The Crown portrayed Carole Middleton as the ‘mastermind’ behind her daughter Kate Middleton’s relationship with William, the Prince of Wales, but how accurate was the portrayal?
Netflix’s premier historical fiction series, The Crown, chronicled the reign of Queen Elizabeth II over almost six decades.
Beginning just before the late monarch’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 and ending in 2005 with the wedding of King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles, The Crown sees a different principal cast taking on the royal roles every two seasons.
In the sixth and final season of the programme, Kate Middleton’s mother, Carole Middleton, takes centre stage in episodes ‘Alma Mater’ and ‘Hope Street.’
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Carole, who is portrayed in The Crown by House of the Dragon’s Eve Best, is a former stewardess turned businesswoman who married Kate’s father, Michael Middleton, in 1980.
The pair share three children, including the Princess of Wales and her younger siblings Pippa, 41, and James, 38.
The London-born woman’s role in The Crown is ‘masterminding’ the relationship between Kate and her then-St. Andrews University classmate William.
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At one point, Meg Ballamy, who portrayed Kate in the royal drama, accuses her mother of meddling in her affairs to get her closer to the future King of Britain (Edward McVey).
“I was all set to go to Edinburgh University straight out of school with all of my friends. Then you suggested I change it to St. Andrews after a gap year,” the character of Kate exclaimed, as per Vanity Fair.
“With none of my friends. That was no coincidence…. Was it a coincidence you encouraged me to sign up for the art school in Florence where William was expected to go?
“And then to the expedition in Chile as well. Where he went…. Once you had the idea fixed in your head, you never stopped.”
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“You said you liked him!,” the TV character’s mother replied.
The Crown did get some aspects of Kate Middleton’s University decision right
It should be noted that although there is no evidence of Carole ever getting involved with Kate’s schooling decision, the mother-of-three did actually decide to swap her education at Edinburgh for St Andrews.
Harper’s Bazaar Australia reported that she and two close friends had even found accommodation in the Scottish capital, but that Kate ducked out at the last minute and opted for a gap year instead.
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She eventually enrolled at the Fife-based university in 2001 on the same Art History course as William.
The pair later struck up a relationship, culminating in their marriage in April 2011.
While the idea that Carole ‘meddled’ in William and Kate’s relationship is fabricated, The Crown did actually get some things right about her.
Carole Middleton worked as an air hostess
During The Crown, Kate and William’s classmates seemed to be very interested in the fact that the former’s mother was an air hostess, bringing it up multiple times.
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The Crown did get this right, as Carole was a member of the British Airways Cabin Crew from the age of 21, according to Town & Country.
Carole Middleton came from a working-class background
The Crown correctly portrays Carole as originally coming from a working-class background, eventually starting a business and propelling herself into the middle class.
In an interview with Good Housekeeping, the mother-of-three, whose maiden name is Goldsmith, revealed: “My father was a builder, and my mother worked part-time in a jewellery shop and later would go to work in a factory. I remember them working hard to make ends meet and give us a lifestyle."
Carole Middleton’s husband was from a wealthier family background than hers
Woman and Home reported that in The Crown, Carole’s husband and Kate’s father, Michael Middleton, had links to the British aristocracy.
This portrayal is apparently correct, with the Middletons having previously hosted members of the British royal family in the 1920s.
He met Carole whilst working for British Airways, with the pair saying ‘I do’ at St James’s Parish Church in Dorney, Buckinghamshire, in June 1980.
In 1987, the pair founded Party Pieces, a company that sold party accessories and decorations that eventually fell into administration in 2023.
All seasons of The Crown are now streaming on Netflix.
Topics: Royal Family, The Crown, Netflix, Kate Middleton, Prince William, The Queen, Sex and Relationships
Ella Scott