Carole Middleton Reportedly Played A Larger Part In William & Kate's Romance Than We Knew

When Prince William and Kate Middleton, now Prince and Princess of Wales, announced their engagement in November 2010, some saw their fairytale dreams being realized — you know, the commoner being transformed into royalty. However, others labeled Kate a social climber because aristocracy is anything but dead in British society, and some had deemed the future queen consort's upbringing rife with status-seeking.

In fact, the Daily Mail reported that she was from a long line of "social climbing matriarchs." The most recent of those was her mother, Carole Middleton. Carole struck it big with her company Party Pieces, which sells décor and event supplies, in 1987. It started in Carole's kitchen, but soon, she had made millions from her business, giving her the means to offer her children better opportunities in life. They moved into a mansion and enrolled all three of their children in private schools. This privileged upbringing is what would give her kids the potential to make royal connections.

But according to Vanity Fair's "Dynasty" podcast, Kate was by no means noble. In fact, their family was reportedly known as the "Middleclass Middletons," with Kate and Pippa Middleton referred to as the "Wisteria Sisters," an ode to the climbing flower. Despite Kate's father coming from a well-to-do family, the press largely focused on working-class Carole. "From a very early age, she was determined to improve her own social situation," royal reporter Katie Nicholl said on the podcast — and getting Kate into St. Andrews University would help her do it. 

Kate Middleton and Prince William met when she enrolled and attended the University of St. Andrews in 2001. However, their meeting was far from fate. Kate was supposed to attend the University of Edinburgh, somewhere that she was reportedly very intent on going to until the media broke the news that the heir to the throne was going to be going to St. Andrews. She eventually changed her mind about where to study with the help of her mother, Carole Middleton. It's reported that the matriarch of the Middleton family strongly encouraged her to switch schools.

The author of "The King," Christopher Andersen, explained to Fox News, "They probably never would have even met if Carole hadn't schemed to make it happen." It was very last minute, with Kate already having a spot in Edinburgh and even a shared local apartment before the hurried school swap. 

However, Carole could only present the opportunities; she couldn't and, as far as we know, didn't do anything more to force the relationship between William and Kate. In his book "Endgame," Omid Scobie writes in a seemingly negative light, "Carole calculatingly placed Kate right at the center of young Prince William's world" (per Marie Claire). But other journalists, like Nicholl, see it differently, stating on the podcast, "They [the Middletons] represent aspiration in the best possible way." For her part, Kate was the one who caught the prince's eye while attending college by being her kind, polite, and helpful self.

In an interview with On Demand News in 2010, the Prince of Wales detailed how they were friends for a while before their relationship turned romantic. During that time, they learned they had shared interests. After all, we think it would be pretty hard to win William's heart and the title of future queen if their love wasn't genuine and instead entirely orchestrated by Kate Middleton's mom.

Prince William reportedly appreciates Kate's humble(ish) beginnings, with a source admitting to People, "The stabilizing normality Kate brings — and that's how she grew up. William absolutely loves it." They went on to detail how great of a mother she is and the extensive lengths she goes to keep her children's lives as down-to-earth as possible, stating, "She wasn't brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day."

It feels similar to sentiments shared by Kate's mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who also desired to be a hands-on mother. She even brought her children with her on royal tours, unlike the late queen, who was known to leave her little ones at home while taking care of business abroad for as many as six months. So, while Carole Middleton took measures to put Kate in the right place at the right time, she seems far from the meddling mother she is sometimes depicted to be.