Carole Middleton left out in the cold in awkward wedding blunder says author

Carole Middleton's royal wedding drama meant that despite allegedly coughing up an astronomical amount for her daughter Princess Kate's wedding party - that she wasn't allowed invite who she'd like.

• Carole Middleton's royal wedding guest list was totally ignored, says author, despite the fact that she and Michael paid for half of the party.
• The author claims that the incident in question was dealt with great grace and she did it her way in the end.
• In other royal news, Queen Camilla recreates iconic photo of Prince Philip as she undertakes royal first.

Carole Middleton’s selfless sacrifice on her birthday pales in comparison to the bitter pill that was her daughter's wedding day celebration, claims Gyles Brandreth. In his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait the author remarked on the royal wedding, which was broadcast across the globe.

“Generations of royal in-laws have complained about being airbrushed out of the picture once the union is announced," he says, "but William, who now called Michael Middleton ‘Dad’, made it clear that his in-laws were not going to suffer the same fate.” Explaining their closeness further he continues, “Palace aides told the Telegraph that the Middletons and the Royal Family will play an ‘equal part’ in the couple’s lives."

This went so far, per Vanity Fair (opens in new tab), as a 'six-figure contribution' being made by the Middletons - bucking the tradition of the Royal Family footing the whole bill. “It is something they absolutely wanted to do, and William graciously accepted,” a senior aide told Vanity Fair, back in 2011.

All this may have seemed well and good but according to Gyles, "the Middletons found that none of their guests made the cut for the post-wedding reception at Buckingham Palace.” This, says the author, was a source of 'embarrassment' for the Middleton matriarch. 

Even in the awkward situation, he emphasized that Carole took the high road and 'deftly overcame' her gang not making the list by, "hosting a flurry of B-list sidebar events."

Carole Middleton's royal wedding upset was, it appears, quickly forgotten and the successful businesswoman has continued to play a huge role in her daughter's life. Even though certain personal sacrifices come with being the mother of a Princess, she remains super involved in the Wales' day-to-day lives. Recently, it was Carole Middleton’s birthday and it's believed that she may have faced one of those more challenging moments, as Princess Kate had engagements on that very date. In other words, she may not have been able to celebrate her mother's big day.

In spite of that, the hard-working businesswoman made it clear in an Instagram post that she's sunny side up about her birthday. A stunning shot of the 68-year-old, shared on her business Party Pieces account, is captioned with a quote from the birthday girl that just oozes positivity. It reads, "I often go away on holiday for my birthday, but this year I am bringing the sunshine to me by throwing a party featuring lots of bright and bold colours."