There’s a historic privilege Kate Middleton’s father Michael received before her royal wedding - and not every royal in-law has this!
- Kate Middleton’s father Michael Middleton was granted a huge honor before his daughter and Prince William married.
- The Middletons were granted a Coat of Arms though other royals like Meghan Markle had one created for them in their own right.
- This royal news comes as we revealed Queen Camilla's special friendship ritual she shared with Paul O'Grady as the “saddened” Queen shared a moving statement after his death.
Whilst Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011 was one of the biggest moments in their love story, it was also life-changing for the entire Middleton family. The future Queen Consort’s parents and siblings Pippa and James have continued to be a huge part of her life and were catapulted into the royal spotlight after she officially joined the Royal Family. But even before the big day itself, the Middletons were granted a major honor. There’s a historic privilege Kate Middleton’s father Michael received before she tied the knot with Prince William.
Prior to Prince William and Princess Kate’s Westminster Abbey wedding, Michael Middleton was granted a Coat of Arms. According to the Royal Family website, Kate’s own Coat of Arms was derived from the one her father received.
Three acorns in the design not only represent Kate, Pippa and James Middleton, but because there are many oak trees in West Berkshire where they grew up. The Princess’ mom Carole’s maiden name is subtly honored with the gold chevron as she was born Carole Goldsmith. There are also two thinner chevrons which “allude to hills and mountains and represent outdoor pursuits that the family enjoy together”.
The Coat of Arms was granted to Michael Middleton and his descendants, allowing all of his children to use it too and James can pass this right to any future children.
“Mr. and Mrs. Middleton and their children took enormous interest in this design and, while its purpose is to provide a traditional heraldic identity for Catherine, as she marries into the Royal Family, the intent was to represent the whole Middleton family together, their home and aspects of what they enjoy,” explained Mr. Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms.
Other royal wives like Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Queen Camilla and Princess Diana are understood to have also had the right to use Coats of Arms derived from their father’s before marrying. But the historic privilege Kate Middleton’s father Michael received isn’t always granted.
Both Meghan Markle and the Duchess of Gloucester were granted Coats of Arms in their own right and their fathers didn’t receive one. A Coat of Arms was created for the Duchess of Sussex and features nods to her passions and California where she was raised. This includes three quills representing “communication and the power of words” and California’s State flower, golden poppies, as well as a blue background representing the Pacific ocean.
According to The Telegraph, her father Thomas Markle’s American citizenship meant he could only ever have been granted an honorary Coat of Arms anyway and only if he’d applied for one and could prove descent from a subject of the British crown. They reported that the Danish-born Duchess of Gloucester also received her own Coat of Arms when she married Queen Elizabeth’s cousin the Duke of Gloucester in 1972.
