At this point in my life, when I pick out stuff for my mom for her birthday or Christmas, I just pick out the jewelry, perfume and clothing I like, and if she doesn’t like it, I’ll take it. But she almost always likes it. So I understand how a mother and daughter can have similar taste in clothing, jewelry, etc. That’s why I understand why Carole Middleton and the Duchess of Cambridge have a similar style vibe. What bugs me is that it often appears as if Kate is wearing her mother’s clothes, and nowadays, it looks like Carole is steadily borrowing sh-t from Kate’s closet and jewelry box. Kate has so many style problems, but one of her biggest style flaws is how dated she is, and that’s fundamentally because Carole has imprinted her love of 1980s style on Kate. Carole is still stuck in a time when Princess Diana’s ‘80s style was the height of fashion. That’s why mother-and-daughter both copykeen Diana and then they copykeen each other. Now Jennie Bond at the Daily Mail claims that Carole has given herself a “Kate-over” – as in, a Kate makeover. Carole is actively trying to style herself like her daughter? Which came first though? It’s like a creepy style ouroboros.
When the Duchess of Cambridge turned to blow a kiss to her mother, Carole Middleton, at Wimbledon last week, it encapsulated how delightfully affectionate their relationship is. Seeing their matching smiles light up across the Royal Box also underlined how strikingly similar they are both in style and appearance. With their long chestnut hair worn glossy, straight and tucked behind the ears, with drop earrings peeking out below, the pair were clearly channelling the same look.
But where once it might have been Kate copying her mother’s impeccable style, it seems that at the age of 67, Carole is taking a leaf out of her eldest child’s fashion book. From her newly straightened hair — clearly impressed by the treatment Kate had for her Caribbean tour — to the matching jewellery and dresses, Carole’s had not so much a make-over as a ‘Kate-over’.
And why not? After all the tips about make-up and fashion Kate has picked up from her mum over the years, it’s only fair that Carole should reap the rewards of her daughter’s sophistication. They both call upon the service of Richard Ward’s hair salon, so why not share a wardrobe — especially when it’s as full as Kate’s?
Take Royal Ascot a few weeks ago, when, wearing a breezy hot pink pleated shirtdress from British label Me+Em, Carole looked fabulous. The dress was strikingly familiar — it was identical to one worn by her daughter in May last year on a visit to Edinburgh. Did Carole borrow it from Kate’s expansive wardrobe? Maybe. Although Carole is not as tall as the duchess, she certainly has the slender figure to carry off her daughter’s clothes. Not only that, but she put her own spin on the look with a black fascinator and matching clutch.
There was yet more daughter-mother style inspiration at Wimbledon, when Carole arrived on the third day of the tournament showcasing a stunning blue topaz necklace by one of Kate’s favourite gem designers, Kiki McDonough. It may even have been borrowed from Kate’s jewellery box, since Kate has worn the same piece on several occasions herself.
Just going from memory, Carole’s hair hasn’t really changed that much? She’s always straightened it and worn it in a similar way. Kate, Carole and Pippa seem to have similar hair, so it’s remarkable how Kate’s “hair” grows fuller by the day. Almost like she’s wearing wiglets full of secrets. Does this mean that Carole will begin wearing puffy wiglets too? Perhaps! Anyway, as I said, I think this is less about Carole going out of her way to dress like Kate. I think Carole and Kate have always dressed alike because Kate’s copykeening default is her mother, and Carole’s default is trying to mimic Diana. Honestly, I would appreciate a certified psychologist to do a deeper dive on this mother-and-daughter style dynamic and what it says about both of them.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty, Backgrid.
