kept secret and that lends itself to where he would have caught it.

        Had he been living a regular life he would have disclosed it and no further questions would have been asked.

  12. Becks1 says:

    oh FFS. I actually had a whole long spiel written about pandemic parenting but I deleted it bc first off, Kate IS with her kids basically full-time. She barely works. Sorry if her hair appointments mean she misses the school run, but who are they kidding? (yes I know there’s a difference between what we did during the pandemic and normal parenting, even for SAH parents, but like I said I deleted my spiel, ha.) Second, wasnt’ Nanny Maria there the whole time? Third, Carole was just driving from Bucklebury to Anmer without warning? Isn’t that like 3 hours? and wasn’t that breaking UK quarantine rules about mixing households etc?

    Anyway all that said, something seems weird about this story, during the pandemic Carole was just driving from Bucklebury to Anmer Hall and showing up without calling first while Kate was in the middle of a zoom? We all know how much she zoomed, and it was like once every two weeks. And we all know Nanny Maria was there anyway.

    I wonder if something about this is code for the marriage….like William realized without Carole there he couldn’t stand Kate, hence the move to Sandringham? But the bit about “not wanting Carole there at night” bc it was the only time he got with Kate alone…..IDK. This is all just weird. Maybe he realized how annoying Carole was?

    • Sunday says:

      I think this is laying the foundation to throw the Middletons under the bus for Sussexit and the whole smear campaign. As you pointed out, a lot of the particulars don’t make sense, but the very fact that Carole is the target here is notable. The monarchy (and specifically Charles) desperately needs to put the whole Sussex saga in the past, and in order to accomplish that the media needs to sell a redemption story, and exposing a villain is the easiest way to do that (Lord knows the media won’t admit their own culpability). I think Carole, and depending on how agreeable she is to playing along with the strategy, Kate herself, are the best options (and closest to the truth, short of exposing Will). Who knows, maybe Kate sees that she’s being set aside by Will and she’s the one throwing her mother under the bus to save herself?

      IDK, since so much of it doesn’t add up I’m going back and forth on whether this is just total BS or not, but if they were going to write complete fiction wouldn’t they pick something more interesting than Carole, especially for an American audience? Like the possibility of a jubilee pregnancy announcement or Will’s birthday celebration speculation or anything else? It seems like there’s too much low hanging fruit to opt for Carole if there wasn’t some larger goal.

    • Nic919 says:

      I agree that this would mean Carole was breaking quarantine rules by driving so much. In reality I think she moved there early on and stayed there for months. I don’t think she was driving back and forth especially when UK politicians got caught for doing that stuff. And if she became part of the household, albeit temporarily, then that wouldn’t break the rules.

      So William likely got very tired of her being there all the time.

    • Eurydice says:

      The whole thing is oddly written. So, the problems started during the early days of the pandemic, but Kate didn’t tell her mother to back off until 2 years later? Carole has been controlling and social climbing for all of Kate’s life – why is she feeling humiliated now? And what was the ultimatum William “offered” Carole?

      • SAS says:

        SO BIZARRE @Eurydice! They’ve been searching for months and months for a new home and consistently noted the aim to be closer to the Middletons.

        But actually they haven’t spoken in 3 months because Carole has been overbearing for Kate’s entire life and she had an epiphany two years ago??!!

        Make it make sense!!!!!!!!!

  13. Merricat says:

    Lol, this is the show for which I’ve been waiting.

  14. MsIam says:

    Did the check bounce this month? Because usually OK/Star are in on the Sussex bash fest. And I thought the talk in the British tabloids was all about WillKat moving to Windsor to be closer to Kris Middleton?

  15. Nic919 says:

    It amazing how they don’t mention full time nanny Maria even once. It looks like William got annoyed with Carole dropping in when they were in lockdown and he couldn’t escape like he had done in the past. And since Louis is now in school, none of the kids are at home all the time anyway.

  16. Snuffles says:

    Someone is putting Carol on notice and it’s NOT Kate!

    • Jaded says:

      As Charles creeps closer and closer to official regency, the antipathy towards the Meddlesomes gets more and more obvious. The Cambridge marriage is dead in the water, everyone’s sick of CarolE’s self-aggrandizement, and once Betty falls off her perch there’s going to be BIG changes.

  17. SURE says:

    This story doesn’t ring true given the other the story we’ve heard recently about W & K moving to Windsor to be closer to CarolE. Why would the Cs move closer to someone they’ve warned to ” back off”?

