Inside Prince William’s Relationship With Kate Middleton’s Parents

Carole and Michael Middleton were thrilled about their daughter’s engagement. “We all think he’s wonderful, and we’re extremely fond of him; they make a lovely couple; they’re great fun to be with,” Michael shared in a press interview. The Middletons welcomed William, Prince of Wales, into their Berkshire home with open arms. The reception he received and the relaxed pace of everyday family life starkly contrasted with the rigors of royalty.

NBC’s royal correspondent Ashley Pearson claimed in the 2019 documentary, “William and Harry: Brothers in Arms,” that a royal insider told her one of the main reasons William fell for Catherine, Princess of Wales, was because of her loving family. “He would lie on the couch with his head in the lap of Mrs. Middleton. Or he would sit after dinner and talk for hours with Mr. Middleton,” Pearson said. “Feeling a part of that very close-knit, tight, very British family was the first time in his life he’d ever had that experience,” she continued. “And for William, it was utterly intoxicating.” 

Rachael Andrews, who hosts the podcast “Keeping Up With The Windsors,” speculated in an interview with OK! that William views Carole as a surrogate mom. “He, of course, lost Diana when he was very young and probably looks up to Carole because he’s lacked a mother figure for so much of his life,” she said. “With Carole and Michael, he’s got people to confide in who are removed from the monarchy.”