Much like the lack of “Princess Kate” embiggening pieces over the past week, I’ve been surprised by the lack of Middleton-family drama following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. My guess is that Carole Middleton knows that this is a long game and there will be plenty of time to embiggen herself and her older daughter in the months and years to come. I also think that the Middletons have been largely “on notice” for more than a year. Carole in particular overplayed her hand last year, around the time of the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue at Kensington Palace. Prince William banned Kate from coming, and the Middletons were in full-throttle panic mode about it for weeks. There were even (commissioned) pieces describing how Carole was more of a mother to William than Diana was. It was pretty gross.
Still, the Middletons were invited. They were not part of the royal procession (obviously) and they arrived before the former prime ministers and world leaders. It doesn’t look like their seats were very good. I would imagine King Charles III signed off on their attendance, likely with the note that they wouldn’t get important seats. I don’t know though. In any case, Carole looks… concerned, maybe? She definitely doesn’t look like the cat who got the canary. At least, not yet.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton arrives at the state funeral and burial of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain, September 19, 2022.,Image: 724081127, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph / Avalon
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- Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton arrives at the state funeral and burial of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain, September 19, 2022.,Image: 724081127, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph / Avalon
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- Carole Middleton (third from left) and Michael Middleton (fourth from left) at the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held at Westminster Abbey, London.,Image: 724111600, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Dominic Lipinski / Avalon
So they uninvited a crown princess but let these two in? Wow. The shambles continue…
This is a disgrace. They are not a lord and lady. Crown Princess Mary should have been there, the commoner Princess of Wales parents should not have been.
My guess is that they were more “bad “ seats available then prime seats for dignitaries. This is why the built-ins got to come but crown princess Mary was uninvited. To stick a royal from another European country in a bad seat may have seemed more mortifying to the BRF than uninviting here (which is tacky IMO).
I have no problem with the Midleton’s being there but think that Carole’s necklace and her hat are way too much.
Ew. I’m sorry. I don’t like the Middletons but this classism is not okay in my book. They are the grandparents of the Queen’s great-grandchildren. They are extended family. They are the grandparents of the second in line to the throne and the parents-in-law of the POW. Foreign dignitaries were numerous. A mistake was obviously made with Mary – and an embarrassing one. But can we not go around saying the Middletons shouldn’t be invited because they’re commoner in-laws? It’s just perpetuating classism.
If Mike Tindall’s parents, Jack Brookbanks parents and Edo’s parents were invited then sure it’s no issue for the Middletons to be present. But if we want to talk about classism then the Middletons are not any more closely related to the queen than the parents of any of the other in laws of the grandchildren.
I disagree, to me, the family ties are close enough for them to be invited. I mean, she is the future king’s mother in law and also grandmother to the future king. That is closer than any dignitary that you see once in a blue moon during a banquet. But she definitely is white single femaling Kate with the pearl necklace. These 2 are bringing their top game today for this funeral
They are sitting in the choir box with the family and other royals. They have very good seats.
Of course it’s classist but that’s the monarchy. It’s never going to change until it’s dismantled.
I disagree considering they are Kate’s parents. If her siblings were invited that would be wrong.
So what if they’re Kate’s parents?
Are the other grandchildren’s in-laws or the children’s in-laws attending?
Well i think she means they are the grandparents of a future King.
That is just an embarrassment.
When my Dad’s parents died (within 6 months of each other) my mom’s parents weren’t invited (or informed) of the funeral. So there’s that.
The grandparents of the future monarch should be there. It was right of them to invite the Middletons
Looking at Carole, I now know that it is her who dresses Kate.
Yes, between the neckline and the gaudy choker– was gonna say!
Yes. Both wearing tacky chokers for a solemn event. Her makeup is likely done by Carole too because the blush is applied in the style popular in the 1980s.
The Middletons are one tacky family.
Thank you! I agree her mom dresses her – and we have a view of what Kate will look like at that age.
I actually think Carol looks a lot better than Khate will. Khate is already looking haggard. They look more like sisters than mother daughter.