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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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- Kate Middleton (M) waves to the crowd outside the Goring Hotel in London, Great Britain, 28 April 2011 together with her Sister Pippa (L) and her mother Carole. London is preparing for the royal wedding of Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29. Photo: FRANK MAY,Image: 507285791, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND – NO 3RD PARTIES – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , New York + 1 646-329-6242 or Hamburg + 49 (0)40 530 240 5959, Model Release: no, Credit line: Frank May / DPA Picture Alliance / Avalon
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- 62362, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Tuesday June 7 2011. Matching Middletons! Pippa Middleton and Carole Middleton step out in matching nude shoes! The mother daughter duo were out with Pippa’s father Michael Middleton at Harry’s Bar in Mayfair. ***NORTH AMERICAN USE ONLY*** Photograph: ©Optic Photos, PacificCoastNews.com **FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE** **E-TABLET/IPAD & MOBILE PHONE APP PUBLISHING REQUIRES ADDITIONAL FEES** UK OFFICE:+44 131 557 7760/7761 US OFFICE:1 310 261 9676,Image: 525175204, 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: Optic Photos / 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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- Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and William, Duke of Cambridge watching Novak Djokovic (SRB) playing his quarter finals men’s singles match against Jannik Sinner (ITA) on Centre court at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club, London, United Kingdom,,Image: 705268624, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights, Model Release: no, Credit line: Peter van den Berg / Avalon
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Kate Middleton sit on the stands as they attend the Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. Pictured: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge BACKGRID USA 5 JULY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Kate Middleton sit on the stands as they attend the Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. Pictured: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge BACKGRID USA 5 JULY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Celebrities attend Wimbledon 2022. Pictured: Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 9 JULY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends The Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2022 in London, England. Pictured: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 10 JULY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Cringe
“Although Carole is not as tall as the duchess, she certainly has the slender figure to carry off her daughter’s clothes…” LOL! How delusional are they actually!?! 😂😂🤦🏼♀️
Who thinks that they share the clothes and don’t buy them for themselves… They are the last to care about sustainability or wasting money.
Yup, Carole is praising herself for her “slender figure” – which she hasn’t got, honestly, she looks like most ladies of her age and (middle) class after having had three children. Nothing wrong with that, but it does not merit a newspaper article.
But I think Kate has been pulling away from Mummy a bit (finally, at 40!) and this copy keening is Carole clinging to her. You know her every other sentence starts with “my royal daughter”… Mike seems more and more aware of the cringe factor, judging from the pics.
What a godawful narcissist Carole is.
OMG if Hyacinth Buckett had a daughter…..
They’re all just so cringe, it’s just an attention seeking move to grab the headlines. Of course you can have similar style but wearing the exact same outfits is just weird.
What is wrong with that smile? Filler fixity? And Kate looks like a long piece of leather.
Both of them are creepy AND copy-Keens.
1. I had to Google “ouroboros.” What an amazing word, ha! I must try to incorporate that into my vocabulary.
2. I genuinely can’t tell if this is meant to be a hit piece or a puff piece on Carole!
I had to google it, too! I thought it might be a JK Rowling word from Harry Potter.
I googled it too. I also wanted a pronunciation. I hate mispronouncing words.
Another googler here!
I really think it’s a sly hit piece in both of them for their dated wardrobes and for copying jewelry. It’s some shady shade.
Hi Carole. Thanks for your input but you really did not look fabulous in the hot pink shirt dress. You just didn’t. Another woman with resources who fails themselves due to their taste and habits and refusal to at least consult with a stylist when they know they’re going to be photographed.
@HeatherC 👏👏👏
Sorry, Jennie – Carole did not look fabulous in that pink dress. Kate’s taste is a mess, we see that all the time, but what’s creepy is this article.
Whoever is advising Carole on makeup hates her.
This is where Khate gets it from.
She looks like a clown and Baby Jane used the Devil as a surrogate to birth her.
She applies that blush/bronzer just like her daughter: one big, unblended streak across each cheek.
If they won’t get a MUA, ffs, at least go to a dept. store and get a makeover at the counter!
If I didn’t dislike them so thoroughly, I would offer up my services.
Yes, her make up is absolutely horrid. It makes her look like an older witch. And that visible arched eyebrow… It looks as if she has had it pulled up surgically. Awful.
