Reports have recently surfaced that, through the myriad of drama with his brother, William has turned to a not totally surprising source of strength that the media has taken to calling “the power behind the throne”: Carole Middleton, Kate’s mom.
William, though raised Royal, was raised in the emotional upheaval of his parents’ doomed marriage. By the time he was a toddler, father Charles had resumed his extramarital affair with the then Camilla Parker-Bowles after only a short break; mother Diana answered back with numerous affairs of her own. The contentious relationship between Charles and Diana grew so icy that it was dubbed “the War of the Waleses.” William, as a young boy, was relied far too heavily upon by Diana, hearing things more meant for a best girlfriend than a son. Very often he’d pass tissues under the bathroom door to his mother as she wept. He also felt responsible for keeping younger brother Harry in line, which should not have been his responsibility. At age 10, his parents separated; they divorced when he was 14, and at 15, his mother was killed. All of this while living under the intense, blinding spotlight and also being prepared to one day be king. To say William’s childhood was chaotic would be an understatement.
Contrast that with Kate’s childhood, and it seems even more crazy. Kate has said quite a bit in interviews recently how much she appreciates her incredibly normal, drama-free, loving, caring, nearly perfect childhood. Much of that was thanks to Carole Middleton, Kate’s mom. When William and Kate began dating in the early 2000s, William immediately gravitated towards the Middletons – all of them, but especially Michael (Kate’s dad) and Carole, who had a stable marriage and raised their children in a stable home. It seemed the antithesis of William’s raising, and it was one of the many things that attracted him to Kate. More often than not, before their relationship was fully public, William and Kate would sneak away to the Middleton home because William always felt at peace there.
Now, as his life is in upheaval again, it’s Carole who William is turning to. She has an absolutely enormous influence on the future king, and he looks up to her, admires her, and respects her deeply. Never one to curry press attention, Carole is truly a motherly, doting, affectionate woman who truly has the best interest of William the man – not William the future king – at heart. She deeply, deeply loves him, as well as, of course, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Louis. Carole is the steady rock for William in a life full of unsteadiness, and her influence cannot be undersold.
Speaking of the Middletons, Kate’s younger (and only) brother James has announced a documentary film about dogs and mental health – James Middleton’s Super Dogs – will be forthcoming. James has spoken openly about his own struggles with depression and how the love and comfort of his dogs helped him work through the darkest of days. Stay tuned for when the doc will be released.
Finally, Charles and Camilla have scheduled their next Royal tour, and it will take place next month, from March 17 to March 25. Charles will kick off the tour by taking a solo trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina before Camilla joins him in Cyprus, before closing out their tour in Jordan (where, if you’ll remember, the Middletons lived for two years, from 1984 to 1986, while Michael Middleton worked for British Airways). Click here for more details about the tour.
Of course, even before that, William and Kate will come back from vacation next week and head off to Ireland! Can’t wait – but mostly for the fashion. After a very heavy 2020 so far on TDC, we need some levity! I know Kate won’t let us down.