When Princess Kate married Prince William on April 29, 2011, the Middleton family acquired an eternal tie to the British Royal Family. Having lived a relatively normal life prior to her romance with a prince, Princess Kate quickly learned what it means to be royal. According to a new book, Princess Kate's parents had very different upbringings from one another and their experiences provided their daughter with a unique insight.
In his new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers shared details regarding Michael and Carole Middleton's childhoods. Notably, while Princess Kate's dad was born into a "wealthy family," her mom had "working-class" roots.
"Carole Goldsmith was born on January 31, 1955 into a distinctly working-class family, with roots connecting them to generations of steely coal miners from County Durham [in the north of England]," Myers shared. "Her father, Ronald, was a hard-working and mild-mannered decorator, while her mother, Dorothy...worked as a part-time sales assistant in a jewelry shop."
According to Myers, Carole's parents were "self-employed" and did "the best they could in often difficult circumstances." Per the royal author, "There were various bouts of financial hardship."
As a result, Carole reportedly drew inspiration from "her parents's work ethic," which had been "instilled in her from a young age." As Myers noted, "She had grown up watching both her parents work hard to make ends meet and ensure that, even though money was not abundant, the children grew up in a safe and loving home."
"With money scarce at home, Carole decided to leave school at the age of 16, after landing a job as a secretary at the financial services company Prudential, in Holborn, central London," Myers explained.
He continued, "Having seen her parents deal with the ups and downs of both being self-employed, she was determined to rise up the ranks of a big corporation, believing she could expand on the entrepreneurial spirit her parents had attempted to foster at home."
Conversely, Princess Kate's dad Michael had a very different upbringing. Per Myers, Michael was "born in Leeds, Yorkshire, on June 23, 1949," and "came from a wealthy family with ties to the British aristocracy."
Describing Michael's parents, Myers shared that "his father, Peter, served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and later worked as a commercial pilot." Michael's mom, Valerie, "served as a voluntary aid detachment nurse with the British Red Cross during the Second World War" and "famously worked at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park."
Importantly, Michael's relatives had dalliances with the Royal Family and hosted a number of royals during the Victorian era. "Such were their connections to the British aristocracy, they would on several occasions host Princess Mary, The Queen's aunt, while another relative before the First World War was a friend of Queen Victoria's son Prince Arthur and also of the future George V," Myers shared.
Even though Princess Kate didn't grow up as a member of the aristocracy, it's interesting to learn that her father's family had its own connections to the Royal Family.
