Carole Middleton’s ‘terrible’ festive season is all too relatable

Carole Middleton’s “terrible” festive season is all too relatable as it’s claimed that her Party Pieces business has been facing a challenging few months.  

• The Princess of Wales’ mother set up her Party Pieces business in 1987 after spotting a gap in the market. 
• It’s been alleged that Carole Middleton’s business had a difficult Christmas period amid a cost of living crisis and could’ve been affected by postal strikes. 
• This royal news comes as Princess Anne looked right on trend with her own Kate Middleton inspired bobble hat.   

As the mother of the future Queen Consort, businesswoman Carole Middleton was also thrust into the royal spotlight since Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding back in 2011. The proud mom-of-three is known for her elegant and fun party supplies business, Party Pieces, and has previously taken to their social media accounts herself to share sweet insights and tips. Though it’s now been suggested that things haven’t been easy business-wise and the reports of Carole Middleton’s “terrible” festive season are all too relatable. 

According to the Daily Mail (opens in new tab), an unnamed source has opened up to the publication, claiming that Party Pieces has been facing a challenging time. They specifically name-dropped Christmas - a time where parties and decorations are widespread - as being a “terrible” time for Party Pieces. 

“Carole’s been explaining that it’s been a terrible Christmas — made worse by the postal strikes,” they alleged, before going on to suggest that the businesswoman has been trying to negotiate slightly different terms with suppliers. 

They continued, “She’s emphasised that she’d like to continue doing business with them [the suppliers] but would like terms allowing Party Pieces 90 days [in which to pay for goods] rather than the usual 30 days.” 

However, the source claimed that this hasn’t been as successful as Carole might’ve hoped and that currently, “They’re saying, “No” to 90 days’ credit”. The Daily Mail added that in October 2022 it was revealed that Party Pieces allegedly suffered a loss of £285,506 in 2021. This was supposedly due to “continued investment” in Party Pieces’ “growth plans”.

The postal strikes and cost of living crisis with rising costs on everything from groceries to energy prices has been felt deeply by millions for many months now. It’s been difficult for everyone, with huge numbers of businesses feeling the impact. Whilst the reports of Carole Middleton’s “terrible” festive season haven’t been addressed officially by the businesswoman, the current financial climate is an understandable challenge.

The Princess of Wales’ mother first started Party Pieces back in 1987 and has previously cited her family as an inspiration behind her business. It seems that Kate Middleton’s birthday changed everything for Carole, who previously explained to the Daily Mail (opens in new tab) how she’d spotted a gap in the market when looking for plates for Kate’s 5th birthday party. 

“All I could find were basic clown plates,” she said. “I realised there was a gap in the market for party ware that wasn't too expensive and which looked good, so decided to design my own. I took some prototypes to various High Street retailers and was turned away.” 

Perseverance led her to continue to spread the word about her business and start it from her kitchen table. Since then she’s achieved huge success with Party Pieces and Carole Middleton’s touching Valentine’s Day tribute recently showcased her close bond with her family. The businesswoman recently celebrated her 68th birthday on January 31st, just a few weeks after Kate Middleton’s own special day. 

Woman&Home.com has reached out to Party Pieces for comment.