All About Kate Middleton's Parents, Michael and Carole Middleton

Michael and Carole Middleton are parents to Kate, Pippa and James Middleton

Before Kate Middleton became the Princess of Wales, she grew up in Bucklebury, England, with parents Michael and Carole Middleton.

After marrying in 1980, Michael and Carole welcomed Kate in 1980. They went on to have two more children, daughter Pippa and son James.

Since Kate's wedding to Prince William in April 2011, the Middletons have developed a strong relationship with the British royal family. Carole shared a particularly close bond with the late Queen Elizabeth, who recognized the influence Carole and Michael had on Prince William as he and Kate began their relationship.

Royal insider and author Ingrid Seward told PEOPLE in 2016: “Because of the circumstances of William’s childhood, the Queen has made a big effort to include the Middletons much more than she would have done otherwise. She is recognizing they have a big role in the lives of her family — and she is happy with that.”

Princess Kate's parents have also celebrated big and small occasions with the royals. Michael and Carole attended the coronation of King Charles in May 2023 and Kate's annual "Royal Carols: Together At Christmas" concert at Westminster Abbey in December 2023.

From starting their own party supply business to raising a future royal, here is everything to know about Kate Middleton’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.

Michael and Carole met while working at British Airways

Michael and Carole both worked at British Airways when they met in the 1970s. Carole served as a flight attendant, while Michael was a flight dispatcher.

They got married in 1980

The pair married in Buckinghamshire, England, on June 21, 1980 — exactly two years before their future son-in-law, Prince William, was born to King Charles and Princess Diana. While Carole and Michael have never publicly shared photos of their wedding day, fans did get a glimpse of Carole's bridal gown when their son James married Alizee Thevenet in 2021.

Alizee opted to wear Carole's wedding gown during her ceremony. In an interview with Hello! magazine, Alizee explained that she and her mother-in-law were discussing ideas for her wedding dress when she decided to try on Carole's gown to see how it looked.

“It fitted me perfectly and was exactly what I wanted,” Alizee said of the floor-length, Bardot-neck gown. “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.”

They have three children

The Middletons have three children together. Their oldest, Kate, was born on Jan. 9, 1982. She was joined by sister Pippa on Sept. 6, 1983, and brother James on April 15, 1987.

Carole and Michael raised their children in the village of Bucklebury, England. Princess Kate's upbringing in the country contributed to her love of the outdoors — and in 2019, she named "boulder hopping in the Lake District" as one of her happy memories.

Kate also spoke about her childhood during a 2020 appearance on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. After sharing that she enjoys spending time outside with her family, the royal explained, "I remember that from my childhood – doing the simple things, going for a walk together, and that's really what I try and do with my children as well because it totally strips away all the complications, all the pressures ... as a parent and I think these experiences as well mean so much to children and the world that they're in which is a real adventure for them at that age."

They founded their party supply company Party Pieces in 1987

Michael and Carole started the party supply company Party Pieces in 1987. Carole was inspired to start the business while searching for decorations for Kate’s 5th birthday party.

“My children inspired my business and have been involved from the start,” she told the Daily Mail in 2021. “The success that we've had has helped us build the life we have currently. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found the professional fulfillment I always wanted."

Carole began assembling prototypes for the business at her kitchen table and pitched the product to several retailers. The idea to open her own shop came to her after she was repeatedly turned away.

The Middleton children have all worked for the company too: Kate was a project manager before she wed Prince William.

In 2022, Carole told SheerLuxe that she and Michael initially ran Party Pieces on their own. “My husband and I were young and a little inexperienced, but very enthusiastic, so we didn’t worry too much,” she told the outlet. “We took any early setbacks in our stride and had a lot of fun building the business together. When Michael and I first started Party Pieces, we did everything ourselves. Taking orders, filling boxes and sometimes making the deliveries.”

Carole and Michael owned Party Pieces for over three decades before selling the company to an entrepreneur in May 2023.

Carole was especially close to Queen Elizabeth

Both Middletons have enjoyed close relationships with the royal family, but Carole, in particular, had a very tight bond with the late Queen Elizabeth. In 2016, a regular observer at Balmoral Castle in Scotland told PEOPLE, “I’ve never known a family drawn into the royal family like the Middletons.”

Another source added: “The Middleton parents really could be the people next door. They are lucky their daughter is going to be the future queen, but there are no delusions of grandeur.”

In return, Queen Elizabeth also took care to include grandson Prince William’s in-laws in many family events and celebrations, especially since William lost his own mother at a young age.

Carole is also especially close with her grandchildren, something that the late Queen admired and appreciated about her.

Royal expert Seward told PEOPLE of Carole, “She’ll be taking time to read to them, play with them and do all the things you want a granny to do.”

Michael walked Kate down the aisle when she married Prince William in 2011

Michael was prepared to serve a major role in Princess Kate’s wedding in 2011: He walked his daughter down the aisle at Westminster Abbey.

As royal wedding guest Martin Fidler — a local from Kate's hometown of Bucklebury — later recalled, the moment that Kate entered the ceremony with her dad was special.

“When Kate came in — what a wonderful sight,” he told PEOPLE in 2021. “She looked incredible. And she hasn't changed a bit in 10 years.”

Michael and Carole sometimes attend royal events

The pair have been close to the royal family for several years and attend royal events both large and small. Kate’s entire family was on hand to support her when she hosted her first-ever royal Christmas concert in December 2021.

One month prior, the Middleton family attended the Royal Variety Performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where they took in performances from Ed Sheeran, James Blunt and more. Back in 2016, William invited the Middletons to the prestigious Tusk Awards, which honor wildlife conservationists in Africa.

The Middletons have also attended casual events with the royal family. The Princess of Wales is a known fan of tennis, and her family makes a point of attending Wimbledon each year. In 2022, Kate was spotted blowing a kiss to her parents when they were seated across the stadium.

They are grandparents several times over

Michael and Carole have seven grandchildren. Princess Kate and Prince William are parents to three kids: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Pippa also shares three children — Arthur, Grace and Rose — with her husband James Matthews. In October 2023, James and Alizee welcomed their first child, son Inigo.

Carole has made it clear that becoming a grandmother was a welcome change. She told Saga magazine in 2021 that she enjoyed sharing her favorite activities, like gardening, with her grandchildren.

“It's important for children to grow up appreciating nature and part of that is allowing them to get a bit muddy,” she said.

The Middletons are supporting Princess Kate after her abdominal surgery

In Jan. 2024, the palace announced that the Princess of Wales underwent a "planned abdominal surgery" and was expected to stay in the hospital for up to two weeks before continuing her recovery at home for several months. It's believed that Carole and Michael are supporting their daughter as well as her family as Kate recovers.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.