Carole Middleton’s selfless sacrifice now her daughter Kate is Princess of Wales
Carole Middleton's had to make a selfless personal sacrifice on a very special day as the Princess of Wales undertook multiple engagements


Carole Middleton likely made a selfless sacrifice now her daughter Kate is Princess of Wales as the businesswoman marked an important milestone.
- Carole Middleton turned 68 on January 31 though she didn’t get to spend a huge amount of the day with her eldest child.
- Kate Middleton was out undertaking engagements and promoting one of her biggest projects as Princess of Wales hundreds of miles away.
- This royal news comes as Queen Camilla took a leaf out of Kate Middleton's book as she rocked a ravishing red dress and Chanel handbag.
Ever since Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding back in 2011, the Middleton family have also been brought into royal life. From attending the Royal Carols: together at Christmas service to paying tribute at the late Queen’s funeral, Michael and Carole Middleton in particular have been glimpsed at important royal occasions. Kate and her parents are understood to be incredibly close.
Though when your daughter is the future Queen Consort things are bound to change slightly and Carole Middleton’s selfless sacrifice she’s had to make showcases this. January 31 was Carole Middleton’s birthday, however unlike last year where it’s believed Kate didn’t have engagements that day, she had a busy schedule in 2023.
Kate Middleton’s bottle green coat and matching handbag wowed as the senior royal arrived in Leeds on her mother’s birthday. The Princess of Wales was there to speak with students on the Childhood Studies course at the University of Leeds. But the engagements didn’t stop there as she also visited Kirkgate Market in the city and spoke to both vendors and members of the public about their experiences of early childhood and about her Shaping Us campaign.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of how vital the first five years of our lives are for shaping us as adults. The Princess of Wales’ Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood launched the campaign the day after Kate Middleton’s daring red suit and passionate speech stole the show at a reception in honor of it.
On the launch day - also Carole’s big day - a video was shared by the Foundation as Prince William and Kate Middleton made a major social media change. In the video, the Princess expressed her belief that in focusing “our collective time, energy and resources” on early years,, a “huge difference” can be made to the “physical and mental health and happiness of generations to come”.
This is one of the Princess of Wales’ biggest projects to date and given the launch and her visit to Leeds, it’s unlikely that she got to spend much time with Carole on her birthday. Of course, since the Wales family moved to Adelaide Cottage they’re closer to the Middleton family’s home, so Kate could’ve popped in before or after her trip but clearly didn’t spend the whole day or a huge amount of it with her mom.
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Carole Middleton’s selfless sacrifice she’s had to make of not getting to enjoy so much birthday time with her daughter could be seen as incredibly heartfelt. The businesswoman likely understands that as Princess of Wales, Kate has important commitments to fit around her family. Carole, who recently revealed she's throwing a "bold" birthday party, might potentially have planned her celebrations for another day so her daughter could come, even if she couldn't be there all day on January 31.
Though she might not get to spend as much time with Kate as she did in previous years, Carole Middleton and the Princess of Wales likely ensure they still get to spend special quality time together.
Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. She specialises in the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the latest royal outing or unmissable show to add to your to-watch list, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!
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