    • Wiglet Watcher says:

      It makes sense if it’s to give only Kate a home closer to her mother. The whole moving closer to Carole was always seen as a separation residence. William seems very done and doesn’t even acknowledge their anniversary.

      Since Kate never could function on her own William is handing her back off to her mother. Makes sense.

      And it does track with Brown’s Palace Papers version of Carole from within their marriage.

  18. Digital Unicorn says:

    Interesting – a lot of the good tea gets published by the international press. Explains a lot about why the Mids went from being VERY visible with the Keens to maybe once or twice a year.

    Although am not buying Kate told Mummy to back off, I think William did – Khate NEEDS her mother to do all that strategising for her.

    Its only when the British press start publishing stories like this that you know the sh!t has really hit the fan for them – only a matter of time.

    And yeah this is total ground work for a divorce – shots are being fired as it sounds like Ma is interfering in the divorce/separation negotiations.

  19. Kalana says:

    William was happy to use Carole until he wasn’t. I don’t see any gratitude there.

    And maybe Kate’s finally sick of her mother invalidating her feelings to keep William happy. She married the prince, had the royal kids, drove out the competition and smiled even though the world knows William cheated with Rose.

    Quarantine was probably the longest period Kate has ever spent away from Carole besides school, and is Carole even that interested in Kate vs. showing up to see William and the royal grandkids?

    • Tessa says:

      Kate has only herself to blame. She had a free will and could have totally ended the relationship in 2007.

  20. Dee says:

    I can see William, having realized that Kate is a PR deadweight and he was dumb to distance himself from H+M and their star power (which he and his father will definitely need if they are to accede to the throne without devastating Commonwealth membership and risking outright monarchical collapse), has decided that the meddling Middletons are the perfect scapegoat. This is why they used Grandma (the only one Harry still respects) to beg/manipulate the Sussexes into a thaw and a potential reconciliation. Kate will get on the same page or get further sidelined, and Carole is being warned to stop using the media to meddle in Windsor family affairs. It’s a massive defeat for the Middleton clan. The fact that they put this in a US magazine tells us that 1) they wanted to make sure H+M saw it and 2) they perhaps wanted to go easy on Carole by not having to see this headline every time she walks in a supermarket

    • Tessa says:

      William had plenty of time to try to make amends with Harry and Meghan. I think he feels he was “right” and wants it to stay that way. I think the Sussexes (and for good reason) will be distrustful of William even if he tries to be ‘nice.’

    • Christine says:

      I buy that Chuck has realized he needs Harry and Meghan, but Willnot has zero self-awareness, and none of the life experiences that Chuck has had to inform him when he’s being a gigantic ass (see: Diana). I think Wills is honestly puzzled that anyone likes the Better Brother more than him.

  21. girl_ninja says:

    What a sad lot. William couldn’t attract the woman HE really wanted and instead of just being single here he is now. He was impatient and lazy so now he is saddled with that controling and social climbing mother-in-law and his lazy, insecure calculating wife. He should have been a better brother/friend to Harry and he would at least have allies in the Sussex’s

    • Tia says:

      Yep and if he remained single up until Harry and Meghan met, I bet Meghan would’ve helped him get someone in Los Angeles. But nope.

      • sunny says:

        Yeah, I think that would have been a non starter for both of them. Meghan wouldn’t have wanted to set him up with any of her friends because he is horrible and he wouldn’t have wanted an American partner.

        William couldn’t attract the kind of women he seems to be attracted to because those women had wealth, connections of their own, and seemingly no desire to take on royal work. Maybe if he had been a kind, loving, respectful partner, he could have attracted a woman who would want his despite his title instead of for it.

        It is really interesting to start to see the media narrative on the Middleton’s shift.

      • Deering24 says:

        Just his entitlement and anger issues alone probably scared off a lot of potential wives. And his inability to not be Mr. All That All The Time was a killer, too…

    • Wiglet Watcher says:

      William couldn’t be civil with Harry. Harry was naturally better in many ways to his brother and William didn’t like that. It was William after all that sabotaged Harry’s military career as Harry was about to outrank him.

  22. Harla says:

    Carol takes William’s side in every argument between him and her daughter, so really she’s only reaping the benefits of her hard work because now Kate takes William’s side. I love seeing all of them getting exactly what they deserve.

