The Duchess of Cambridge is reportedly relying on support from close family members during her cancer treatment, but her mother is a famous family party who has elevated the Middleton family into the upper middle class and elevated the status of so-called “commoners.” It has been dealing with the collapse of its supplies sales business. Kate will find herself in the same social circle as her future royal husband.
Carole Middleton's Party Piece went into administration last year, owing creditors about $3.2 million, according to the London Times. The Times also reported that Party Pieces' current balance cannot cover the $329,000 she owes to the London company, which is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.
So Carole Middleton and her husband Michael are dealing with a series of devastating business blows. But these concerns haven't stopped the Middleton family from doing everything they can to help their daughter and her husband, Prince William, cope with the health crisis, according to reports. Since Duchess Kate underwent surgery in January for what was initially thought to be a non-cancerous disease, the Middleton family has been on constant alert to support her daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren. The Times reported that they were waiting.
On March 22nd, Duchess Kate announced to the world that after surgery doctors discovered she had cancer. She did not elaborate on the type of cancer she had, but she said she was in the early stages of chemotherapy, and she told the public, “I am healthy and getting stronger every day.” I said no.
The Middletons live about 40 minutes from the Prince and Princess of Wales' home near Windsor Castle. According to the Times, Carole Middleton, who is always on the go, helps look after 10-year-old George, 8-year-old Charlotte and 5-year-old Louis. It is unclear how long Duchess Kate's treatment will last or when she will be well enough to return to her royal duties.
However, despite Kate Middleton's ordeal with cancer, Carole Middleton is determined not to let her daughter worry about family business issues, Us Weekly reports.
Carole Middleton, Queen Elizabeth II, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall give a speech at the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Duchess Kate at Westminster Abbey in London, England, on April 29, 2011. (Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images) “Carole is desperately trying to make sure Katherine can fully focus on her recovery,” a source told Us Weekly. She said: “It's a very worrying time for the family, but I'm not asking for help for her children and I don't want them to worry.”
Duchess Kate and her parents are known to be very close and in regular contact, but business matters are “off-limits,” Us Weekly reported.
“These are stressful times and[Carole]will be doing everything in her power to protect her daughter from this situation,” royal commentator Afua Hagan said. “The party piece has fallen apart and it's a devastating situation for her family, but Carol's biggest concern now is Kate's welfare.”
Duchess Kate's siblings, James and Pippa Middleton, are also providing emotional support, The Times reported.
Carole Middleton, a former British Airways flight attendant, started Party Pieces in 1987 as a company manufacturing children's birthday party bags. She started her business “at the kitchen table.” When Party Pieces grew to include selling party supplies and decorations, her husband, a former British Airways airline dispatcher, joined the company. The company reportedly made the couple millionaires and allowed them to buy a $6.5 million luxury home in rural Berkshire, England.
However, Michael Middleton also comes from a wealthy Yorkshire family, and the Middleton family trust allowed him and his wife to send Duchess Kate to the elite preparatory school Marlborough College, which led to her attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. It is believed that he decided to attend. She met William, the Telegraph reported.
According to the Times, Carole Middleton stepped away from the day-to-day running of Party Piece in 2019 to become the business' brand ambassador as a new management team was formed. However, the company struggled as children's parties were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in a significant loss of $316,000. Carole Middleton returned in spring 2023 to help run the company, which was seeking a rescue deal. The company was sold last year for about $225,000 to a company that operates a portfolio of children's businesses, the Times also reported.
One person who feels less sympathy for the Middleton family's plight, at least when it comes to their business, is Mohammad Pardis, a small business owner who is one of Party Piece's product suppliers, said in London. The Times also reported. Pardis, an Afghan refugee and owner of a helium supply company, said he probably won't be able to repay the $25,000 he owes because the Middleton family can't repay creditors. That amount is equivalent to one year's profit.
“I thought I was safe and could trust the royal family. I'm completely shocked,” Pardis told The Times last June. “[Carole Middleton]should pay us money out of her own pocket. She lives in a £5 million house, so it's almost nothing for them, but for me it's a year's profit. .”
