Did Carole Middleton really push Kate and William together?

14 December 2023, 14:07 | Updated: 14 December 2023, 14:28

By Alice Dear

As The Crown depicts Carole Middleton as a pushy mum obsessed with daughter Kate Middleton marrying Prince William, we take a look at the facts.

The Crown's latest episodes bring with it the introduction of Kate Middleton as well as her mother Carole Middleton as the drama explores the early years of the Princess of Wales' relationship with Prince William.

The hit Netflix drama is of course just that, a drama, but this doesn't stop many people speculating which details of the series are real and which are fabricated.

Carole Middleton's depiction in The Crown shows her as a pushy mother who is set on her daughter, Kate, ending up with Prince William.

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But how much of it is true and did Carole really push Kate and William together?

Carole Middleton's depiction in The Crown

In the final episodes of The Crown, viewers are introduced to Kate Middleton as well as her mother, Carole Middleton. In the scenes between the two, Carole is depicted as a pushy mum set on her daughter ending up with Prince William.

Carole and Kate can first be seen meeting Prince William with his mother, Princess Diana, back in the Princess of Wales' youth. After this encounter, a young Kate can be seen cutting out pictures of William to put on her wall, to which he mum suggests: "You never know!"

Later, Kate Middleton can be seen attending St Andrews University where she has struck up a relationship with Rupert Finch - a real ex-boyfriend.

When Kate brings Finchie home to meet her family over Christmas, she accuses her mum of orchestrating a romance between her and William. She says: "You've always had your sights set on someone else for me...You've always loved the idea of me and William together."

Kate then goes on to accuse her mother of changing her University opinions at the last minute because of Prince William's decision to go to St Andrews, as well as organising other events where the pair could meet.

"I was all set to go to Edinburgh University straight after school with all my friends, and you suggested I change it to St Andrews after a gap year, with none of my friends. That was no coincidence", says actress Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton.

She goes on: "Was it a coincidence you encouraged me to sign up to the art course in Florence where William was expected to go? And then to the expedition in Chile as well, where he went. Once you had the idea fixed in your head, you never stopped."

While Carole denies this accusations, she does go on to say: "I think you're special, I also happen to think that poor boy needs a nice, normal girl."

Later in the series, Carole can be seen on the phone to Kate telling her to show off her legs in the school fashion show in a bid to get William's attention.

Did Carole Middleton really push Kate Middleton and Prince William together?

Back in the real world, here's what we do know about this depiction of Carole Middleton.

Firstly, it is true that Kate Middleton changed University choices from Edinburgh to St Andrews, a move which could or could not have been strategic, says royal author Katie Nicholl.

"When the news was announced in 2000 that Prince William would be spending his University years at the small Scottish University of St. Andrews, Kate suddenly bailed out of Edinburgh University 50 miles away and reapplied at St. Andrews", she has previously written.

Nicholl continued: "Andrew Neil, a former rector at St. Andrews, told me it is not uncommon for students to apply for both universities and decide at the last minute, often depending on where friends are going.”

In the end, Kate did take a gap year and studied art history in Florence before visiting Chile to embark on a program which William himself did just a few weeks earlier.

Of course, we do not know if this was a mere coincidence or part of a more strategic plan.

Another royal writer, Tina Brown, has noted previously: “Kate had a Zelig-like ability to keep appearing on the edges of William’s life.

"Even the 10-week Outward Bound–like program she joined after Florence, Raleigh International, supporting sustainable international development in Chile, was the very one that William had just completed.”

In short, we do not know whether Carole Middleton or Kate Middleton orchestrated a meeting with Prince William, but what is important to remember is that The Crown is a drama and should be viewed as such.

Read more:

• Carole Middleton reveals her sweet Christmas tradition for George, Charlotte and Louis
• Kate Middleton and Prince William confess they’re 'super-competitive' with each other
• Rarely seen pictures of Kate and William that give us a sneak-peek inside their relationship