Kate Middleton has had a lot of people surrounding and supporting her all her life. Her mother and father, Carole and Michael Middleton have always been at her side, and while the princess was bullied as a youngster, they never stopped believing in her potential. Although she has become royal, her parents are still very close to their daughter, and Carole loves caring for and spending time with both Kate and William. But, naturally, also very much ‘with their grandchildren, Prince George, Pricness Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

Carole and Michael do their best to arrange fun activities with their grandchildren. As Kate is recovering from surgery and William has to take on even more responsibilities at home, the Middletons have stepped up to help.

Meanwhile, it is no secret that family members have been worried about Kate’s health and how the surgery will affect her future. A royal expert claims that her mother, Carole, was concerned about the surgery and did something quite surprising.

Kate Middleton’s life has had its fair share of ups and downs. But when she was young, her family went through what could be called a gold rush.

Kate Middleton – early childhood with parents Carole and Michael Middleton

Born on January 9, 1982, at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Kate grew up in a happy home with her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and two younger siblings: sister Pippa and brother James. They founded Party Piece on Kate’s fifth birthday as they had found a gap in the market for elegant tablescapes.

Carole and Michael Middleton founded the company in 1987. Kate’s mother said that only being able to find paper plates with clowns on them while planning Kate’s fifth birthday party led her to create the business.

“Party Pieces was literally born at our kitchen table, so I suppose the ‘big break’ moment came when I realized there were lots of other parents looking for more affordable and imaginative partyware and that I had correctly identified a gap in the market for quality products that added something special,” Carole told SheerLuxe. “It was so exciting knowing I had a business idea that could work.”

The princess’ mother further revealed that it had been a family company from the start – and that even Kate was a part of it.

“Pippa wrote our ‘Party Times’ blog, James did the cakes when he first left school and Catherine developed our first birthday and baby category,” Carole said.

“My husband and I were young and a little inexperienced, but very enthusiastic, so we didn’t worry too much.”

During Kate’s teenage years, the business was a financial success. That meant that Carole and Micahel could send their eldest daughter to an excellent boarding school, which landed on the all-girls boarding school Downe House. It reportedly cost around 28,000 pounds in tuition, but her time at Downe House was a nightmare for Kate Middleton.

Carole Middleton feared “losing” Kate Middleton when she became royal

Kate Middleton experiences bullying at the school, ending up looking “thin and pale,” according to a former classmate.

Ultimately, in 1996, Kate Middleton left and enrolled at another school. Marlborough College. From there, she went on to study at St Andrews University, and we all know what happened there.

Carole and Michael have always been there supporting their daughter, and when Kate met William, they, of course, weren’t unhappy. However, in the beginning, they were afraid that they would lose their daughter.

Once, Carole Middleton admitted that she feared “losing” Kate and the possibility that the royal family would swallow her up. However, of course, she didn’t say anything out loud.

Even though Kate Middleton and Prince William got off to a great start with each other, the now Princess of Wales had to go through another one of those bullying periods. This time, it was from William’s friends, who decided to give her nasty nicknames.

Reportedly, a few of William’s friends overstepped the mark, and the prince went ballistic when he found out.

Kate Middleton was given cruel nicknames by William’s friends

Before Carole and Michael started their company, Kate’s mother worked as an air hostess for British Airways. When William and Kate went to nightclubs, William’s friends would call Kate rude nicknames and take a subtle dig because of her mother’s profession.

Speaking on Vanity Fair’s Dynasty podcast, royal expert Katie Nicholl – author of The New Royals – described how William’s “snooty” friends whispered “doors to manual” when Kate arrived at one of West London’s nightclubs.

The prince’s aristocratic friends – referred to as the “Glosse Posse,” a reference to their Gloucestershire roots – treated Kate like she was beneath them. However, Kate never rose to the “derogatory” comments made towards her. Instead, she decided to ignore them.

“It was never water off a duck’s back, but she has extraordinary strength of character and resilience. I’ve never once seen or heard of her losing her temper,” a royal aide told the Sunday Times Magazine.

On the other hand, William wasn’t prepared to let his girlfriend be subjected to such insults.

In 2021, a source told the Daily Mail that Prince William “flew off the handle” when his friends mocked his beloved girlfriend.

“He flies off the handle at any sign of Kate being patronised and stamps that out very quickly. It’s one of his triggers,” the royal source said.

