There are plenty of parents out there who have no doubt wished for a Mary Poppins of their own to come and get the house in order when things feel overwhelming - and for the Princess of Wales, she had this in the form of her own mother.
A royal source has claimed that Carole Middleton became something of a 'real Mary Poppins-like figure' to her three eldest grandchildren, stepping up and becoming a vital helper to Prince William and Kate Middleton as Kate faced her cancer treatment in 2024.
The source close to the Wales' spoke to The Independent in the United Kingdom about the irreplaceable role Kate's mom played in her grandchildren's lives, claiming "Carole has been the driving force keeping the family together with minimum fuss and maximum modesty".
They explained that Carole, who has always been thought of as Kate's rock and who has helped the Prince and Princess of Wales have an ordinary life, supported her grandchildren and was always on hand to keep their schedules as normal as possible, always on hand to ferry them around their various extracurricular activities.
"She’s ferried and fetched George, Louis and Charlotte, taken them to school sports matches and given them endless support. She’s been a real Mary Poppins-like figure," the source continued.
It's also been claimed that the Princess of Wales's mother embodied the 'three R’s' when it comes to her family. "She’s come to the rescue, provided reassurance, and has been a rock to Catherine and William as they come to terms with the news," the source said.
Carole went into "Mary Poppins" mode for the family after the Princess of Wales confirmed she was undergoing cancer treatment following her abdominal surgery at the start of 2024.
In a poignant video released on social media at the time, Catherine revealed, "In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present."
She added in the video, "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."
Carole going above and beyond for her family is nothing new. Royal Journalist, Katie Nicholl, has previously claimed on the True Royalty documentary Kate Middleton: Heir We Go Again, "One of the things that allows William and Kate to be so ordinary is the presence of the Middletons in their lives."
"Carole is a regular through those golden gates at Kensington Palace. She whizzes through in her Land Rover. There is no security because everybody knows her. She turns up to help with bedtime and bath time," said the royal expert. "She is absolutely indispensable."
Of course, the family have been living at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor since 2022, which means that the young royal family are closer than ever to their grandmother who is located in the same county and just a 45-minute drive from her grandchildren.
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