  23. Over it says:

    Well not like I don’t believe Carole is a nightmare, but this story has a lot of holes.
    1- it was lockdown so how was Carole doing all this traveling back and forth to amner?
    2- I thought Carole was the one keeping the kids when the keenbridges went on their colonialism tour?
    3- didn’t we hear recently that the keenbridges went on that ski trip with the Middletons?
    4- Kate would never tell her mother to back off because Willy never looks forward to spending any time with her as is evident in every picture we see unless they are surrounded by black peoples and then well being close is a much better option than touching us black peoples.
    Lastly, I remember that at kate Christmas Carole concert that William didn’t look once at her family, so yes I do agree he is over them , Kate included as in he is also over her.
    I don’t know who this story is coming from but it’s not Kate because she won’t want to upset her mummy, she needs her too much. It’s not William because he doesn’t want to spend time with Kate and it’s not Carole because she would never admit that William has frozen her out.
    But nope do agree that Carole is too much in that stalker togetherness she help arrange for Kate and Willy .And who are these people trying to fool? Kate has nannies that were doing all things kids.

    • C says:

      Kate does run back to Bucklebury a lot. And there are never pictures of William at events like that ski vacation or James Middleton’s wedding so I’m not fully believing he’s even there, even when it’s reported.
      I can see William maybe losing his temper and shouting at Kate to keep her mother away and her reluctantly obeying.

      Yeesh.

      • Sunday says:

        I think most of the particulars in the story are BS, but the underlining point is that Carole is now a target.

        I think that having zero photos at James Middleton’s wedding is the biggest tell that something is amiss. There’s NO way that they’d miss that photo op if Will had actually attended – it’d be the perfect way for Will to (try to) rub it in Harry’s face (“look at me, I’m SO happy with my Brother in law!”) and we know Carole is thirsty as hell, plus the Cambridges desperately try to go viral all the time so what better way than to have James post a behind-the-scenes photo on Insta of Will and Kate at the wedding, maybe with the kids? If it existed, they would absolutely use it. Originally I thought the discord between Kate and Will was the reason he didn’t go, but a complete break from her whole family also fits.

      • Nic919 says:

        Zero pictures but they made sure that the local priest was able to describe the colour of the outfits that William and Kate were wearing. What priest would pay attention to that?

      • Christine says:

        I completely agree with you both. At the very least, Wills would have made sure there was a photo of him lovingly looking on while his kids play with James Middleton’s dogs.

        It didn’t happen, because he wasn’t there.

    • jazzbaby1 says:

      My money is on it’s being a warning from Clarence House. Charles in charge is going to be way different than Betty.

      • Jaded says:

        It totally is. Charles is unofficial regent now and he’s not going to tolerate the messy Midds and his son’s sham marriage.

    • Mia1066 says:

      I think it’s coming from William. It’s not that he wants to spend more time with Kate, but mummy is getting in the way of their relationship and this is the start of the scapegoating.

    • Irene says:

      Hard to also believe that Wills is wanting quality alone time with Kate.

  24. Laura D says:

    As much as I think W&K relying less on her mother a good thing. What I took out of the article is who is there left for them to fall out with? 😆

  25. Carolind says:

    Maybe this is partly to do with the mammoth change which will take place in the RF sooner rather than later? Maybe what was good enough for the young number two in line is not good enough for the middle-aged heir. The Middletons are Kate’s family but they are not part of the RF.

    • KFG says:

      Now hear me out, tin foil tiara time, what if Chuck found out that the Midds bilked Billy out of his trust from Diana and won’t give Bill any more money until he completely cuts ties with the midds, to include Kkkate? I mean they can’t even trust her to do solo events properly and she hasn’t improved her speaking. Her attention seeking behavior is appalling and embarrassing. This may also be why the whole move to Windsor was shut down. They have to earn it, and kkkeen and family midd aren’t earning their keep and are actually causing serious issues.

      • Snuffles says:

        I could see Charles using it as leverage against William and Kate to get what he wants. If William was bilked dry by the Midds, he would be more desperate than ever to get his hands on the Duchy money, and Charles can still make accessing that very difficult for him. And he can cut off Kate’s allowance easy peasy.

        While I’m sure William played a huge part in ostracizing Meghan and Harry, Carole and Kate got their hands just as dirty. Getting rid of them might make Harry and Meghan comfortable to make more frequent visits to the UK. Not that they would EVER come back to work for The Firm, but I could see them appearing at more family events to give the appearance as one happy family. Something Charles desperately needs for his reign.

