I came across a thread on Reddit where people were discussing the idea that Carole Middleton deliberately put Catherine in William’s path and essentially made the relationship happen. I don’t really see it that way. I also find that a lot of the more negative commentary about William and Catherine on Reddit tends to come from Harry and Meghan supporters, which makes it quite hard to have a fair or nuanced discussion there.
From what I’ve read, William had already announced he would be taking a gap year before starting at St Andrews, while Catherine was originally due to attend the University of Edinburgh. It’s often suggested that once William’s plans became public, Carole encouraged Catherine to take a gap year too and reapply to St Andrews so they would start in the same year. It’s also widely reported that people in Catherine’s circle were surprised by the sudden change, as she’d never previously shown interest in going to St Andrews.
I can accept that this could have happened. Carole may have encouraged Catherine to apply to St Andrews once she knew William would be there, as a way of putting her in his path. Even so, it was still a gamble with no guarantees - simply attending the same university doesn’t automatically lead to friendships or relationships.
In fact, by most accounts, William didn’t become friends with Catherine straight away, and they were both dating other people. It’s often reported that they began talking more after Catherine stepped in at a party to move on a girl who wouldn’t leave William alone, with his interest really sparked later at the now-famous charity fashion show where Catherine walked the catwalk.
That’s why I struggle with the idea that Carole “engineered” the entire relationship. At most, she could have encouraged a gap year and a different university choice - but she wasn’t there telling Catherine who to speak to, what to say, or how to create chemistry. A ten-year relationship doesn’t happen because of a mother’s planning alone. Ultimately, William had to feel something for Catherine, choose to be with her for a decade, and then decide to marry her.
I can imagine Carole offering fairly typical motherly advice - how to stay calm, what to say, and how not to come across as overly keen - but that’s very different from actively forcing a relationship to happen.
That’s just my take, but I’d be interested to hear what others think.