When Kate Middleton became a member of the royal family, her own family — namely, her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her siblings, Pippa Middleton and James Middleton — also became well known as a result.
But the Middletons’ roots were much more modest than the monarchy. Michael and Carole met while working at British Airways and married in 1980. The couple raised their three children — Kate and her younger siblings, Pippa and James — in the village of Bucklebury, England. Though their upbringing may have been a far cry from royal life, the Princess of Wales previously revealed that she has nothing but fond memories of growing up in the countryside.
“I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun — I’m very lucky, I’ve come from a very strong family,” Kate said in a February 2020 interview with the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. “My parents were hugely dedicated to us, my siblings. I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us.”
The Middleton clan grew up close, with Michael and Carole supporting their children at their school sporting events and the family spending school holidays together. That family bond has remained strong as the royal and her siblings have grown into adults and started their own families (Pippa has three children with her husband, James Matthews, and James shares a son with his wife, Alizeé Thevenet) — and as they’ve faced adversity, including Kate’s cancer diagnosis in March 2024.
“I’m extremely proud. I’m always taken aback by how much she does do,” James said about his eldest sibling and her impact on Good Morning Britain in July 2023. “But to be honest, she’s my sister, so I know all of her quirks and everything and to see her blossoming in that role, I’m very proud of her.”
From their earliest connections to the royal family to their next generation of little ones, here is everything to know about Kate Middleton’s family.
Kate Middleton’s Parents
Carole Elizabeth Middleton
Though she is the mother of the future queen consort, Carole Middleton comes from humble beginnings. Born Jan. 31, 1955, in Perivale, England, Carole Elizabeth Goldsmith was the daughter of Ronald, a builder, and Dorothy, who worked as a shop clerk. Both of her parents had a strong work ethic, which inspired Carole throughout her childhood.
“I grew up watching my parents, who both worked extremely hard,” Carole told Good Housekeeping in 2021. “I remember them working hard to make ends meet and give us a lifestyle.”
That ambition fueled Carole as she entered adulthood, working her way up in British Airways from a secretary to ground crew to flight attendant. It was there that she met Michael, a flight dispatcher. The two were married in June 1980 and went on to have three children together (Catherine, born Jan. 9, 1982, followed by Pippa on Sept. 6, 1983, and James on April 15, 1987). As a young mother, Carole became inspired by her children to launch her own party supply company called Party Pieces in 1987. The company grew into a successful business, allowing the Middletons to send their children to private school and purchase their homes in Bucklebury and Chelsea, before being sold in 2023 to entrepreneur James Sinclair.
“The success that we’ve had has helped us build the life we have currently,” Carole told the Daily Mail about Party Pieces in 2021. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have found the professional fulfillment I always wanted.”
Outside of her professional success, Carole and her family were thrust into the spotlight when Kate became romantically linked to Prince William in 2002 while attending the University of St. Andrews. Carole eventually became William’s mother-in-law when the couple were married in front of 1,900 guests on April 29, 2011.
“I was involved lots with both Pip’s and Catherine’s weddings,” Carole told The Telegraph in 2018. “But I think the most important thing, as a parent, is to listen to what your daughter wants. You can have all the ideas in the world, but it has to be about them.”
Carole continues to be a support system for Princess Kate and Prince William, serving as a “reassuring presence” as her daughter recovered from abdominal surgery and receives cancer treatment, and for her grandchildren, whom she “adores.” She also had a bond with the late Queen Elizabeth, with a regular observer at Balmoral Castle in Scotland telling PEOPLE in 2016: “I’ve never known a family drawn into the royal family like the Middletons.”
“In terms of a non-royal, young and trendy granny there’s been no one like her at all,” royals writer Robert Lacy, who also consults on the Netflix series The Crown, told PEOPLE about Carole.
Michael Francis Middleton
Michael Francis Middleton was born on June 23, 1949, in Leeds. Before his daughter became a member of the royal family, Michael had his own connections to aristocracy through his family: his grandmother, Olive Middleton, had a family textiles fortune and would host members of the British royal family at her manor in Leeds, while Michael’s father, Peter Middleton, was Prince Philip’s first officer during a two-month flying tour of South America in the 1960s, per The Telegraph.