      • Becks1 says:

        Will not having any of his inheritance left would explain in part Harry’s comment about W being “trapped.” Yes he’s trapped bc he’s the direct heir, so his position is different from Harry’s and always was, and yes he’s trapped bc he likes the perks and privileges too much to walk away, and yes he’s trapped bc of the media contract.

        But what if part of it is that he’s trapped bc he has no money? Harry said in the Oprah interview that it was his inheritance from his mother that let him walk away like this. Maybe William doesn’t have that anymore.

        It’s a tinfoil tiara theory to be sure, but we’ve seen crazier ones play out.

      • Jais says:

        If Will had no money bc he was bilked by the Midds, wouldn’t that actually serve Charles? Financial control is like viagra to him.

  26. tuille says:

    Carole has bad posture. Her shoulders are always rounded in & she certainly needs better bras. (Sophie & QE are also very saggy. (Q’s BFF Angela should take care of that for her.)

  27. Lady Esther says:

    Like others I feel like this is testing the waters, but for what? Carole has never had a negative story written about her (about PP? About Gary? Sure. About striking at the heart of her relationship with Kate? Never), so why now?

    The Daily Star is about as reliable an outlet as three-day-old fish wrapping, but perhaps this all has to do with the move to Windsor. Quid pro quo: Charles maybe said to William, You can have Frogmore house, if….

    –Stay married to Kate. Divorce bad for the monarchy and too expensive besides. You’re stuck with her, mate so make it work. Fool around all you like, send her on separate trips and engagements all you like, live apart as long as it’s not obvious, whatever, you’re the heir

    –Big caveat though: Rein in those awful Middletons toot suite. Hang Carole and the rest of them out to dry via the press if they get out of line

    –Do your bloody job, like show up to the opening of Parliament

    –We’re going to welcome the Sussexes back for limited events, because it’s better for the monarchy so deal with it. If you have to manufacture away trips because you can’t stand the sight of them, fine, whatever, you’re the heir but it’s happening so deal with it

    Then William keeps all the perks and gets Frogmore House with Kate. They soon get access to Duchy money, Kate renovates to her dreams, rips out three kitchens and puts in five more. With her mother on the down low, Kate stays there most of the time with the kids while William stays at KP and Sandringham (as he has the run of the house now) for London and Norfolk funsies. They give up Anmer and get together for appearances. All neat and tidy, Royal style. No money comes out of the RF for an expensive divorce or other payment (Charlene, anyone? Don’t tell me lawyers aren’t taking a look at that news). Everyone wins, everyone quiets down so the focus can be on Charles.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Lady Esther, If PC wants H&M to come for some family events in future, do you really think that W&K would be living at Frogmore House? Wouldn’t W&K be able to keep track of what H&M were doing? I don’t think that PC would be so opposed to divorce. We all know that if that’s what W decides to do, K (and Mids) will be skewered in the BM. One of the things I always wonder about is if the Mids did get W to spend his inheritance on their house, would that be deducted from any settlement with K in a divorce? I also don’t necessarily think that PC would want the Mids to have access to a Palace property.

    • Pinkosaurus says:

      Great theory, although one small point is I wonder if Charles will hold Frogmore house for Camilla if he predeceases her as it was held for Prince Phillip.

      • Alice says:

        Isn’t the issue that Frogmore House has been allowed to rot and will cost millions upon millions to restore and renovate?

        Anyway I’d assume Camilla would bolt back to Ray’s Mill and keep Clarence House.

      • Becks1 says:

        It’s not rotting, I think its just used more as a museum nowadays or maybe just for private events, Harry and Meghan had their evening reception there. I’m not sure if its set up anymore to be a residential house, so it would cost money to renovate, but its not rotting.

      • Tessa says:

        I think Camilla will go to Raymill. She won’t have “Queen Mother” status. I think Charles will have an iron clad will so she won’t have to depend on William.

      • Christine says:

        Camilla has her very own house, that she prefers to be in.

  28. MellyMel says:

    It’s startin…*grabs popcorn*

  29. HeatherC says:

    Will and Kate fell out with Harry and Meghan

    Will and Kate, especially Kate, fell out with the Toffs

    Will has a fall out fall in relationship with his father

    Will and Kate fall out with CarolE Jenner

    Who is left for them to fall out with? Dan Wootton?

    • swirlmamad says:

      If they get on Dan Rotten’s bad side…..then it’s gonna get REALLY good.