“Over the years, many people have come up with great ideas for her, but if they are put across in a dismissive way, they’ve got pretty short shrift from him.”

Called her “doors to manual” because of Carole Middleton’s job

Kate Middleton was given cruel nicknames because of her mother’s job

The Express reported on a royal expert named Canellecitadelle on Twitter, who states that William confronted his friends, saying he would not put up with rude comments or lousy behavior.

“When Kate felt isolated from his life, he confronted the ‘friends’ who were not only abusive toward her but also her mother, mocking her English [and] calling her ‘door to manual’ as she used to be a hostess. [William] made it clear he didn’t tolerate disrespect to [Kate] or his in-laws,” the expert told the British tabloid.

But while William’s friends called Kate Middleton “doors to manual,” it didn’t end there. Certain aristocrats described the princess’s family as “the en masse Middletons.”

Why? The Middleton family showed up to an event in a “pristine” Land Rover, bringing everything that comes with an upper-class picnic.

Katie Nicholl explained on the Dynasty podcast: “The snootiness of the upper classes leveled at what they called the ‘en masse Middletons,’ this idea that the Middletons would turn up for a picnic at a social event, for example, and they would turn up in their pristine Land Rover that had been newly polished and they had a brand new Fortnum and Masons hamper, all of the paraphernalia that comes with an upper-class picnic.

“But of course, [they were] alongside the sort of true aristocratic double baron titles that turn up at these events, in their muddy Land Rovers, with their moth-eaten blankets that are full of holes and some sort of oddly cobbled together picnic with hardboiled eggs rather than M&S finest.”

Moreover, Nicholl explained that Carole Middleton took “great pride” in their picnics. Usually, they ate with silver cutlery and a fine linen tablecloth.

“They would just have nothing like Carole’s spread. The point is [they were] sort of so posh [they] don’t really have to bother making an effort – but the Middletons did,” the royal expert and author concluded.

Carole and Michael Middleton’s relationship with Kate’s children

Carole and Michael Middleton have spent plenty of time with their royal grandchildren. However, in the last month, they have had to step in to take care of them even more, all because of Kate Middleton undergoing abdominal surgery.

The royal world was shocked as the statement about the Princess of Wales’ surgery was released mid-January. Kate stayed at The London Clinic for 13 days before returning to the family home of Adelaide cottage.

Years went on, and Kate became an official royal family member. In 2011, she and Prince William tied the knot at Westminster Abbey, and not long after, Carole and Micahel Middleton would become grandparents to a royal baby and future king.

Carole and Michael Middleton have always supported their daughter and her siblings. And when they became grandparents, it was, of course, an immense joy.

Today, besides Pippa Middleton’s three children and James’s young baby boy, Carole and Michael Middleton have their hands complete as Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are growing up. They spend much time with their grandparents living in Berkshire, not far from Adelaide Cottage.

At the time Kate went into surgery, reports suggest that she didn’t tell many about it, not even people close to the royals. Meanwhile, we can assume her parents knew, and afterward, as she began her recovery, Prince William took on a massive responsibility regarding the children.

Carole Middleton ‘clucked around like a mother hen’ when Kate was in surgery

While Kate had the best possible doctors for the surgery, it’s natural for family members to be worried. That included her parents, and Carole was said to have been somewhat concerned for her daughter’s health.

According to former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond, Carole Middleton was “very worried” about her daughter and “clucking around like a mother hen.”

In 2018, on her birthday, Carole spoke with The Telegraph about her “biggest fear” of losing a family member.

“My biggest fear [as her offspring grew up] was that I’d lose my family, but we’ve stayed close.” She went on: “There are times when they say, “Can you do this, or that?” and I can’t quite. But they like the fact that I work,” she said, as per Birmingham Live.

Meanwhile, Kate’s friends have been stepping up and helping her.

“I’m sure these old friends would know exactly how to keep Kate’s spirits up after such major surgery,” Bond said.

“They have probably pampered her with fabulous gifts of luxurious spa products and hampers of delicious goodies to tempt her tastebuds. They know what she might like to watch on TV or to read, and may have been sending recommendations and encouraging her to rest and take the time out she needs.”

Carole and Michael an “enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren”

While Kate is recovering at home, Carole and Michael Middleton have also been critical in helping care for George, Charlotte, and Louis.

“Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren, a source told People Magazine. “And they will be a reassuring presence when she goes back to Windsor to recuperate.”

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