Why not, the DM writer asks? The why not is simple, because Kate’s work wardrobe is from the taxpayers (I know, PC buys her stuff, but his income all comes down to the people). It’s just wrong. Even if through some convoluted logic it isn’t illegal, it’s still unethical. And I think it’s hilarious that the DM writer states Carole absolutely could have been wearing Kate’s Me & Em dress because she’s as slim as her daughter. No, just no. Dee said it better, ‘cringe’.
The writer, Jennie Bond, used to work for the BBC as a royal correspondent. I guess once a propagandist always a propagandist.
ITA, @Beanie – we commented almost the exact same thing at the same time!
Ha! Great minds, Hench, etc., etc.!
@ BeanieBean, very well executed. On a side note, the taxpayers should be asking why their was a substantial increase of spending within the BRF a solid year after the departure of two high ranking Royal family members. Why was there such a dramatic increase with a period of less engagements due to the coronavirus as well as 2 less people to support?
It should make the taxpayers think king and hard about these details. It isn’t rocket science.
Though it may be for these dimwits.
* long, not king
I’d suspect that this is another shady money-laundering deal. Kate buys extras, which go unnoticed because she buys so much, transfer to Carole, who can either wear them or return for cash.
“They both call upon the service of Richard Ward’s hair salon, so why not share a wardrobe — especially when it’s as full as Kate’s?”
Well, Jennie – how about because Kate’s wardrobe is paid for by the Crown via the Duchy of Cornwall income – in other words it’s subsidised by the country. Theoretically Kate is a public servant. Carole is not. So she should not be ligging off her daughter unless what she borrows is paid for privately.
Also – WTH was this bit? ” Although Carole is not as tall as the duchess, she certainly has the slender figure to carry off her daughter’s clothes”
Sorry – the side by side photos of Carole and Kate wearing that pink dress show VERY clearly that they are not the same shape. Is Jennie trolling us??
Yeah, I’m sure there are dresses of Kate’s that Carole can fit into, but they are not the same size.
I wonder how Charles feels about subsidizing Carole’s wardrobe.
@Becks, I’m looking forward to seeing how his wrath plays out
I think this could be a warning shot from PC. This and the “Kate makes George wear suits no matter what” article seem geared towards laying groundwork to slander both Kate and Carole.
I think so too. Slowly ramping up to an absolute blood bath when Betty passes. Thank goodness the Sussexes are far, far away.
I think you could be right. If nothing else, this article is drawing attention to the fact that carole and kate share clothes, which is an issue when the clothes in question are Kate’s work clothes. It also draws a direct comparison between how they look in those clothes, and the pink dress especially did not work for Carole.
Hmmmm.
I wonder if Carole is getting a “deal” from the designer or a dress in her size when KHate gets one for herself? That would definitely be a problem for them. There isn’t anyway Ma Meddleton is wearing KHate’s clothes. They are simply not the same size.
So some have speculated that this is how Kate (and other royals) get around the “no freebies” rule – that designers gift things to Carole or Pippa who then pass it on to Kate. Maybe all that Kiki M. jewelry was all given to Carole so its technically hers and she passes most of it on to Kate but not all. Or maybe if its a dress, they gift two, “just to check the sizes” or something, but one is obviously for Carole and one for Kate.
I cannot look at this woman without thinking of Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.
Same!!!!
And i just want to take a fine make up brush and blend that eyeliner to make it less severe!! ARGH!
I’ve loved Carole’s honeycomb patterned dress since I first saw it. It’s in the pic of her getting out of a car. I’d buy it in a heartbeat. I’ll take the heels and bag too thank you.
I love it too.
Again, did CarolE write this? Because I don’t understand how anyone else could have and kept a straight face.
Sorry CarolE, but you do not have “long, glossy, chestnut” hair. And what straightening are they going on about? Her hair has always been straight. But glossy? Lol, no.
I won’t even get into how hideously sloppy she looked in the pink dress. Anyone with eyes could see that she absolutely did not pull it off like Kate did. She was a hot mess in that dress.