  30. Tattles says:

    Isn’t Angela Levin doing the Camilla biography now? Hmmmm … I thought the last few OTT articles about Carol, especially being a better mother than Diana were the nail in the coffin. It almost makes me think she pretended to do Carole’s bidding but was actually doing someone else’s, because those articles would certainly cause a rift.

    Wait, whose biography is she writing again?

  31. Mia1066 says:

    Oh my fav carolE pic looking haggard and drunk almost falling out of a car isn’t there! CarolE who way back looked so different to new enhanced CarolE!

    Also again no mention of Mike? CarolE turns up with the suitcase. Hmmm

  32. Cinders says:

    I agree that the article about Carole being a better mother than Diana (if I recall, published during the week of the statue unveiling/Diana’s birthday) may have been the last straw. That article also said that Carole and William were very close and hinted that she knew all his secrets. Which sounded a bit like a threat. It was also very clear that PW didn’t want the Middletons (even his wife) muscling in on the Diana event, and Carole/Middleton PR lost the plot. Remember that weird story about how Kate would actually see the statue before the unveiling, but privately? (Didn’t happen)
    I think also that it’s now become very clear to the BRF and the wider public that W+K are no golden couple. Their Caribbean tour was a monumental stuff-up, and I think they’re in the dog house and have been told to step up. Make some changes.

    • L84Tea says:

      I’m with you. The Caribbean Flop Tour was a complete f**k up and the entire world saw it. I think W&K are totally in the doghouse right now with Charles and have been told to step up. Not sure what he’s holding over their heads, although money would be the easiest guess. You want a new house? You want to keep buying new clothes? You want to keep taking helicopter rides 20 minutes up the road? Then get off your lazy biscuits and work.

  33. Over it says:

    Okay so I am back again because I clearly have no life.lol. Anyway I was thinking. I have always believed that will and Kate will never divorce because why would they? Will can do whatever he wants , trim any bush he desires, treat kate like crap and she will never leave him because she wants to be queen bee too badly. Also he is whole gimmick is that he is a better man than his dad because he stayed married to his wife and mother of his children even though we can all see her can’t stand her.
    So let’s say for arguments sake that Willy Does want out and this story came from him, what’s his story? I thought my mother in law was too involved in our lives and I asked for space from her so that me and Catherine could work on the issues we were having, but. Even with the space from Carole and all the work we were putting into fixing us it still wasn’t enough so therefore even though we love and respect each other dearly we feel it best to go our separate ways. We will continue to co-parent because we want what’s best for all of us blah blah blah ? Someone please reply to my ramblings. Lol
    .

    • Pinkosaurus says:

      @Over It: See, I think you are being too logical. Thats what a competent PR strategy would be but Will fancies himself a PR genius and has grown up from day one passive aggressively leaking to the press. I think this is a generic slur against the most visible member of Kate’s family. He’s feeling trapped and believes he deserves sympathy for being entrapped by this family. It could just be garden variety annoyance from being around a group of people too long, but William is an incandescent spoiled child that even minor annoyance or inconvenience will result in a temper tantrum. What is notable to me is that Carol is not off limits and I wonder if we will start seeing some negative stories starting to leak about Kate. William has little self control or long-term planning ability.

  34. Nutella toast says:

    Our household has Covid for the first time so I spent my day yesterday watching Royal weddings. I have to begrudgingly admit that Will and Kate looked pretty happy on theirs (They were the center of attention and adored so what’s not to like?) I think he’s just awkward in general and not naturally as affectionate as Harry. I agree that anyone changing their life that much before you’re actually in a serious relationship would be a huge put off…I think William dug it until he didn’t. I also think that given his father’s relationship history, he just assumed if he got sick of it he could keep himself otherwise entertained. I think that’s just one more thing that Harry rejected. He wanted actual love. I actually think a big shift was when the Queen announced that Camilla would be queen consort. For some reason, I think that put Carole in her place a bit. And sobered William up.

    • Bromptonviewer says:

      They’ve been together what? 20 years? An unhappy marriage now doesn’t have to mean they were never in love.

  35. L4Frimaire says:

    It really is tacky how she plugs her business and herself using her royal connections. There was also a Christmas the Middletons were in St. Barts (2019?) and their pictures were plastered all over the Daily Fail like celebrities, and it was so obvious they made a deal with that rag. Kate’s family are never called out, even when they mouth off to the press calling her the savior, or her thug uncle goes after Meghan, or they say William should leapfrog over Charles to be king. I think that Tatler article that was scrubbed up really made Carole look so desperate and the way they framed her relationship with William seemed needy and embarrassing. Whatever, it is what it is, especially after the hand William and his guy Knauf had in helping poison Meghan’s relationship to her father. Hope Carole stays climbing on William’s back and being the energy vampires she is.

