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Like most parents, Princess Catherine of Wales’ mother and father hoped to see their child find an honorable suitor to settle down with. But Catherine’s father, Michael Middleton, couldn’t have imagined she’d end up marrying royalty. Back when Catherine’s relationship with Prince William of Wales was little more than a rumor, Michael told reporters he doubted their marriage would become a reality. “We are very amused at the thought of being in-laws to Prince William, but I don’t think that is going to happen,” he once said, according to Vanity Fair.
So it must’ve been a surprise when William married Catherine in 2011, officially making Michael a father-in-law to royalty. After their daughter and the Prince exchanged vows, it might be easy to assume that the Middletons began living even more lavishly than they did before. But their connection to royalty has actually made their lives more difficult in some respects. However, it’s nothing that Michael and his family can’t handle since they have a long and tragic history of overcoming adversity.
Michael Middleton was accused of profiting off of his daughter Kate Middleton’s wedding
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Quite a few skeptics gave Michael Middleton and his wife, Carole Middleton, the side-eye when it came to a few of their business decisions, particularly related to their daughter’s marriage. Michael helped Carole manage the Middleton family’s company, Party Pieces, which provided supplies and services for special parties and events since its inception in 1987. Apart from Michael’s family inheritance, Party Pieces became the source of much of the Middletons’ wealth, allowing them to provide their children with a comfortable lifestyle and a rich education.
After Princess Catherine was linked to Prince William, however, there was a growing consensus that Michael and his wife were exploiting their relationship to make even more money. The circumstantial evidence was there, as their company’s old website started advertising Prince and Princess-themed party items that coincided with Catherine’s royal wedding with William. It wasn’t the first time the Middleton family was under public scrutiny, as it was noted Michael and his wife were sometimes ridiculed for their past middle-class lifestyle by Prince William’s associates. However, their perceived exploitation of Catherine’s newfound royal status reportedly turned away some of Michael and his wife’s even strongest defenders.
If Michael took any of the accusations to heart, he and his wife certainly didn’t show it. Some of the negative attention the Middletons received at the time certainly put their family motto to the test. An insider close to Michael and his family told Vanity Fair that the Middleton philosophy is simply, “Grin and bear it.”
Michael Middleton was forced to retire early after Kate Middleton married Prince William
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Michael Middleton has spent a good chunk of his life working and providing for his family. Even before helping his wife Carole Middleton with her Party Pieces company, he worked as a flight dispatcher for British Airways. Of course, with the success of Party Pieces, he left his regular job behind to help maximize the company’s financial potential.
But if certain accusations are to be believed, some felt Michael and his wife betrayed their customers’ trust to help Party Pieces prosper. Michael and Carole were accused of selling customers’ personal information for profit. The data wasn’t difficult to collect, as consumers needed to provide their name and address information to the company’s website before purchasing any of Party Pieces’ goods. At the time, there were many supporters who felt this was a common business practice, but the scandal still left a bit of an asterisk beside the company’s reputation.
Unfortunately, although Party Pieces survived the controversy, it couldn’t survive the pandemic. Parties and celebrations were put on hold for months during COVID-19, and the company never recovered from the lack of business, inciting rumors of money troubles for the Middletons. After its collapse, Michael and Carole sold Party Pieces in 2023, but that didn’t have to be the end of the Middletons’ business aspirations. Michael and Carole were gearing up to start a new company titled First Birthday a few months after selling Party Pieces. However, with Party Pieces’ failure still lingering around the family and their daughter’s presence in the spotlight, they allegedly felt rebooting their party company wasn’t in Princess Catherine’s best interest. “The couple were busy planning their next move but have now scrapped any future business plans to protect their daughter’s reputation,” an insider once shared (via Express).
Michael Middleton made his wife Carole Middleton cry after this cruel comment about their son’s education
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Michael Middleton and his wife, Carole Middleton, looked forward to providing their youngest child, James Middleton, with the same educational opportunities their other two children enjoyed. Princess Catherine and her younger sister, Philippa Middleton, both attended the expensive Marlborough College, as would James later on. But apparently, he wasn’t as appreciative of his education as his sisters were. James wrote about how he was constantly failing his classes in his memoir “Meet Ella.” There came a point where he even had to retake his Chemistry class four times. Eventually, his parents grew frustrated with his lack of progress in school, which sparked a painful fight between Michael and Carole. “Meanwhile, I do so badly in my final school exams that my poor mum is reduced to tears. Dad says my expensive education has been ‘a waste of money,'” James wrote.
James, however, was eventually set on a more rewarding path. After getting his wake-up call, he was able to get into Edinburgh College. However, he dropped out after a year and has since followed in his family’s footsteps by becoming an entrepreneur. He owned a cake business and a company that specialized in making marshmallows and greeting cards, but both went out of business.
In retrospect, James looks back at his parents’ reaction to his educational failures and realized they were only trying to help him. “Mum and Dad just wanted the best for me,” he said.
Prince William was worried Michael Middleton would say no to marrying Kate Middleton
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Prince William of Wales decided to propose to Catherine, Princess of Wales, without asking permission from her father, Michael Middleton. The practice of boyfriends asking fathers for their permission to wed their daughters is one of those well-known traditions that isn’t strictly followed. But William confided that he entertained the tradition before proposing to Catherine. “I was torn between asking Kate’s dad first, and then the realization that he might actually say ‘no’ dawned upon me,” Williams said in an interview with ITV News (via Harper’s Bazaar). “So, I thought if I ask Kate first, then he can’t really say ‘no.'”
Fortunately, William’s decision didn’t affect his relationship with his father-in-law, who didn’t seem to mind the proposal either way. In fact, Michael and Carole have a great relationship with William. “I get on really well with them, and I’m very lucky that they’ve been so supportive. Mike and Carole have been really loving and caring and really fun and have been really welcoming towards me, so I’ve felt really a part of the family,” William said.
Michael Middleton and his wife Carole Middleton had to provide a safety blanket for his grandchildren after Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis
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Princess Catherine shared she was diagnosed with cancer in a video posted on Instagram on March 22, 2024. The reveal was understandably devastating for her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, to hear, but the pair comforted their daughter the best they could.
Even during this difficult period when Princess Catherine was undergoing preventative chemotherapy, her thoughts were especially with her children. She wanted to keep her little ones safe from the devastating news, and she reportedly turned to her own parents for help. According to royal biographer Duncan Larcombe, Michael and his wife were more than capable of stepping up to the plate. “They’ll have rallied around her, especially her young family,” Larcombe told The Mirror. “Carole and Michael will have essentially thrown a safety blanket around the young children to help protect them. In times like this for Kate, it is hugely important. It is crucial the children are looked after carefully.”
On September 9, 2024, Catherine shared an update on her cancer diagnosis, showing wholesome footage of her and her large family in good spirits. “As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she said in her caption. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