Why are we suddenly getting articles every day about how CarolE is god’s gift, not only to Bucklebury, but to everyone??
And Kate’s clothing is paid for by the taxpayers for her to “work,” (lol), so why in the name of all that’s holy are they publicizing this?!
I hope the other commenters who suggested it’s shade are right, but I can’t tell.
I think I missed this, is there a reason we capitalize the E at the end of CarolE’s name? What is the story behind this lol. I keep seeing this in posts about CarolE.
It’s poking fun at her putting on airs vs. her lower class upbringing. I think she really WAS born with the name, but to many she’s just doors to manual, basic bitch “Carol”. It’s a silly classist slam but she’s an asshole like her daughter so I’m here for it.
Michael, on the other hand, seems like a good man and is ageing quite nicely.
It cracks me up bc that’s my mom’s middle name – Carole. So it doesn’t strike me as pretentious or putting on airs or anything.
Could this article be shade? As in Carole is helping herself to taxpayer funded clothes and jewelry via her daughter‘s closet?
Oof. Anyone else think this is a warning shot to Carole regarding her borrowing from Kate’s work wardrobe?
Perhaps it’s about borrowing the jewelry, since the clothes are different sizes. I don’t think if she’s borrowing KHate’s jewelry that would go over too well.
Carole is at least one dress size larger than Kate, and I think most of Kate’s clothes are tailored to fit her perfectly. I don’t think she is borrowing her clothes, I think she’s buying the same dresses. which is disturbing.
Jennie Bond used to be the BBC royal correspondent. This DM piece is just embarrassing and creepy.
Carole looks a mess and I’m sick of the sight of her preening. She really believes her own publicity.
@ ChattyCath, I understood this was straight from the proverbial horses mouth as soon as I read this statement; “But where once it might have been Kate copying her mother’s impeccable style, it seems that at the age of 67, Carole is taking a leaf out of her eldest child’s fashion book.”
I had to stop reading after THIS utter blatant line of BS!!! How could anyone write this comment with a STRAIGHT face?? Are people dropping acid at the Daily Fail? As there could be no other explanation for THAT comment, yet alone all of the others……
CarolE should give it up. The fountain of youth has dried up for her. And the one photo—-talk about stone faced!
Lol, no one with eyes believes that Carole and Kate are the same size.
Kaiser, I hope the photo of Carole in the carriage is your go to headliner for her from now on 😆
@MJM Please, no! 😂 I experience pain every time I see those eye brows.
I just…can’t. This is creepy.
Sunscreen, ladies (and another makeup course wouldn’t go amiss either).
No smoking, I would suggest, is equally if not more important.
This unstylish woman is such an attention wh*re. She really thinks she has some public role or that anyone is remotely interested in her and her concentrated blandness. She sees her daughter’s position as a platform for self promotion. Those clothes look just as frumpy on her as they do on her clone.
She sees herself as grandmother to a future King of England, I bet that’s first & foremost in her mind.
Carole in the hot pink dress looks thick-waisted & the dress is too tight across her chest – it pulls at the bustline button. Not stylish at all.
I wonder if Carole gets freebies to persuade Kate to wear certain designers. When she shows up wearing some of the crown jewels it will get interesting.
@ equality, that is one step that I think would be much too far for Charles. He may put a kabosh on SWF’s “allowance”.
There have been articles saying carole picks out Kate’s outfits for her, and sometimes Williams ties (in the past, probably not now). That’s why there were pictures of Kate copying Diana’s outfit at specific occasions, with William copying the colour tie, Charles was wearing in the photos of Diana at that event.
I don’t think carole copies Diana’s style because she’s stuck in the 80s. She’s stuck picking 80s fashion, for herself and Kate, because she copies Diana.
