Carole Middleton and her husband Michael have remained tight-lipped about their family since Princess Kate started dating Prince William at St Andrews University in 2002. Not only have they rarely commented on the Prince and Princess of Wales' love life, but they have also kept their own wedding details under wraps.
The couple are celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary on 21 June, which happens to be their son-in-law Prince William's birthday.
In honour of the relationship milestone, see everything we know about Kate's parents' big day, from their "Bridget Jones" first date to their low-key wedding with homemade food and a bonfire and Carole's romantic ruffled wedding dress.
Carole and Micheal's 'shy' meeting
Flight attendant Carole met "shy" flight dispatcher Michael while she was working for British Airways.
Opening up about their early relationship, Carole admitted she suffered a Bridget Jones moment when she tried to impress Michael with her cooking.
"I was trying to impress him with a mushroom risotto and it looked like grey porridge; it was very Bridget Jones," she told The Telegraph, comparing her mishap to Renee Zellweger's character's blue leek soup.
Carole's engagement ring
Although it is not known what engagement ring Micheal originally gave his wife, Carole has been spotted with two gorgeous rocks on her left hand over the past few years. The first was a solitaire diamond which was nestled next to her gold wedding band when she visited Kate and Prince at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital shortly after Prince George was born in 2013.
A few years later, however, Carole was pictured wearing a stunning engagement ring which was visible when she attended the Wimbledon Tennis Championship in 2017 and 2019.
Not dissimilar to her daughter Pippa's art deco style, which is estimated to cost around £200k, it features a square blue stone in the centre surrounded by diamonds.
'Bonfire' wedding
The pair got married on 21 June 1980 in Buckinghamshire, and Carole has let slip a few rare details about their low-key nuptials.
During a discussion about her former family business Party Pieces – which went into administration in 2023] – the mother-of-three revealed she enjoyed a simple "bonfire" and comfort food when she married Michael.
"I found the venue, organised the wedding breakfast, the bonfire and chilli con carne in the evening," she said in an interview with The Telegraph.
While they have not released any photos of their wedding day, we now know what bridal dress Carole wore thanks to her son James' wedding with financial analyst Alizee Thevenet.
The couple got married in France in September 2021, and shared their wedding photos exclusively with HELLO!. Alizee opted for a casual floor-length white bridal gown with a Bardot neckline, floaty sleeves and embroidered detailing, which was the exact one her mother-in-law wore back in 1980.
"While talking about dresses with Carole and sharing ideas during lockdown for inspiration, I tried on her wedding dress and fell in love with it," she said.
"It fitted me perfectly and was exactly what I wanted. It always troubled me that wedding dresses are only worn once so it was amazing to give such a beautiful dress a second lease of life."
The Middletons' family life
The couple are parents to three children. They welcomed their first child Catherine in 1982, followed by Pippa in 1983 and the youngest child and only son, James, in 1987.
All have since had weddings and children of their own. Following their royal wedding, Kate and William welcomed Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, while her sister Pippa tied the knot with James Matthews in 2017 before giving birth to Arthur, Grace and Rose.
James' son Inigo is the youngest of Carole and Michael's grandchildren, after Alizee gave birth in October 2023.
In an interview in Good Housekeeping, businesswoman Carole described herself as a "hands-on" grandmother. Carole explained: "I want to run down the hills, climb the trees and go through the tunnel at the playground. As long as I am able to, that's what I'll be doing. I cook with them, I muck around dancing, we go on bike rides."
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