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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Carole Middleton the ultimate mum raising a future queen?

222 replies

Brightonbabe5 · 02/01/2021 01:11

I'm currently reading Harry & Meghan's book Finding Freedom... Meghan's parents particularly Doria have been applauded for putting such an emphasis on Meghan's education, ensuring she got into an expensive Catholic school & ensuring she worked very hard at school...
Surely the Middleton's should get the same praise but they were ridiculed & accused of being upwardly mobile... Kate & Pippa both attended excellent universities so they obviously worked very hard also..
The other parents in the girkd private school weren't too complimentary about Carole either with snipes about the girls uniforms, sports equipment etc too perfect. I reckon the other parents were jealous.
In my opinion Carole has done an amazing job raising out future queen & should be given more credit...

OP posts:
VinterKvinna · 02/01/2021 12:00

@Brightonbabe5

The US & British press have been very kind to Doria who's daughter also bagged a prince... Carole has been slagged about everything most notably being a social climber & orchestrating Kate & William's relatuonship!
You're right, the British like an underdog, until they rise up
Immrswhistledown · 02/01/2021 12:03

I’m not sure I’d congratulate any mum who raised a daughter to wait around for a man for so many years, not to mention that neither of her daughters has a done anything with their very expensive education.
Personally I’d rather raise a strong independent woman who would go on to have a career.

formerbabe · 02/01/2021 12:06

I think the Middletons get a bit of an unfair bashing in the press...really, they never put a foot wrong. They're the quintessential British middle class family...they're obviously close to each other. It's such a huge contrast with K&W wedding and H&M wedding. Kate's brother did a reading, her dad gave her away, her sister was the bridesmaid...Kate seemed so well supported. Meghan seemed so much more alone... it was such a stark, sad contrast between the two women imo.

RizzleDrizzle · 02/01/2021 12:11

They're the quintessential British middle class family

So why does this make Carole the ultimate mother then

Surely she’s average mother of average British middle class

Oh her daughter fell in love with some one through accident of birth is going to be king one day

Still struggling to see how that makes her the ultimate mother!

TheKeatingFive · 02/01/2021 12:12

I like Carole. She comes across as a tough, determined woman.

Her family are very close and that’s nice. I’m not sure about giving her huge credit on the education front as the kids all had trust funds to cover their private schooling. They weren’t exactly what you’d call under privileged.

formerbabe · 02/01/2021 12:12

@RizzleDrizzle

They're the quintessential British middle class family

So why does this make Carole the ultimate mother then

Surely she’s average mother of average British middle class

Oh her daughter fell in love with some one through accident of birth is going to be king one day

Still struggling to see how that makes her the ultimate mother!

I never said it made her the ultimate mother
bluebell34567 · 02/01/2021 12:23

i think she did a very good job and her kids took it well.
remember you can take a horse to a river but you cant make it drink.

Magicra84 · 02/01/2021 12:28

I agree OP. Both Pippa, Kate and their brother seem like lovely, well rounded people. You can see in Kate and Pippa that they're both incredibly warm and personable and that goes far in life. I would applaud Carole and her husband for bringing them up to be as such.

RedKite96 · 02/01/2021 12:37

Go for a walk. Jesus.

Twobrews · 02/01/2021 12:39

Pippa has had a torrid time & poor James tried his best with his marshmallows
GrinGrinGrin

tttigress · 02/01/2021 12:44

I think for every one sake it is better not to take anything written about Doria or Carole seriously.

VienneseWhirligig · 02/01/2021 12:46

Kate and Meghan are very different women with very different roles.

Kate is British, has been part of Prince William's life since he was a teenager, has never been married before and her only public role has been as been in connection with the Royal Family.

Meghan is American, met Prince Harry when they were in their 30s, and has had a career in acting and the public eye since she was much younger, independently of her husband.

Comparisons between them because they are married to brothers is like comparing any sister in laws - not helpful and not considering the individual qualities of each woman. If you extend that out, it is also unfair to compare their mothers, who, like K and M, have led very different lifestyles.

All that matters is that one raises a pleasant, happy child who is secure and content. And it seems that both mothers have done that. Any more granular comparison is odd.

tttigress · 02/01/2021 12:47

I'm curious to know about James and Marshmallows! I'm obviously not up enough on this subject!!

HmmSureJan · 02/01/2021 12:53

All that matters is that one raises a pleasant, happy child who is secure and content. And it seems that both mothers have done that.

Well Meghan mostly lived with her Dad who she is now no contact with but I do agree that comparisons are unhelpful here. The two of them are from entirely different backgrounds and upbringings.

Brightonbabe5 · 02/01/2021 14:13

They are but Carole has had a huge social leap & took it all in her stride. I remember very clearly the slack she got for chewing gum at William's passing out parade.
James had a designer marshmallow company called Bmfoof but it went bankrupt, last I read he is breeding cocker spaniels

OP posts:
AndcalloffChristmas · 02/01/2021 14:18

I agree that it’s only natural H and M’s book would focus on them and not W and K.

However, I think Mike (Michael? not sure which he goes by?) Middleton should come in for some praise here. If you watch his body language around his wife and daughters it’s very respectful, and very much in line with someone who gave his daughters their space and freedom and treated them as adults when they were. I’d imagine that gave them a lot of confidence to end up where they are - where Kate is at least.

If you observe Price Andrew around his dds he is the opposite - forever leaning into their space and the rest of it.

CoolCatTaco · 02/01/2021 14:18

Honestly, you need to get a life. You have no idea what any of these people are like & they have no relevance to your life.

RizzleDrizzle · 02/01/2021 14:29

I never said it made her the ultimate mother

But the title of the thread is Carole middleton is the ultimate mother

I wasn’t asking you specifically I was asking every one not just you

jamesfailedmarshmallows · 02/01/2021 14:41

If only Carole put as much into James as she did Pippa and Kate. Poor James couldn't even make a success of a flump, now he's trying his hand at dogging.

Brightonbabe5 · 02/01/2021 14:48

@jamesfailedmarshmallows

If only Carole put as much into James as she did Pippa and Kate. Poor James couldn't even make a success of a flump, now he's trying his hand at dogging.
Agreed! Donna Air was never really going to cut the mustard in the long run
OP posts:
Raaaaaaarr · 02/01/2021 14:49

I think Vogue not being allowed to attend Pippa's wedding said it all. Pretty snooty move.

eddiemairswife · 02/01/2021 14:56

Is there really a market for marshmallows?

RizzleDrizzle · 02/01/2021 15:04

@Raaaaaaarr

I think Vogue not being allowed to attend Pippa's wedding said it all. Pretty snooty move.
Tbf hadn’t vogue only just started dating spencer then?!?!
Nikhedonia · 02/01/2021 15:06

@jamesfailedmarshmallows

If only Carole put as much into James as she did Pippa and Kate. Poor James couldn't even make a success of a flump, now he's trying his hand at dogging.
Loving the name change Grin
Indecisive12 · 02/01/2021 15:19

What about the fathers? Do they not get the praise?
Megan’s Mum also lived in a middle class neighbourhood did she not? Meghans Dad paid for her to attend private schools and paid for her to get the best education. There are a lot of similarities.
The difference is in the USA it is admirable to do so well in the U.K. it is seen as desperate and ‘social climbers will never fit in’ so it all goes back to the age old class system that should not exist in the U.K. today.
I like Meghan, I like Kate. I view neither of them as role models to me as they both live in an alternate universe.

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