Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Carole Middleton at Cheltenham (Image: Getty)
At the Cheltenham Festival I was enthralled to see Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Carole Middleton giggle and even hug in the Royal Box. I assumed two already had a lot in common as Camilla has known Princess Anne for over 50 years – with Anne dating Andrew Parker Bowles in 1970, three years before Camilla married him.
But the surprise was seeing Princess Catherine’s 71-year-old mother Carole not only engaging with Camilla, 78, and Anne, 75, but the trio getting on like a roaring house on fire. Carole had also clearly been in contact prior to the day with Zara Tindall, 44, as the two arrived in near-matching charcoal-grey herringbone wool coats.
Years ago it was suggested that some aristocrats in Prince William‘s social circle post-university would tease him about dating the daughter of an air hostess by making snobby “doors to manual” jokes when Carole entered a room.
Before marrying Michael Middleton in 1980, Carole worked for British Airways as a member of the cabin crew from the age of 21; her parents worked in a factory and a jewellery shop.
Now it’s understood that far from being a palace outsider, last week’s warm Cheltenham scenes rubber-stamp the fact that senior royals actually believe Carole a loyal and valuable asset.
With her love of horses, equestrian events and the outdoors she would seem a natural fit with royals like Zara, Camilla and Anne – yet her greatest attribute appears to be stalwart family loyalty.
Read more: Carole Middleton and Princess Anne surprise royal fans in rare candid moment
Read more: Carole Middleton borrows Princess Kate’s hat for Cheltenham outing
If Carole does start to be involved – with some claiming Catherine is pushing for Prince William to even grant her parents titles when he is King – she could be a valuable and savvy asset to The Firm.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and a royal biographer, said those Cheltenham images hint at a high-level endorsement.
She said: “I believe she must have been invited by the Queen to have been in the Royal Box, since Her Majesty was hosting the box. If Carole was there for the whole day, she likely would have been a lunch guest too.”
Just like matching her coat to Zara’s, Carole’s hat was carefully considered to show her daughter Catherine’s protective stance, as she was saying: “This is my mother and she’s an important figure in my family.”
Carole’s £115 blue Hicks & Brown felt fedora was borrowed from her daughter, who previously wore it to a church service with senior members of the Royal Family at Sandringham in 2020.
Carole and Zara Tindall at Cheltenham in similar coats (Image: Getty)
I have written about how William and Kate see Zara and Mike Tindall – also not working royals but loyal and respected – as having possible roles in the future King’s new-look Royal Family.
William is said to highly value Carole’s input too, as he relied heavily on her when he was a young man wrestling with the enormous pressure of being a king-in-waiting.
So it would be no surprise to see Carole at more events where William and Kate are too busy to attend, representing her daughter and trusted to keep Camilla or Anne company – now that the House of York has effectively imploded.
Once the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson had a position as a minor non-working royal but the Jeffrey Epstein Files have revealed that role as a front for her money-grabbing greed.
Now there is a spot for Carole to fill – which history may look back on as providing vital support to the future Queen Catherine and King William.
Once humiliated by cruel “doors to manual” jibes, it’s Carole who’s flying high now.