After attending Clifton College and the University of Surrey, Michael entered flight school to become a pilot like his father — however, he pivoted to ground crew and worked for British Airways as a flight dispatcher. It was there that he met his future wife, Carole, and the two wed in June 1980.
His career took them to Amman, Jordan, where they lived in the mid-1980s, before returning to England to raise their three children in Bucklebury. Shortly after their move to the British village, Carole launched Party Pieces in 1987 — and within a year, Michael gave up his job in aviation to join the family business full-time, according to The Telegraph.
“My husband and I were young and a little inexperienced, but very enthusiastic, so we didn’t worry too much,” Carole told SheerLuxe in 2022. “We took any early setbacks in our stride and had a lot of fun building the business together.”
When Kate wed Prince William in 2011, Michael walked his daughter down the aisle at Westminster Abbey. Since then, he and his wife have frequently joined royal events, including King Charles’ coronation, Royal Ascot in June 2024 and Kate’s annual royal Christmas concert held at Westminster Abbey.
Michael and Carole have also been by Kate’s side as she navigates her cancer diagnosis and treatment. A source told PEOPLE that they have both been “there to lend support” since Kate’s serious abdominal surgery and serve as “an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren.”
Kate Middleton’s Siblings
Pippa Middleton Matthews
Less than two years after Kate’s birth, she was joined by a younger sister. On Sept. 6, 1983, Philippa Charlotte Middleton — better known as Pippa — was born in Reading, Berkshire.
Pippa grew up with a talent for athletics, attending Marlborough College on a sports scholarship. That passion for fitness continued throughout her adult life, with Pippa participating in extreme sporting events such as the grueling Otillo Swim-Run Championship in Sweden and the Inferno ski race in Switzerland. In an interview with HOKA in 2021, she revealed she has more fitness challenges on her “bucket list,” including the London and New York City marathons and the Cape Town Cycle Tour.
Pippa began to attract media attention once Kate and Prince William’s relationship became public, and became a household name after their 2011 nuptials (when she stunned in an ivory dress created by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen). British tabloids frequently declared her one of England’s most eligible women — until she became romantically linked to financier James Matthews in the fall of 2012.
“I try not to be too sensitive about things because it’s a bit of life I have to deal with,” Pippa told the Daily Mail in 2016 about her life in the public eye. “But I would be lying if I said it didn’t affect me.”
Pippa and Matthews wed in May 2017, with Princess Charlotte and Prince George as part of the wedding party. The couple are now the parents of three children: son Arthur (born October 2018) and daughters Grace (born March 2021) and Rose (born June 2022). Despite their close ties to the royal family, Pippa prefers to keep both her marriage and her children out of the public eye.
Professionally, Pippa holds degrees in English literature and physical education, sport and physical literacy. She is the author of the 2012 party planning book Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends and is involved in charitable organizations, serving as an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation since 2014.
James William Middleton
Joining big sisters Kate and Pippa, James William Middleton was born on April 15, 1987 in Reading, England.
Following in his mother’s footsteps, James has made a career as a serial entrepreneur. He first sold themed birthday cake-baking kits through his parents’ business, Party Pieces, before creating The Cake Kit Company (which dissolved in 2015). He also launched a personalized marshmallow business, called Boomf, in 2013. James’ latest venture, a natural pet food company called Ella & Co., debuted in 2020, but he changed the name to James & Ella in 2023 following the death of his beloved dog Ella earlier in the year.
In addition to his dogs (James is currently the proud parent to six pups: Mabel, Zulu, Inka, Luna, Nala and Isla), the youngest Middleton sibling is also passionate about mental health. He revealed his struggle with depression, which he called “the cancer of the mind,” in an op-ed for the Daily Mail in 2019 and has also been public about his therapy work — sharing that his sisters Kate and Pippa have even attended therapy sessions with him.
“They’ve always been there during difficult times and they were at my side during the hardest of times as well,” he said of his older sisters.
