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In 2011, Kate Middleton married Prince William, who is first in line for the succession. Their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are second, third, and fourth in line to the succession, respectively.
According to Marlene Koenig in Town and Country Magazine, once William ascends to the throne, Kate will hold the title of Queen. As per Koenig, if Kate outlives her husband, she will become the Queen Mother when Prince George becomes the King.
As a royal family member, Kate Middleton holds a very significant place. However, she doesn't have a royal background. And, that's why people have always wondered about the life of Kate and that of her family before her wedding to Prince William.
Kate Middleton was born to Carole and Michael Middleton on January 9, 1982 in Berkshire, England. Kate went to one of the best educational institutions in the UK because of Party Pieces, a business started by her parents. However, the business was sold last year after it went bankrupt.
Kate Middleton's parents Carole and Michael started Party Pieces in 1987
Kate Middleton's parents Carole and Michael married in the year 1980. As per Town and Country magazine, Carole is a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth II. She had a humble background and her ancestors were labourers and miners.
At the same time, Michael belonged to a rich Yorkshire family. They met when both of them working at British Airways. Carole and Michael were working as a flight attendant and as a flight dispatcher, respectively.
Kate is their eldest child who was born in 1982, then Pippa in 1984, and James in 1987. Briefly for two years, from 1984 to 1986, Middleton's family shifted to Jordan for Michael's job. In an interview with the Telegraph in 2018, Carole said that Michael worked as an aviation manager there.
The Middletons returned to their home in Buckleberry, Berkshire in 1986.
In 1987, Carole got the idea of starting Party Pieces, when she struggled to find clown plates for Kate's fifth birthday, as per Standard. Initially, Kate built party bags and trinkets for children whereas Michael built the packing benches.
Town and Country Magazine reported that the company's website had earlier mentioned:
"In January 1987, when I was 6 months pregnant, I decided to take myself off to the Spring Fair in Birmingham where I found a good selection of suppliers. From there the idea evolved. I produced a little flyer which I circulated in local playgroups and very soon I was using our garden shed as a picking/packing room and office."
As per Telegraph, Kate Middleton's father Michael left his job after some time when the business picked up. The business saw a huge upscale when online shopping began in the 1990s.
Kate also worked at Party Pieces for a brief period after her University of St. Andrews.
At the time of Kate Middleton's wedding to Prince William in 2011, the business was valued to be worth $30 million. By 2018, Hello! reported that the worth was $40 million.
In 2018, Party Pieces, as per Telegraph, catered for "hen nights, baby showers, civil partnerships" and they could customise anything.
Party Pieces went bankrupt and was sold in 2023
In 2022, Kate Middleton's mother Carole visited Shoprite stores in New Jersey and announced that Party Pieces would be expanding to the United States. The Facebook page announced:
"This marks the brand's first retail partnership outside of the United Kingdom and is the beginning of larger expansion plans in the United States."
However, just the following year, it was reported by Sky News in May that Party Pieces was sold to James Sinclair, an entrepreneur. Sky News reported:
"Sources said the sale had been implemented through a pre-pack administration, meaning it had appointed insolvency practitioners before being sold without some of its liabilities."
Standard reported that the business was sold for £180,000. In the year before its close, two of its three directors resigned, the Telegraph reported.
The Middletons then decided to hire Interpath in March 2023. Will Wright from Interpath told BBC that the company was affected "profoundly by the restrictions on social gatherings" due to Covid-19.
According to Marca, the company had accumulated debt of around £2.6 million including "£218,749 owed to RBS bank for a Coronavirus Business Interruption loan, £1.4 million in unsecured loans, and £456,008 to other creditors."
Mohamad Pardis, owner of the helium supplier Sultani Gas, who was a partner, said that he was owed £20,430 equivalent to a year’s profits. Standard reported that Pardis said:
"I thought I was in safe hands and that I could trust the royal family. I’m completely shocked."
The selling of Party Pieces had a deep impact on Middletons, and Standard reported that Carole was "desperately sad" about how things transpired.
Express reported that the Middletons planned to start another company "First Birthdays". However, they didn't go ahead with that plan as it didn't reflect well on Kate Middleton and the royal family.
