Kate Middleton became one of the world’s most famous women when she married Prince William in 2011. Right beside her, walking her down the aisle, was her father, Michael, as her mother Carole watched from the first row.

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The Middletons were smoothly integrated into the Royal Family, with Carole reportedly enjoying a close relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II. Not entirely middle-class, leaning more toward the “upper” side of things, the Middletons were still far from aristocrats or nobility, making them, for all purposes, “commoners,” a trait which, up until Kate married William, was not commonly found among Royal suitors.

What did Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, do for a living?

Michael and Carole met at work. They were both employed by British Airways – Carole as a flight attendant and Michael as a flight dispatcher. They met in the 1970s and married in 1980, two years before they welcomed their eldest child, Catherine Elizabeth, into the family. Philippa (known publicly as Pippa) was born a year later, followed by James in 1987.

When preparing for Kate’s 5th birthday, Carole was frustrated by the kind of party supplies she could get her hands on and set out to start her own company with her husband, Party Pieces. It was a family affair. The couple started small, carrying out most of the duties themselves, from taking orders to filling boxes and making deliveries.

Talking to Sheer Luxe in 2022, the Middletons’ matriarch revealed how Pippa would contribute to the business blog, James would help out with the baking, and Kate wound up developing Party Pieces’ “first birthday” and “baby” categories as a project manager. Following the pandemic, Party Pieces became insolvent, owing money to multiple supplies and creditors, and was sold, in 2023, to a British entrepreneur.

How old are Kate Middleton’s parents, Michael and Carole?

Carole was born on Jan. 31, 1955, in Perrivale, London. Unlike her husband, Carole was brought up in a working-class family and couldn’t afford to attend college, becoming a shop assistant instead, and eventually taking a position in British Airways, where she would meet Michael.

Six years older than his wife, Michael was born on June 23, 1949, in Leeds. He grew up with a lot more means than Carole, coming from an upper-class family with reported aristocratic and landowner ties. He attended the University of Surrey and then studied to become a pilot, eventually opting for ground crew instead, setting him on the path to meet Carole.

All three of the Middleton children attended prestigious boarding schools. It’s rumored that Carole, knowing Prince William would be joining, incentivized Kate to attend the University of St. Andrews instead of her first option, the University of Edinburgh, after a gap year.