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

In Netflix's "The Crown," Catherine, Princess of Wales' mother is portrayed as a scheming manipulator, desperate to orchestrate a marriage between her daughter and William, Prince of Wales. Although the show is pinned on historical facts, much is subject to dramatic license. So, what's real regarding the role Kate's parents played in her relationship with William?

Kate's mom, Carole Middleton, was portrayed as a royal interloper by certain press outlets. The Daily Mail was the biggest offender, quoting sources that poked fun at the Middletons' non-regal roots and mocked Carole for her career as an airline steward. The paper claimed royal circles had dubbed the mom-of-three "Doors to Manual." It went hard on the narrative of Carole clawing her way up the social ladder. The Mail's barely concealed duplicity was ruthless. "Would the woman who spent the first seven years of her life on a council estate, and who is the grand-daughter of a miner, embarrass the Royal Family?" They asked the day after William and Kate's wedding. "Would she turn up in fake tan or, heaven forbid, not be wearing tights?"

Not surprisingly, William was furious at the portrayal of his inlaws. "William does not believe that anyone genuinely—or even remotely—connected with him would say such things and is horrified that these reports have emerged," the Daily Mail wrote in April 2007. But tabloid stories aside, what is William's relationship with Carole and Michael Middleton really like?

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."

William, Prince of Wales, was just 15 years old when his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, tragically died. Royal biographer Angela Levin told The Sun's Fabulous that losing his mom at such a young age left him unaware of what regular and loving home life was like. However, the parents of Catherine, Princess of Wales, helped change that. "William learned through the Middletons how a loving and supportive family works," Levin said. "[Carole Middleton] made him feel secure, comfortable, and protected," she continued.

Robert Hardman claims in his book "Charles III: The Inside Story" that William was adamant Carole and Michael Middleton, along with Kate's siblings, Pippa and James Middleton, attend his father's coronation and be seated in a high position, despite it being a breach of royal protocol. "Having all of them there was very important to him," Hardman wrote (via Mirror). "He was absolutely insistent that his wife's family be properly included."

Meanwhile, NBC royal correspondent Ashley Pearson claimed in the documentary, "William and Harry: Brothers in Arms," that Kate's parents also play an integral role in their grandchildren's lives. Pearson noted they moved in with William and Kate following the birth of Prince George, while Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, have been more distant. "It's been demonstrated time and time again that's the kind of parent and family that William wants," Pearson said. "And he's certainly going to be getting a lot more help and inspiration from the Middleton family than he is from his own father, perhaps."