Carole Middleton

Carole Elizabeth Middleton (née Goldsmith), born on 31 January 1955 in Perivale, London, is an English businesswoman and the mother of Catherine, Princess of Wales, Philippa Matthews, and James Middleton. She was raised in Southall, London, and attended Featherstone High School.

Early in her career, Middleton worked as a private secretary before joining British Airways, where she was employed as a flight attendant until her marriage. Prior to her marriage, she also worked as a shop assistant at John Lewis and as ground crew for British Airways.

Middleton's family background includes her parents Ronald (1931–2003) and Dorothy Goldsmith (née Harrison; 1935–2006). Her paternal great-grandmother was Jane Harrison (née Liddle), with aristocratic ancestry tracing back to Sir Thomas Conyers, 9th Baronet. Her father was a craftsman decorator, and her mother worked part-time in a jewelry shop. She has a younger brother, Gary Goldsmith, a businessman involved in IT recruitment.

In 1980, Middleton married Michael Middleton, a flight dispatcher, at the Church of St James in Dorney, Buckinghamshire. Michael Middleton has aristocratic roots, with his grandmother Olive Middleton serving as a V.A.D. nurse during the Second World War and being related to Florence, Baroness Airedale. The couple initially purchased a Victorian house in Bradfield Southend near Reading, Berkshire. They later acquired Oak Acre, a Tudor-style manor house in Bucklebury, Berkshire, in 1995, and a flat in Chelsea, London, in 2002, which was sold in 2019.

The Middletons have three children: Catherine, born on 9 January 1982; Philippa, born on 6 September 1983; and James, born on 15 April 1987. The family temporarily resided in Jordan in 1984 before returning to West Berkshire. Their children pursued higher education in the UK, and the family has owned various properties, including Bucklebury Manor, a Grade II listed Georgian manor house acquired in 2012, set on over 18 acres.

In 1987, Middleton founded Party Pieces, a mail-order party supply business that initially sold party bags and later expanded to decorations and supplies. The business was operated from her home, with her husband joining in 1989. The company experienced substantial growth, leading to the relocation of its headquarters to farm buildings at Ashampstead Common in 1995. However, Party Pieces was sold in May 2023 after falling into administration and owing approximately £2.6 million to creditors, including HM Revenue and Customs and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Her daughter Catherine's marriage to Prince William in 2011 at Westminster Abbey brought the Middleton family into the public eye. Middleton’s maiden surname, Goldsmith, is referenced in a gold chevron on the coat of arms commissioned by her husband. The family’s wealth is attributed to their business enterprises and inherited trust funds, including assets from Olive Middleton, Michael Middleton’s aristocratic grandmother.

In recent years, Middleton has supported her daughter during her health challenges. In 2024, she was photographed driving Catherine after her abdominal surgery and appeared in a Kensington Palace video celebrating Catherine’s completion of chemotherapy.