Carole Middleton has been beside her daughter the Princess of Wales every step of the way, from the media scrutiny following her engagement with Prince William to her wedding day, becoming one of the most-loved royal family members, and recently announcing her cancer diagnosis.
The Party Pieces founder was pictured in the driver's seat of the car in the first photos released of Princess Kate following her abdominal surgery in January 2024, and it is thought that she is lending a helping hand with her grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in her role as a hands-on grandmother.
But it's not just Kate that Carole is fiercely protective of – the mother-of-three has maintained the perfect balance between joining her daughter on public outings to show her support and remaining tight-lipped about personal family matters with her husband Michael Middleton and her three children Kate, Pippa and James.
She famously told The Telegraph: "Over the years, it’s proved wise not to say anything." Join us as we look back at doting mother Carole's protective nature with her three children…
All three of Carole's children are now parents themselves: Kate shares George, Charlotte and Louis with Prince William; Pippa is a mother to Arthur, Grace and Rose, whom she welcomed with James Matthews; and James and his wife Alizee have recently given birth to a baby boy called Inigo.
Opening up about her motherhood journey, she admitted: "I had to be really organised, get up early and fit my work into school hours, while after-school clubs sometimes gave me the gift of an extra hour or two.
"But working for myself meant I had flexibility, so I could squeeze in sports matches and school productions. School holidays were tricky, but Mike and I were a good team and we managed to juggle home and work life."
Her key words of advice for others going through it were "accepting help when it's offered" and "surrounding yourself with a good team that you trust".
Kate has likely heeded her mother's advice after announcing she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy. The royal underwent abdominal surgery in January at the London Clinic and was recuperating privately at the family's home in Windsor before announcing that post-operative tests found cancer had been present.
"It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family," she began in her statement, adding: "This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family."
Part of her recovery has likely included leaning on her close friends and family, including Carole, particularly when it comes to childcare for the young Wales children.
Carole is a grandmother to seven grandchildren, and she intends to be as involved in their lives as possible. She sweetly admitted to Good Housekeeping she wants 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."
While the Middleton family business Party Pieces, which they set up in 1987, went into administration last June, Carole seemed determined not to spend too much time away from loved ones even in retirement.
"I don’t see myself stopping [work]. If I did I’d have to have so many projects on. I’d have to redecorate the house. I’d love to travel, but then I’d miss the grandchildren," she said in an interview with The Telegraph in 2018.
This physical closeness has only helped develop their emotional bond, with Carole admitting she wants to be a "wise grandmother" and pass on important values to her grandchildren.
"I feel it is my children's role to pass on what they think is important to their children," she told GH. "That will happen; I suspect it will include a work ethic, because I know I have passed it on to my children. I have tried hard to be a listening grandmother and mother-in-law.
"That is why we are all still close, because our relationships has evolved as my children have had children. I've learned to be a wise grandmother, I hope. I know how hard it was for me bringing up my own children, that you invest a lot in them, and don't really want a know-it-all granny out there."
Judging by the past, we can expect Carole to lend her support to the Princess of Wales when she is back to full health and returns to her royal duties.
Carole has attended several high-profile events with her daughter, including light-hearted outings such as Royal Ascot and Wimbledon, as well as key royal occasions including the late Queen Elizabeth II's Committal Service and King Charles III's coronation.
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