  36. Rapunzel says:

    So my tin foil theory: i think quarantine caused strain in Will and Kate’s marriage. The Sussexes are gone, Will is rage filled and I think he realized just how much he can’t stand his wife. As for Carole, maybe she was there too much, maybe not. IDK. But I don’t think this has anything to do with Carole being around during quarantine. That’s just a convenient excuse that the masses would relate to.

    I think Carole has taken too much of Will’s money, which he’s tired of because now he has to kinda beg. I think this, along with Carole and Kate stoking the Sussex smear campaign (which now upsets Will because the Sussexes are free and richer than him), is why Will has been so over Kate. And why the Windsor househunting.

    But I think the turning point might have been that recent article about Carole giving strategy lessons to Kate. Will may have read that and been embarrassed and felt played.

    I think the ultimatum was “stay away or I divorce Kate” and it wasn’t months ago that Kate and Carole stoppex talking; it was after the last ski vacation. I wouldn’t be surprised if a serious break happened over that vacation.

  37. Veda says:

    Takeaways from this piece: 1) Carole managed nanny and kids until lockdown started. Lockdown was the first time Kate had to manage the nanny and kids 2) Lockdown was also the first time Bill was around his family full time 3) Bill was incandescent all the time so Kate had to call coach Carole the minute lockdown restrictions were eased 4) Carole simply didn’t leave after that 5) Mike and Carole may be separated. 6) Carole was witness to all the incandescence of Bill while staying with them 7) Bill loses it and gives an ultimatum to Carole and Kate to back off 8) Beginning of Carole’s leaks to the Daily Fail about Bills anger and how the monarchy will not survive without Kate. 9) Carribean tour happens and unmasks racist Kate 10) Kate is getting her own living arrangements near Berkshire.

  38. Elsa says:

    Will ticks me off. He married Kate and needs to be a better husband. It is not his right to cheat because he is a royal. And I don’t like the snotty Toffs either. I’m not saying that I am a Kate fan, but she is attempting to do her job somewhat.

    • Christine says:

      Er, when is she doing her job?

    • Mrs.Krabapple says:

      In normal marriages, I would agree. But did William lie to Kate about how he would behave after they were married? As far as reports go, it seems like William treated Kate the same way during their 10-year courtship. So Kate voluntarily accepted this arrangement. What William needs to do is honor whatever he DID promise Kate. We don’t know what that is, but I suspect it is (1) you won’t have to work too much, (2) you can buy jewels and dresses whenever you want, (3) you can chose where to live, etc. As long as William honors that, he is keeping up his end of the bargain. I don’t know what Kate promised in return, but I’m guessing it’s something like (1) looking the other way when he wanders, (2) never out-working/shining him, (3) never criticizing him, etc.

      Anyway, my point is, I think Kate accepted the marriage on certain terms, so she can’t really complain now. And if she does mind, then there’s the door over there — feel free to use it and walk away from him (I would actually respect her for doing so!).

      • Deering24 says:

        Well, Kate also performed her main task as far as the Firm is concerned. She produced an heir and a spare, so there’s that…

      • Christine says:

        Yeah, we all watched how that turned out for Princess Diana.

    • Jaded says:

      She has studiously avoided doing her *job* for 10 years. She does the bare minimum then disappears for months at a stretch. When she does show up it’s a brief, half-assed photo op, and when she’s allowed to speak she totally embarrasses herself with her utter lack of knowledge, enthusiasm and preparation.

      • L4Frimaire says:

        I think she follows William’s lead on work ethic and doesn’t try to do anything, unless he authorizes it, but they’re both lazy and now seem primarily motivated by one-upping the Sussexes. Most of the time he looks either disinterested with what he’s doing, so she overcompensates with that fixed smile. He rarely looks at her while she constantly looks in his direction trying to make eye contact, which he avoids. They actually seemed more in sync on that Caribbean trip because they were flailing so badly. I don’t get a real sense of how they are as a couple. He seems indifferent to her, we’ve seen hints of her anger ( that shoulder shrug), but they both were united in driving out the Sussexes and still smearing them. Just weird dynamics all around but I think they’re stuck with each other for quite a while.

    • Merricat says:

      I have as much compassion for Waity as she had for her sister in law.

