How down-to-earth Carole Middleton provides the ‘Diana touch’ for Princess Charlotte – as the young royal celebrates her 11th birthday today
As Princess Charlotte celebrates her 11th birthday today, the young royal is sure to be showered with love by her doting grandmother, Carole Middleton.
While the absence of Princess Diana’s role in the lives of Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte will certainly never change, it is the down-to-earth Carole who provides the ‘Diana touch’ and sense of normalcy to their unique childhood.
According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, Carole, 71, plays a ‘very special role’ in Charlotte’s life and ‘makes significant efforts to make life as normal as possible’.
He told The Daily Mail: ‘Carole has a steady, calming influence. He became indispensable in helping with meals, running the school, and entertaining the grandchildren.
‘It was the ‘Diana touch’. Diana had wanted her sons to go to the movies, enjoy McDonalds, take a trip to the theme park, or enjoy informal dinners. As the world knew, Diana could offer empathy with a magic touch.’
Carole has often been spotted on her way to school, and it was previously reported that she took young Prince George, Britain’s future king, shopping while he picked out a rug.
“I stopped by to get some wallpaper samples and Prince George had walked in with his grandmother, Carole Middleton,” said Sally Pellow, 64. In that case. ‘He was very nicely dressed and was sitting at the table eating pieces of orange.’
The Princess of Wales has always had a close bond with her mother. But now Carole is hopeful she can pass on the same wisdom and ‘special passions’ to her eldest granddaughter Charlotte, helping her get her feet firmly on the ground.
While the absence of Princess Diana’s role in the lives of Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte will never be shaken, it is the down-to-earth Carole who tries to provide the ‘Diana touch’ by adding a sense of normalcy to their childhoods.
Carole has always shared a particularly close bond with the Princess of Wales, and she tries to pass on the same wisdom to her eldest granddaughter Charlotte, helping her keep her feet firmly on the ground.
Indeed, Carole once described herself as a ‘very handy’ grandmother who loved ‘dancing’ with her seven grandchildren and played a loving role in raising Britain’s youngest royal.
‘I want to run down hills, climb trees and go through the tunnel in the playground. I will do this as long as I can. “I cook with them, I dance with them, we ride bikes,” she told Good Housekeeping in 2021.
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In a rather touching tribute, Carole and Charlotte even share the same middle name: Elizabeth.
Carole and Charlotte’s loving bond was showcased like absolutely no other. The naughty princess, then four, was caught sticking her tongue out at reporters at the King’s Cup Regatta in Cowes on the Isle of Wight in August 2019.
Charlotte put on a rather cheeky face for the cameras as Kate encouraged the young princess, who was holding Carol’s hand, to wave to the sea of photographers.
Carole was absolutely hysterical during the hilarious moment, marveling at Charlotte’s rare moment of rebellion before she slowly dragged her away from the photographers’ eyes.
For a brief moment, the Princess of Wales looked on intently to rebuke her shy daughter, then broke character and turned back to the camera, also bursting into laughter, soon prompting others behind the camera to do the same.
The adorable interaction was quickly spotted by eagle-eyed royal onlookers, who took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on Carole, who looked ‘completely surprised and surprised’ by her grandson’s adorable mischief.
‘This is such a sweet reminder that kids are just kids,’ one royal fan said.
Another jokingly said: ‘Princess Charlotte reminds us that even royal blood has a cheeky charm. Long live the queen of sass!’
Carole, who is also grandmother to Pippa Middleton’s two children and James Middleton’s daughter, has previously revealed how she takes a ‘very hands-on’ approach to becoming a grandparent.
Writing in his biography William And Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, published last month, royal expert Russell Myers said the Middletons’ influence and ‘constant presence’ were ‘crucial’ in shaping William and Kate’s refreshingly down-to-earth approach to raising the young royals.
‘William appreciated their involvement beyond measure,’ he added, ‘enjoying their company and the normalcy of the environment, whatever the circumstances.’
Carole and Charlotte’s loving bond was certainly on display like no other when the mischievous princess, then four, was caught sticking her tongue out at reporters at the King’s Cup Regatta in Cowes on the Isle of Wight in August 2019.
Royal commentators Jennie Bond and Tom Quinn previously claimed Carole and her beloved husband Michael, 76, would have greater influence on George, Charlotte and Louis than the Royal Family.
Royal commentators Jennie Bond and Tom Quinn have previously claimed that it will be Carole and her beloved husband Michael, 76, who will have greater influence on George, Charlotte and Louis than the Royal Family.
Speaking on Channel 5’s When the Middletons Met the Monarchy, Mr Quinn said: ‘I suspect everyone thinks that the royal family will inevitably have the most influence in terms of children, but that’s completely wrong.
‘It’s going to be the Middletons who have influence because the royal family are so formal and so stuck in their ways.’
Meanwhile, Ms Bond added: ‘Kate will always turn to Carole for help and advice guidance and will just get together and have fun with the kids – probably before she gets together with Camilla and Charles.’
Michael and Carole were some of the first people to meet young Princess Charlotte, who was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London on May 2, 2015.
Kate and William’s move to Windsor in 2022 has further strengthened the pre-existing bond between Carole and her grandchildren.
Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales is said to have quickly ‘adopted’ the Middleton family shortly after he started dating Kate in the early 2000s, with Carole now an indispensable part of Wales’ close-knit family unit.
She enjoys making cheese on toast, the Prince of Wales’s favorite snack, and stocks up on her favorite sea salt chocolates.
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Mr Fitzwillaims added: ‘William lost his mother when he was very young and was greatly affected by the public squabbles between his parents. Carole indirectly became an important maternal figure that he could rely on.
‘What was to come was, as William describes it, a ‘brutal’ time as Catherine was diagnosed with cancer following abdominal surgery. Carole’s help in handling matters during this period is beyond appreciation.’
When Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in early 2024, Carole immediately stepped in to care for her three young children.
Known as ‘Ma Middleton’ to family friends, she was described as ‘indispensable’ by close sources at the time, while others praised her for playing a ‘pivotal’ role in caring for Princess Charlotte, as well as Princes George and Louis.
In fact, when the world first learned of the princess’ diagnosis via a video announcement, the doting grandmother was even seen driving Kate to school, and Kate was even seen staying with the Welsh family for Easter.
In December 2024, at Kate’s annual “Together in Christmas” caroling ceremony, six-year-old Prince Louis held up a touching little tag for the “kindness” tree that left little doubt about the little royal children’s unwavering love for their grandmother.
The little tag said in shaky handwriting: ‘Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, because they played with me.’