Another awful necklace, I see.
De feather on her hat, like an extra from my Fair Lady lol.
Soooo arriviste!
The necklace looks like a massive spider.
Yeah I’m not surprised they are in attendance. I wonder if the invitation was the price for their silence over the past week though.
Of course she is nervous. The gloves are off – no more Queen with no more divorce decree. This entire year has shown that the public does not love Kate as they did Diana. This divorce can become a footnote, a warning, that the role is cursed to The crown. Give it back to Wales and move on.
Yeah. I keep saying the next two years or so are going to be very, very interesting for the Royal Family – especially Kate and William.
Imagine having room for her but for others there was no room. This woman really thinks she is the queens mom doesn’t she. Her and her daughter and these big ass attention seeking necklaces.
Carole better look worried. So many more people, all over the world, now recognize that the RF treated Meghan badly and revealed their racist, classist and xenophobic sides. It wouldn’t take much for folks to go behind the curtains and discover the persons leaking to the papers and adding to the hateful coverage.
I didn’t think they needed to be there. I never thought about it before but Kate dresses like her mother.
I know we’ve seen them wear the same dresses from time to time, but the matching chokers are really too much.
Carole probably thought when William became king he’d give her some honorary title. But he’s not gonna whether he ever becomes king or not, and Kate is skating on thin ice too.
Agreed on Carole waiting for a title from Angry Bill that will not be coming. She’s going to have to hang on and wait for King George.
I doubt there will be a King George.
Lol! In her dreams
Kate dresses just like Carole, but somehow Carole manages to look more youthful. Michael is a handsome man, I wonder what he thinks of his wife and daughters antics
Carol(e) has always been the better dressed Middleton woman.
I’ve often wondered what Michael Middleton thinks about A LOT of things…
I get the impression that him and Carole are married in name only. To me, he often looks resigned. I get the feeling him and Kate aren’t close. I wonder if he regrets being complacent in Carole scheming and social climbing
Carole’s husband always gives me Hyacinth and Richard Bucket vibes. He’s the silent one who doesn’t bother putting up much of an argument because he’s always convinced she will win in the end.
I think I remember reading that Michael has his own living room/den type room in the house where he spends all his time more or less.
Makes sense.
Karl Lagerfeld said Carole had sex appeal
I see Ma and Pa Middleton keep a respectable distance from one another like their daughter in SIL.
First thing I noticed too was the S P A C E between Michael and CarolE.
I do wonder if it has hit Carole yet the life she has doomed her grandchildren to, especially as she sees the contrast between Kate and Pippa’s children? People are often able to be far more callous with their children tan their grandchildren. Chasing that status is all great in theory, but now the reality of it is really starting to fall into place.
She probably isn’t worried as long as she gets her title and invites.
Nah, she knew what she was signing her daughter up for. The terrifying thing is that she has no issues with any of it at all. This woman was around when Diana was hounded and how KCIII treated her. Even then she played her daughter to get closer to William and land him. She is nuts.
To narcissists, everyone is just an extension of their ego.
Carole’s statement necklace was ghastly. Just like her,
Ma’s end game is a title for herself and a place at court, I’ve said on here before that she’s setting up a Middleton court around the Cambridge children – if Charles saw little of them before he’s going to see less of them now. Ma is heavily influencing how those children are being raised and given how her own children are, not looking good for the future.
Also, that choker looks familiar – have seen it before but for the life of me can’t remember where. Am sure I’ve seen kHate wear it. I would not be surprised if kHate demanded some royal bling for Mummy.
@Digital Unicorn “that choker looks familiar – have seen it before but for the life of me can’t remember where. ”
1980’s power dressing gone wrong.
Re: Chuckles and the children…I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pull rank.
I’m beginning to see parallels between the Boleyns’ rise and the Middletons.
The next few years should be interesting.
Well, we know what happened to Anne. Kate might just be cast aside.
A lot of things are going to change post-QEII, I don’t think the monarchy will last much longer — not after what’s coming this winter. I don’t think CIII will die a king either—they all need to find something else to do.
