Michael Middleton

Michael Francis Middleton is the father of the present Princess of Wales, Catherine Elizabeth. He is a British businessman born on June 23, 1949, in Leeds, England. 

Middleton is the son of Captain Peter Francis Middleton, who served as a Captain in the Royal Air Force whereas his mother was Valerie Glassborow, a VAD nurse and code-breaker during the Second World War. Apart from Michael, his parents have three sons; Simon, Nicholas, and Richard.

Early Life & Education

Middleton joined Clifton College in Bristol for his high school studies. It might as well be a family tradition as it is the college his father and grandfather used to attend. According to reports, for his undergraduate studies, Middleton enrolled at the University of Surrey and obtained a B.Sc (Hons) degree in 1973.

In Middleton's younger days, he wanted to become a pilot like his father, Captain Peter. So, he studied and worked hard for six months at the British European Airways and flight school to be a pilot when suddenly he decided to be part of the ground crew instead. Michael then started working as a flight dispatcher for British Airways. He never mentioned his reasons after that. 

Down The History Lane of Middleton

The grand-grandfather of Middleton, William Middleton, was a farmer and a solicitor (a term used for lawyers in the United Kingdom). He founded a law firm which he named Messrs Middleton and Sons. The law firm started very well and soon became well known in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

William welcomed his son Richard Noel Middleton who not only managed the law firm but also was the one who founded the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. And Richard is the father of Captain Peter Middleton, the father of Michael Middleton. 

Captain Peter used to serve as the Captain of the Royal Air Force. He was also Prince Philip's co-pilot in touring South America. The Middletons have intertwined their path with the Royals since the time of Captain Peter.

Relationship Status of Middleton

Michael Middleton is married to Carole Goldsmith, who used to work as a ground staff when he became a flight dispatcher. They married on June 21, 1980, at the Church of St. James in Buckinghamshire. 

The marriage wouldn't have been possible if Middleton, who wanted to be a pilot, had become one. And the same goes for Carole; she wanted to be a teacher, but unfortunately, she couldn't attend college due to her low-income family conditions. 

To provide for herself, she started working as a secretary and not burden her family. Later, she became a ground staff member and then became a flight stewardess.

Has Two Children

Middleton and his wife are parents to two daughters and a son. They welcomed Kate Middleton (Catherine Elizabeth), now the Duchess of Cambridge, as their first child in 1982. A year later, the couple had their second daughter Philippa Charlotte.

In 1984, the family moved to Amman, Jordan, as Michael had to work as a manager for British Airways. In 1987, their family returned to England. The same year, the family was blessed with a baby boy, James William, who completed their family.

Business & Fortune of Middleton

In 1987, Carole started her party supplies company with the name Party Pieces. At the time, she was pregnant with James. Soon, the company became more extensive and branched out into party supplies and decoration by mail order. By 1995, Michael also started to help Carole out with the company and had moved to farm buildings at Ashampstead Common.

Reportedly, they also made an investment in racehorse shares. They were able to pocket quite a reasonable sum of money through prizes. Michael also inherited his father's property of around $130,000 after his death. 

The business of the Middletons' soared and became very successful, but Michael also inherited the trust funds from his aristocrat grandmother Olive Christiana Middleton. 

Real Estates

Even after being quite successful, Middleton wanted to try out other things. Soon after, he started investing in real estate. The Middletons started off by purchasing Oak Acre, a Tudor-style manor house in Bucklebury, Berkshire. Shortly later, in 2002, he bought a flat in Chelsea for his children to live in. 

Later in 2012, the Middletons moved to an 18-Acre mansion, Bucklebury manor, a Georgian mansion. The future king Prince George, their grandson, spent his first few weeks in Bucklebury Manor. 

According to Wikiwand, the British press called them Upper Middleton Class to elaborate on Middleton's social standing. Others referred to them as the family "minted with a smattering of blue-blooded antecedents." 

How Did Michael React To Kate Becoming The Princess?

Middletons have come so far with their success that we sometimes forget they were commoners. Before being millionaires, the family was not that renowned. So assumingly, we can say that becoming the father-in-law of the Prince overnight was not easy for Michael Middleton.

Undoubtedly, the Middletons were more than happy for Kate to become the Princess but to come from a humble background, Middletons were a reserved family. The engagement of Prince and Kate was broadly publicized. And it was the same for their marriage as it is an occasion as the future king's marriage.

The media coverage on this auspicious day was so massive that it made Michael uncomfortable. He said, "Thank goodness that's over, and I'll never have to do it again." However, he made it through, and we got our Duchess of Cambridge.

What's He Doing?

After 39 years of marriage, Michael Middleton and Carole Goldsmith are still together. He recently turned 70 and celebrated the event with his family; his wife, Carole, his daughters, Kate and Philippa, and his son, James. 

Now, Michael and Carole are adjacent to the Royal family by marriage. However, the late Queen had not granted them any royal titles. Despite being related to the Royal family, the couple lives under the radar and tends to lead quiet lives. Being the parents of the Princess of Wales and in-laws of the Royal family, they are invited to various royal events. The Royal family also invited the couple to Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's marriage, and they attended happily.

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