)
Juggling work and motherhood is always tricky. And nobody is more aware of this than Carole Middleton, the Princess of Wales’s mum, who balanced raising her three kids with a growing partyware business.
The idea for Party Pieces was born while she was planning her first child Kate’s fifth birthday party, when the young mother struggled to find affordable, imaginative decorations for the event. Realising there was a gap in the market, the former air hostess, alongside her husband Michael, founded their business, working nonstop to get the company off the ground (1). Speaking to Sheer Luxe in February 2022, Carole admitted how, in the early days, the entrepreneurial couple did everything themselves: taking orders, filling boxes, and even, on some occasions, delivering the products themselves.
All their hard work paid off (2). In 2013 the business was reportedly worth £30 million.
But Carole and Michael's success did not come easy. The two worked as a team to juggle all of their responsibilities, ensuring that they scheduled quality time with their children, Kate, Pippa and James. Last year Carole reflected on these hectic years, telling Sheer Luxe: “Like most working parents, I had to be really organised, get up early and fit my work into school hours, while after-school clubs sometimes gave me the gift of an extra hour or two.” The support of her husband was also crucial. She added: “School holidays were tricky (3), but Mike and I were a good team and we managed to juggle home and work life... Mike was also very hands-on (4), which meant I was able to focus on work when I needed to, and I knew the children were having a great time.”
It definitely seems like Carole’s eldest, Kate, has drawn on her childhood when it comes to parenting her own children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
MORE:
-Royal pregnancy advice
-Pop divas' dramatic pregnancy reveals
Like her mum, Kate counts her husband as an equal partner when it comes to looking after the kids, with royal expert Ingrid Seward describing Prince William as very much the "modern dad".
Despite their packed schedules as senior royals, the pair are fun, hands-on parents who like nothing more than cooking, playing sports or doing handicrafts with their brood.
Living in the beautiful Berkshire countryside, Kate, Pippa and James enjoyed exploring the great outdoors when they were young, and that's something the royal kids are doing too.
Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on the podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby, Kate said: “As children, we spent a lot of time outside and it’s something I’m really passionate about,” adding “I remember doing the simple things, going for walks together, and that’s what I try to do with my children as well, because it totally strips away all the complications, all the pressures as a parent.”
1. To get something off the ground = To cause something to work successfully
2. Hard work paid off = All their hard work was worth it
3. Tricky = Difficult
4. Hands-on = Directly involved
Elige tu plan favorito para aprender inglés.
Sin reservas, Simplemente llama y habla
Duración de las clases: 25 min
Acceso incluido a la plataforma online ASTEX Languages
Webinars sin costo adicional
1 clase semanal
APÚNTATE POR 5,5€/ CLASE 22€ AL MES5 clases semanales
APÚNTATE POR 3,5€/ CLASE 70€ AL MES2 clases semanales
APÚNTATE POR 4,9€/ CLASE 39€ AL MESConoce más aquí
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)