In her first ever interview, Carole Middleton asked a question that spoke volumes about her focus and work ethic - and it reminded us of Princess Anne.
When the Princess of Wales married into the Royal Family it wasn’t just her who found herself thrust into the public eye like never before, but her family too. Over the years her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings James and Pippa have been invited to plenty of significant royal occasions, including King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation in 2023. Kate’s proud mum has also given several interviews about her former business, Party Pieces, and shared rare insights into her family.
Her first ever interview was with The Telegraph back in 2018 and despite supposedly being "nervous" for this big moment, Carole went on to ask a hilarious question that we couldn’t admire more - and it was *very* Princess Anne-esque. The team on the photoshoot reportedly told interviewer Lisa Armstrong that Carole "doesn’t do sofas".
Shop Carole Middleton's Style
Carole Middleton loves indigo jeans and these wide-leg ones are comfortable and stylish at the same time. They're affordable and also come in other tones, with vintage-style buttons that have a similar feel to jeans Carole's worn before.
A white blazer is a key piece in Carole's wardrobe and she opts for one a lot during the summer months, paired with everything from jeans to dresses. This classic double-breasted design by Reiss is great for styling in either of these ways.
You can't go far wrong with a classic shirt and Carole loves wearing them with jeans and is a big fan of blue. This shirt is made from a cotton blend with a streamlined shape, buttons down the front and on the cuffs and a neat collar.
"Two things you need to know. Carole’s very, very nervous, and she doesn’t do sofas," they claimed the night before she went to interview her. "When we asked her to perch on one,’ they continued, ‘Carole’s response was, "Who sits around on a sofa?"’
This is such a brilliant response from Carole Middleton and it was noted that for the interview in Berkshire she arrived at the Party Pieces boardroom and "immediately" took Lisa on a tour rather than sitting down. It seems that the Princess of Wales’s mum much prefers being up and about and threw herself into her work at the party supplies business.
This work ethic and focus on being hands-on is the approach taken by her daughter’s aunt-in-law Princess Anne. Famously no-nonsense and committed to her duties, the Princess Royal told Vanity Fair in 2020 that during the day "eating’s not really an issue". An aide went on to suggest that she never stops for refreshments until her work is over for the day.
Princess Anne viewed her late parents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip as "role models" and spoke of how, like them, she views her job as "service" and of the utmost importance.
"It’s not just about, ‘Can I get a tick in the box for doing this?’ No, it’s about serving…. It comes from an example from both my parents’ way of working and where they saw their role being. I mean, my father served. It was a more direct form of service, I suppose you could argue," she said. "And the Queen’s has been a lifelong service in a slightly different way, but they both have that perspective of service which is about working with people."
She and self-confessed "night owl" Carole love being on the go and Princess Anne has been one of the most hard-working royals year after year. The Princess of Wales’s mum is now a busy grandmother-of-seven and her preference for activity extends into her hobbies too.
Kate is known to be very sporty - as are Prince George, Charlotte and Louis - and her parents inspired this love of getting outdoors.
"I suppose as a family we were just very active. And I can always remember being physical, using our bodies, whether it's walking, climbing the lake district in Scotland [or] swimming from a young age," she declared on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast in 2023. "[My parents] always encouraged us to be physically active and sporty and they always encouraged us into doing team sports and trying things."
