When Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011, much of the focus was on Kate joining the Royal Family - but Prince William also became part of the Middleton clan.
And as it turns out, while Kate got plenty of titles in the marriage, William got something of a "second mom" in Carole, who has always been a rock to Kate, and has become a similar beacon of support for her son-in-law.
Making her first appearance at Royal Ascot in 2022 on June 19, Carole Middleton was seen chatting happily with members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales. During this sunshine-filled day at the races, Prince William was pictured coming to Carole’s rescue after her heel became caught in the grass and they seemed to find the whole wardrobe mishap pretty hilarious.
Carole and Prince William are thought to share a great, close bond, and it’s now been suggested by psychiatrist Max Pemberton that in some ways, she’s like a "second mom" to him.
According to British tabloid The Mirror, Max suggested that Carole might be a "maternal figure" in the future King’s life and the Middletons offer a different kind of family dynamic to the one he himself grew up with.
"We all know how tricky life with in-laws can be. And yet sometimes, they provide an alternative type of family to ours, which is welcome," Max claimed. "It's said William considers Carole a second mum. Of course, he lost his own at a tender age, so Carole may represent that maternal figure he's lacked."
The royal columnist went on to suggest that the Middleton family also "give him a glimpse of the kind normal life he's never had."
Carole's "indispensable" role with William, Kate and their three children is not only helping them have a sense of "ordinary life", it's something that Max revealed can help someone to "flourish."
"The embrace of a new family, with its different perspectives and traditions, can be very healthy and help us to flourish," he added.
Perhaps the biggest indicator that this has been the case is that Prince William and Kate moved their family from London to Adelaide Cottage in 2022, to allow them to have something closer to the childhood Kate had growing up in nearby Berkshire.
Moreover, previously speaking to OK!, royal expert Duncan Larcombe suggested that the Prince of Wales is recreating the ‘Middleton model’ as he and Kate raise Prince George, Charlotte and Louis.
"Although there are some similarities, George is being raised in a very different way to Prince William," Duncan alleged. "William has based his children's upbringing on the Middleton model – three children, affluent, but hardworking parents and lots of love in the house."
"By the time Kate was in her early twenties, she counted her mother and father on the list of her best friends. That’s what William and Kate are aspiring to with their children, but they also have to drip-feed George, and to some extent Charlotte and Louis, into the public domain," he stated.
In their engagement interview back in 2010, Kate shared her hope that they would one day have their own happy family and explained how hers have always been there in challenging times.
"[Family is] very important to me. And I hope we will be able to have a happy family ourselves. They've been great over the years - helping me with difficult times. We see a lot of each other and they are very, very dear to me," she declared.