Well, Charles and William are set for life, Charles has inherited a multi billion dollar fortune tax free and William gets it next.
Financially, neither Charles nor William *need* the crown or title though they get free protection officers, free places to live, reduced taxes, NO inheritance tax, theability to influence laws in their favor. Harry doesn’t get any of that.
Charles and William will be fine, and more time as King is great for them to increase their wealth. It was always Harry that needed to use common sense and figure out what he was getting out of being the spare and how he’d set money aside for his children and grandchildren’s security as they would need it. It costs at least a cool million a year
I have no problem with CarolE’s outfit but what’s with all the bling with these two? Tacky.
Carole now realizes her control over her grandchildren is going to be gone. Charles is going to make sure George is prepared for the throne and Middleton influence is not going to be part of it. Kate is now going to have to prove herself as PssOW.
So this is Kate’s prize for (1) Bullying Meghan away (2) Not divorcing William.
If I were William I would be afraid. It seems Kate has wormed her way into Chuck’s inner sanctum and is happy to do his bidding….
I think that Carol needs to watch her back, Charles now has the power to reek revenge on any and all who he feels has slighted or disrespected him. Carol may no longer have the hold over the royal children that she’s had for years.
So Carol dresses Kate huh? I wonder if there’s any aspect of her life her mom doesn’t have an iron grip on. W must’ve realized he married Carol when he married Kate.
The necklace is bad, but the hat is worse (and they don’t go together at all). Are any other women in attendance wearing big, attention grabbing and over decorated hats like that?
Yeah, Carole’s daughter.
Those Middleton genes are STRONG. Louis is very, very Michael.
They were among the first to arrive.
TBH, the leaked stories are ridiculous. To disinvite a CPrincess is a glaring issue, especially with the others who aren’t dignitaries. It’s a state funeral for cripes sake!
Charles has been running the show in some capacity for years! It’s not his 1st time calling at least some shots. And QE2 had detailed plans in place for years, right?
Instead of worrying about M& H, they need to help the new King look worthy. What a shitshow!
Oh Carole’s necklace isn’t just large, it’s not cute…at all!
I don’t think it’s a big deal that they’re in attendance. She should chosen between the frou on her hat or the necklace. Too many focal points.
If Kate is the reverse Coco Chanel when she advised removing one accessory before leaving the house, then Carole is the anti Mies van der Rohe, the architect whose aesthetic was “Less is More.” Here, Carole was like, nah More is More.
Triple strand with a decorative clasp in front – screaming “I’m Kate’s mom!”
Are they at the service in St George’s – haven’t seen them.
I don’t think so, I didn’t see them. So to me it seems like Charles is drawing a line. They can come to the official service but not the more personal one.
That choker is so ugly! Holy smokes. The rest of her outfit is okay, without the choker she would have looked fine. Michael Middleton looks like he’d rather be elsewhere.
The black feathers and black choker shows she’s chasing clout. “Notice me!” I did and I didn’t like what I saw. By the way, with her fuller face (cough, cough) she looks younger than her daughter. THAT is what you call upstaging. And I’m there for that as she humbled Kate (who wore the black veil to cover up whatever’s going on there).
Oh man, that hat and choker are reallllllyyyy bad. What was she thinking?!??!
It’s weird that Carole and Mike were there but not Pippa and James too. I thought the middletons banded together and if you get one middleton you get all of them. I think kate told Pippa to stay home because she’s still mad that she named her baby rose. If pippa doesn’t go, then James couldn’t too.
Alternatively pippa and James not being there with the spouses just goes to show how unimportant the middletons really are, if all of them don’t get an invite. I mean there was 2000 people there more important than them.
I think it’s pretty normal – my parents might be invited to a funeral for my husband’s grandmother, but my whole extended family including siblings and spouses wouldn’t be.
Her hat is just too much — this is a funeral, not Ascot. Strange that she and Kate wore the same silhouette.
A little off topic, but I noticed Diana’s brother Charles in a crowd shot at Windsor service. Were Diana’s sister there too ?