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Growing up in Chapel Row, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, Catherine, Pippa, and James Middleton lived a charmed life. Their parents, Carole and Michael, were running a successful party planning business and all three children attended the posh private British schools St. Andrews and Marlborough College. Now grown up with careers and lives of their own, the siblings remain close.
Though life in the spotlight, thanks to Kate's marriage to Prince William, wasn’t part of their plan, the Middletons have adjusted to their new royal adjacent roles. Here, a bit about Kate's family:
Carole Middleton
Born Carole Goldsmith in London to Dorothy Harrison and Ronald Goldsmith, Carole is actually a very distant relative of the Queen Mother. However, she also has ancestors who worked as laborers and miners in County Durham. Carole met flight dispatcher Michael Middleton while working as a flight attendant for British Airways and they married on June 21, 1980, at the Church of St. James, in Buckinghamshire. She had her first child, Catherine, in 1982, followed by Pippa in 1984, and James in 1987. That same year, she founded Party Pieces, a mail order party supply and decoration company, which she ran until 2023.
Michael Middleton
Michael Francis Middleton was born in Leeds to a wealthy Yorkshire family with ties to the British aristocracy. His paternal grandmother, Olive Middleton, belonged to the Lupton family, a well-known political dynasty. After attending Clifton College in Bristol, he worked for British Airways as a flight dispatcher, where he met married Carole Goldsmith. Michael moved his family to Amman, Jordan from May 1984 to September 1986 for his job.
Kate Middleton
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton is the eldest of three siblings. She grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire and was known as a bit of a tomboy. Kate went on to study art history in Scotland at the University of St. Andrews, which is where she met Prince William in 2001. After a long, closely-followed courtship during which Kate earned the nickname Waity Katie, the couple announced their engagement on November 16, 2010.
Prior to the royal nuptials, the Middleton family posted up at the Goring Hotel, located just behind Buckingham Palace. The wedding was held on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey, and was watched around the world by an estimated viewership of over a billion people. Catherine became the Duchess of Cambridge and has gone on to have three children with William. Her first, Prince George, was born July 22, 2013, followed by Princess Charlotte on May 2, 2015, and Prince Louis on April 23, 2018. The duchess suffered with Hyperemesis Gravidarum throughout all three of her pregnancies, which made the process difficult for her.
Before marrying royalty, Kate, now a global style icon, worked in the fashion business. From 2006 to 2007, she worked part-time as an accessory buyer for the clothing chain Jigsaw. Kate also worked up until her engagement at her family business Party Pieces where she helped with catalogue design and production, marketing, and photography. Kate is still an avid photographer who loves taking photos of her children.
Pippa Middleton
The middle Middleton child, Pippa—born Philippa Charlotte Middleton in September 1983—was thrust into the global spotlight following her sister’s royal wedding, when the world tuned in to see her in what was described as a sexy, form-fitting bridesmaid’s dress. (Pippa later called the gown “insignificant.”)
Following her graduation from the University of Edinburgh, Middleton briefly worked in 2008 at a public relations firm promoting luxury products and then had an events management job. She also worked for Party Pieces writing some of its blog content and eventually published a book on hosting events, which was not well-received.
She is now focused on charity work following her wedding to James Matthews, and they are parents to three children: Arthur Michael William Matthews, born October 2018, Grace Elizabeth Jane Matthews, born March 2021, and Rose (full name not released), born July 2022.
James Middleton
The youngest Middleton, born April 1987, is a famous dog lover. After years of working with his family party planning business, the youngest Middleton struck out on his own. James launched the "Cake Kit Company" which sold kits for buyers to create their own themed cakes, however the company dissolved in May 2015. After, he heavily invested in a new personalized gift business, Boomf, a marshmallow company which has expanded to offer a range of gifts. In 2020, he launched Ella & Co, a dog-food order company. He keeps bees, restores old tractors and Land Rovers, and breeds dogs. In fact, Lupo, Kate and William’s dog, and their second dog, Orla, were both gifts from James.
In September 2021, he married Alizee Thevene in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France, and in fall 2023, they welcomed their first child, a boy named Inigo Middleton.
Alizee Middleton
Alizee Middleton (née Thevenet) is the wife of Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton. The two began dating in 2018 after meeting at a bar, and were engaged to one another only 10 months after meeting. Two were married in France in 2021. The Princess of Wales's sister-in-law is a financial analyst, speaks French, English, and Spanish, and is a dog lover.