She’s a textbook case of narcissistic personality disorder. Narcissists fall in love with a false fantasy image of themselves and spend their life trying to get people to see them as the false image instead of the real them. Saddam husseins fantasy image was to be a great Arab leader, Rolf hariss’s was to be a famous artist. Carole’s was to marry prince Charles and be the princess of wales.
She didn’t get to do that, it would have been impossible for that generation, for someone working class to marry the prince. Diana became the princess of wales, so Carole’s fantasy extended into wanting to be Diana.
She projected that fantasy onto Kate, when Kate was little she would dress up as a princess and pretend to be princess Diana. Nearly all little girls pretend to be princesses, but I never knew a single one who pretended to be Diana, or any specific princess. And most little girls see fairytale princesses as being something different and separate from royals, who aren’t “real” princesses.
Narcissistic mothers don’t see their daughters as separate people, they see them as an extension of themself. Especially the golden child. Carol dresses Kate like Diana = carol dressing herself as Diana. Kate marrying the prince and becoming princess of wales = Carol becoming the princess of wales.
Interesting theory and sounds plausible at this point. Yet CarolE lucked out marrying Michael as he seems to be well balanced as well as not too desperate to make himself more important than he actually is. I think Michael is a good egg. How he ended up with CarolE boggles my mind, but people do change as they grow older.
@bothsidesnow In my experience, narcissists are often married to ‘good eggs’ or nice people. But those ‘nice people’ cannot be absolved of their crucial role as enablers of the narcissist’s behavior.
They give credibility to the narcissist – credibility without which other people might otherwise be more willing to call out the narcissist or check in on their children. The arrangement also works to the enabler’s advantage by drawing a line of sympathy – ‘Oh, poor John, having to deal with Rebecca as a wife – I don’t envy him’.
A ‘nice’ enabler will also stand by and watch while their narcissistic spouse subjects their children to mental abuse. Often they will defend the narcissist parent if the children seek their support or call out the narcissist.
Yes, Michael Middleton seems like a nice guy, but personally, I am loathe to give credit to the enabler of a narcissist.
I think untold millions of little girls want to be a specific princess. Disney made billions based on that premise.
A specific fictional princess, yes. My nieces all wanted to be Elsa or Anna or Ariel etc at different points (the one is a redhead so always Ariel, lol.) but never “princess kate” or “princess mary” or whoever. I grew up in the 80s and Diana wasn’t on my radar as anything more than a tabloid cover story – of course that was in the US. and maybe for those who were young girls around her wedding it was different (that would not have been Kate though.) I had a better understand of who Diana was around the time of the divorce (I read a Diana biography by Ingrid Seward, LMAO) and obviously her death was a huge deal. All that to say that I would find it hard to believe that Kate grew up wanting to be Princess Diana. But, I guess its possible.
Now that aside – @Cairidh – you raise good points, disturbing points, lol, but good ones.
CarolE always face off the impression that she is living vicariously through Kate. You’re absolutely right.
Carol has always given me the creeps.
I don’t believe that Charles has any clue as to how much Kate spends on clothes or which are work clothes and which are not. It was pointed out to me here, long ago, that Charles does not see or pay bills. He has an office and people who manage his expenses for him. At the end of the fiscal year he sees the total, but it’s private duchy money so it’s not publicized. At least this is what I recall from an old post. I am sure he doesn’t give a flying fig about Carole Middleton and her wardrobe.
Carol was attractive when younger but is very hard faced now. Pippa was always the softest faced of the Middleton women.
I thought the header picture was a sick Anjelica Houston.
In the first picture Kate looks drunk.
Kate is a style icon?!!!! Bwahaha 🤣
Scarole is the worst. I will bet that she tries on the crown jewels and Big Blue at every opportunity. She has a face like thunder and I bet she makes sure she gets all the freebies and royal perks that she can get. The Ascot pic gets me because you know she probably passed out from excitement on being in a carriage. I think both she and Michael are both complicit in grooming Kate. I think Scarole thinks she can go toe to to with Charles in the media. She doesn’t stand a chance as I think the courtiers are itching to drag her.