  39. Gracie says:

    I usually save my sympathy for better humans, but my MIL actually moved in with us for much of the first wave of the pandemic and it was absolutely awful. Nearly broke my marriage. Granted, we were already having some issues, but when the mom moved in, my partner did everything he could to be away from the house, justifying that I had an extra set of hands to help with the kids. It was pure hell. I eventually had to kick her out myself in an epic screaming match. I have limited interaction with her now, beyond what is necessary to ensure she has a positive relationship with the kids. She’s staying at a rental home nearby this summer and my therapist already has me doing exercises to decrease my anxiety (since 7 months is not enough time to move through the trauma of her time in our home). I can agree with William on this – if he needed Sandringham to get away from his MIL, that’s understandable. Their marriage likely needs a lot of work, but *if* they want to make a go of it, she needs to cut her fam off for a bit b/c their press games aren’t helping anything.

    • C says:

      Carole is the reason they even got married. They broke up a handful of times, including even before they graduated, and she always exerted power to bring them back together, instructing Kate what to do. And William has always relied emotionally on Carole.
      The fact that this is no longer the case is significant and surprising.

      • Tessa says:

        I think a lot of it came down to William and his relationship with his father. Charles supposedly complained he never saw the Cambridge grandchildren and I think William may have wanted to “show” Charles that he was with a “close knit” family who could give him a lot more than Charles could. Kate I think was never passive in all of this, she wanted what her mother wanted.

  40. JFerber says:

    She looks like such a pretender in the top pic. None of this royal stuff sits right on her, but God, has she gone for it in a big way.

  41. H says:

    My guess, as someone else said, is that William finally figured out exactly how conniving Kate and Carole were all those years ago, and has been distancing himself as a result. But I also think Will and Kate are fed up with Carole’s social-climbing too, which probably only highlighted the depths she and Kate went to in order to snag William.

    But…it would also make sense if at least part of it is that Carole is disrespecting Diana.

    So many reasons to choose from! I think it’s a little bit of everything. Also LOL at them trying to get us to believe that Kate raises her own children. Or that they all actually quarantined together. Sure!

    • Tessa says:

      Maybe William is fed up, but I doubt Kate is. Kate has taken on some of her mother’s traits, and she’s from new money so probably both are more about “protocol” than anything else. Ultimately, William did not have to listen to Carole or spend time with her. He decided to settle. And Kate really did not “challenge him” to do better, she enabled him and his lower work numbers because she’s like him that way. William DID enable Carole’s social climbing so I don’t think he can get judgmental.

  42. Mina_Esq says:

    Ouch! One usually lashes out at others when one doesn’t want to admit that something bad is happening because of one’s own actions. I think Carole is being used as a scapegoat for problems that W and K are having. Honestly, I don’t wish marital discord on anyone. I like to make fun of them and all, but I hope they can work things out.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Mina_Esq, we don’t know how much time C spent with K during the pandemic. I’ve always assumed that she was there a lot–I can’t imagine that she would have given up micromanaging her daughter and grandchildren. I do mean micromanaging–I think that’s how she got K married to W and how she’s kept it going. I know people have suggested that there was a 10 year contract and either another was written or they’re in limbo right now. I have to say that I think that’s likely. I believe the real issue is that whatever is going on between W & K now, I think C is making it worse. W now can see how manipulative C (and K) is and he’s not playing anymore. No one is using C as a scapegoat. What she’s done is coming to light. Two very different things.

      I still think that it’ll be a miracle if these two stay married. I haven’t decided about K, but W doesn’t like or respect K. I can’t see them staying in the marriage another 40-50 years. Talk about hell on earth.

  43. JFerber says:

    I think Carole, in her all-knowing Kris Jenner momager way, would have predicted that Kate would one day have to throw her under the bus. And I believe Carole has already prepared her next step in this saga she created. She, no doubt, has a golden parachute manufactured during the Waity Years.

    • Tessa says:

      I have the impression that if William meets someone else and wants to marry her and wants a divorce, Carole will blame Kate for it. I think this might be more likely scenario.

      • Duch says:

        Interesting theory … it’s happened before … like Diana’s maternal grandmother took sides with her son-in-law (Diana’s father) over her own daughter (Diana’s mother) in that divorce. I think she even testified against her own daughter.

  44. Slippers4life says:

    Anytime I see W and K together, jazz hands ans smiles, I’m reminded of when Meghan said, “in my experience nothing is what it looks like”, when Oprah asks about she and K watching Wimbledon.