James returned the favor for Kate, showing his support for his eldest sister after she revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. He shared a previously never-before-seen photograph from their childhood on Instagram along with a sweet message of strength and solidarity.
“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too ⛰️❤️,” he captioned the photo, where the two are seen wearing backpacks in front of a mountainous backdrop.
James combined his two passions — animals and mental health — when he created the Paw Print Fund in April 2020. The organization is dedicated to aiding animal welfare charities, such as RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Battersea, an organization dedicated to dogs and cats, and Dogs Trust, the U.K.’s largest dog welfare charity. He is also a volunteer with Pets As Therapy, a U.K. non-profit that brings therapy animals to care homes, hospitals, hospices, schools and prisons, and plans to write a memoir about his beloved dog Ella.
James began dating French financial analyst Alizeé Thevenet in 2019, and the couple tied the knot in the south of France on Sept. 11, 2021. They welcomed their first child, a son named Inigo, in October 2023.
In his 2024 memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Changed My Life, James opened up about his struggles with his mental health. He talked about his family’s therapy sessions that took place during his battle with depression in an interview with Hello!.
James told the outlet that therapy was “easier” for Pippa and Kate, since Carole and Michael were left wondering “where had they gone wrong?”
“And that’s why it was so important to have somebody else in the room to explain: ‘No, this isn’t you that’s done this to your son. This is a combination of multiple things. It stems back to childhood but there’s not a single trigger point,’ ” he said.
He added, “Once I started to understand a bit myself, and then for my sisters to understand it, who could then also speak to my parents … Now, it’s something that can be discussed at the dinner table. It’s helped us as a family – not just me individually, but as a unit – to be more open.”
Kate Middleton’s Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law
James Spencer Matthews
Pippa’s husband, James Spencer Matthews, was born on Aug. 21, 1975 to David Matthews, a luxury car dealer and hotelier, and Jane Matthews, an artist. He has two younger brothers: Michael, who died in 1999 at the age of 22 while climbing Mount Everest, and Spencer, who appeared on the popular television show Made in Chelsea.
Matthews spent his childhood between his family’s 30-acre estate in Nottinghamshire, England and Eden Rock, the luxury resort owned by his father in St. Barthelemy. His family also owns a 10,000-acre Scottish estate and luxury hunting lodge called Glen Affric Estate.
Matthews began his career as a professional racing driver, winning the British Formula Renault Championship and the Eurocup Formula Renault titles in 1994. Following his racing career, he went on to become an equities trader before launching his own hedge fund, Eden Rock Capital Management (now known as the Eden Rock Group), in 2001.
In addition to his finance career, Matthews will inherit the Scottish title of Laird of Glen Affric when his father dies, and Pippa will become Lady Glen Affric. The couple, who were married in 2017, share three children together: Arthur, Grace and Rose.
Alizeé Thevenet
James’ wife, Alizeé Thevenet, was born in France but raised in six different countries: Germany, Indonesia, Chile, France, Belgium and England, her father, the late Jean-Gabriel Thevenet, told the Daily Mail in 2019.
She eventually settled in the U.K. as a young adult, receiving her master’s degree in investment and finance from Queen Mary, University of London. It was in London, at the South Kensington Club, where Thevenet would first cross paths with James Middleton in the summer of 2018 (after his dog, Ella, approached the financial analyst).
“Little did I know, I had just met my future wife, all thanks to Ella,” James told The Telegraph about their first encounter. “If I hadn’t trusted Ella, I wouldn’t have brought her to the South Kensington Club and she wouldn’t have been able to say hi to the woman who became my fiancée.”
In January 2019, the two were spotted vacationing in St. Barts with James’ sister Pippa and her husband. By May of that same year, they made their relationship Instagram official. They became engaged in October 2019 and, after postponing their wedding two times, were married in September 2021 in the south of France. At the nuptials, Thevenet wore her mother-in-law Carole’s wedding dress.
“I tried on her wedding dress and fell in love with it,” the French financial analyst revealed to Hello! “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.”
In July 2023, James revealed that Thevenet was expecting their first child. Their son, Inigo, was born in October of the same year.
Source: People
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