How Carole Middleton has 'always been a rock' for daughter Kate - exclusive
Her unwavering loyalty and support have sustained the Princess of Wales though the toughest times of her life, including her long recovery after her cancer diagnosis. And as Carole Middleton celebrated her 70th birthday last week, her daughter Kate was one of the first people to express her love and gratitude to the matriarch who has been her rock through thick and thin.
Carole's milestone on 31 January came after a turbulent year in which Kate has needed her strong, resilient mother more than ever and no doubt her big day was a double celebration as she and her family put the trauma of recent months behind her.
"Carole has always been a rock for Kate, especially this past year – she's been amazing," royal expert and author Ingrid Seward, tells HELLO! "I have met her a couple of times and the word that keeps coming back to me is 'strength'. I imagine her as a sort of pioneer woman driving a wagon with a rifle at her feet, and three children in the back, fighting off any enemy. Basically, that's what she's been doing all her life, isn't it?"
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Carole has certainly shown strength as she has steadfastly remained by Kate's side, caring for her at home as she recovered from abdominal surgery and was later given the devastating news she had cancer.
Last March, she was spotted driving her daughter in a 4x4 on the Windsor estate, close to the home Kate shares with her husband the Prince of Wales and their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year Prince Louis. It was the first time the Princess had been seen since her operation, and it was clear how much she had been relying on her mother.
The children are also regular visitors at the Berkshire home of Carole and her husband Michael, 75, and the doting grandmother has been seen taking Louis to the local farm shop and playground.
In a sign of their ever-constant presence, Carole and Michael made an appearance – playing cards with the children - in the video William and Kate released last year to signal the end of the Princess's chemotherapy treatment, while Louis wrote a sweet message to "Granny and Grandpa .. because they have played games with me" when the children were invited to pin notes to a Christmas tree outside Westminster Abbey ahead of Kate's carol service.
"Carole is a really helpful, practical and unflappable mum and grandmother," says Ingrid, author of My Mother and I, which examines the King’s relationship with the late Queen. "Rather than ask what she can do, she just gets on with it; she’s very proactive. When William went back to royal duties, she was doing the school run and probably doing things like filling the freezer with the kids' favorite foods. Looking after the three kids would have been absolutely no problem for her whatsoever and Kate would have been able to relax in the knowledge that her mother's hand was on the wheel.
"She has been both a physical and emotional support to Kate and always has been. The Middletons are a traditional family, which is why William enjoyed being around them so much. When things go wrong, they pull together under Carol's direction. She is the matriarch of this family and they all take her advice because they have great respect for their mum.
"And, as their only granny, Carole is very close to William and Kate's children. I wouldn't be surprised if she has taken them away on little holidays too. She has always organised lovely holidays for her family, from yachts in Mustique to ski trips.
"William plays a huge part in all this, because he just adores the Middletons. They give him the cosy family life that Diana always wanted him to have."
To read the full exclusive report, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