  45. Tessa says:

    William had a chance to back out after the 2007 breakup but Kate made weekly media appearances to “win him back” and after a “heart to heart” with Carole,William decided to resume the relationship (after some other women turned him down) and that was that. I have to laugh when I read the stans say “William chose well.”

  46. Tessa says:

    I don’t think Kate complained about her. For one thing, there is a lot at stake. Tina Brown and others talk about how “close” a family the Middletons are and I doubt Kate would want to interfere with that spin.

  47. KA says:

    I assumed some of the distance was because Pippa had babies. My mother has always gravitated to the youngest grand babies in the family. My kids were second fiddle the minute my sister had kids.

    • Bromptonviewer says:

      Not in this case I don’t think. I’m neighbors with Pippa and our children go to nurseries around the corner from each other that are part of the same group and share facilities. I see Pippa and her nanny often on the school run but I’ve never seen Carole.

  48. windyriver says:

    Tom Hiddleston’s possible engagement was covered, then confirmed. Article dated March 17.

  49. aquarius64 says:

    I think another clue that Kste is on her way out is the opening of Parliament. As FFQC Kate is a future Counsellor of State. With this opening it shows the transition process has begun and Kate should have been there. She needed to show she is preparing for the constitutional role. Camilla didn’t have to be there.

    • windyriver says:

      I don’t understand this comment. As the wife of the next monarch, Camilla will be a Counsellor of State before Kate would be. So yes, she belonged there.

  50. Jais says:

    Carole worked hard and patched Will and Kate back together throughout the dating years. There’s a good chance that their relationship really ruptured through lockdown, so of course, Carole showed up at the door, with a suitcase, ready to patch them back together, as she had always done before. However, this time, William was having nothing to do with Carole’s attempts at reconciling the two back together. He told her it wasn’t happening, to stop trying, and to take her suitcase back home.

  51. ChattyCath says:

    This is Charles. Finally found a way to reclaim his son Basher Billy and his grandchildren from the Middletons. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Carole and Gary were flattered and aggrandised by the BM and it worked! They believed themselves quasi Royal and invincible and now they’ll fall further than the Titanic. I’m so looking forward to this and have mentally collated articles and pics. Sorry. They deserve it.

  52. Cairidh says:

    Carols a textbook case of narcissistic personality disorder.
    Most narcissists are nice as can be in public, everyone thinks they’re a saint, the nicest kindest person in the world.
    In private, with their children and spouse they are the stuff of nightmares, a demon from hell.
    Maybe Carol moved in with them full time at the start of lockdown. And maybe that led to William finally seeing the private Carol. She probably couldn’t keep up the nice face 24/7 for weeks on end.

  53. Winniegirl says:

    I’ve always wondered how the rest of the Middleton children feel about Carole, if these stories are true. If I was Pippa, I would be hurt knowing my mother spent all her time focusing on my siblings children instead of mine. Does anyone know if Carole and Pippa interact much anymore?

  54. Lizzie says:

    Sorry for being a day late, but how does this square with the camb’s desperation to move to Windsor to be closer to the Middleclass family?
    My guess, this is the first time Carole has been thrown under the buss. Set up as cause for the breakdown of the marriage. As in, it’s not Will or Kates fault it’s the fault of her pushy mom.
    And as most everyone here predicted the Windsor home is Keen’s breakup home – either separation or divorce.

  55. Jean says:

    This story simply doesn’t ring true.

  56. SpankFD says:

    Agreed, Veda. Thanks for laying out the takehomes.

    I have some ongoing questions outstanding or working hypotheses that could use some review:

    1. The BRF/RR tried to divert attention from the PW/PH by claiming K&M were at odds. Would they use the same tactic with W+K, i.e. camouflage a W&K split by suggesting a Carole+Baldingham split?

    2. The BRF/RR seem to be quietly pushing the story that MM took advantage of the emotional scars of “orphan” PH to create an emotional dependency. That she brainwashed (kidnapped) poor, dim PH. If PW buys this rationale, how big a step is it to take the same cynical eye to the Middletons? To weigh his experience against the widely-reported evidence of stalking?

    3. Willnot, a big whiny man child who is filled with rage, got COVID. I’ve been wondering whether he suffered far more than is being divulged (for bogus state security reasons). What if the disease amounted to a reality check on a man who needs to be told “No!” more often? Covid as a force beyond his control delivering a humbling experience?

    I know. I know. Narcissists don’t humble. But they do eventually face their own mortality.

    Thoughts? Total tinfoil?