Kate Middleton turns 41: How the Princess of Wales’ family has inspired Prince William to raise his children

If Kate Middleton is looking to throw together a lavish celebration for her 41st birthday, she may look no further than her family.

Despite playing a crucial role in the royal family, Kate Middleton has maintained a strong connection to her own family, namely her parents Carole and Michael and her two younger siblings Pippa and James.

The Princess of Wales often draws in her birthday surrounded by family and friends, as seen by her small celebration last year for her milestone birthday at Amner Hall, and some will know she is in safe hands as her mother has created a successful party business.

The family of five were raised in Berkshire after Kate’s parents met while working for British Airways at Heathrow Airport, and in 1987, Carole Middleton established a party business called Party Pieces which led them to a more affluent lifestyle, in conjunction with Michael’s aristocratic inheritance.

A royal expert even claimed that Kate and Prince William have taken inspiration from Carole and Michael’s family when raising their children, utilising the ‘Middleton method’, to balance their life in the public eye.

The expert said: “William has based his children’s upbringing on the Middleton model - three children, affluent, but hardworking parents and lots of love in the house.

“By the time Kate was in her early twenties, she counted her mother and father on the list of her best friends. That’s what Kate and William are aspiring to do with their children, but they also have to drip-feed George, and to some extent Charlotte and Louis, into the public domain.”

It is also thought that Prince William thinks of the Middleton family as his own, with the Berkshire-based parents welcoming the heir apparent with open arms.

Since Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot 12 years ago, King Charles’ eldest son has joined Carole and Michael Middleton on skiing trips and group holidays in Mustique as well as keeping his promise to Kate and celebrating some Christmas’ with her family.

Hello! Also reported that Prince William asked his late-grandmother if Kate’s family could join in proceedings such as the Thames boat pageant and Ascot’s carriage procession when celebrating the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Prince William and Carole Middleton

A piece published in Tatler revealed: “In William’s eyes Carole can do no wrong. [According to a friend of the Middletons] ‘He absolutely adores them…William loves going to the country to stay with them. Their family life is so soothing for him as it’s so different from his own family.’

“Another country grandee says, ‘I’ve heard that Prince William is obsessed with Carole. She’s the mummy he has always wanted.”

While Kensington Palace issued a statement saying there were some false representations in the Tatler article, the magazine refuted to say the publication was in contact with them before running the story.

Prince William and Pippa Middleton

Pippa and Prince William developed a close relationship through the early years of his and Kate’s relationship.

Pippa was often seen attending Prince William’s polo matches with her elder sister and even took part in one competition at Eton College.

In an interview on the Today show, Pippa revealed that the pair often seek guidance from one another with William also advising Carole and Michael’s middle child on royal protocol when she was thrown into the public domain.

Prince William and James Middleton

Kate’s youngest sibling James is not amiss from having a good relationship with his brother-in-law.

James has opened up to suggest that Prince William’s charity Heads Together, formed with Prince Harry and Kate, served as inspiration for him to talk about his mental health battle after battling depression for several years.

James’ dog Ella played a crucial role in helping him to overcome depression, with James since creating a dog food company and started breeding dogs. As a result of this, James gifted William a puppy in 2020 before the Prince’s dog Lupo passed away.