Meet the Middletons! A Complete Guide to Kate Middleton’s Family Tree

The Princess of Wales shares a close bond with her parents, Michael and Carole, and younger siblings, Pippa and James

When Kate Middleton became a member of the royal family, her own family — namely, her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her siblings, Pippa Middleton and James Middleton — also became well known as a result.

But the Middletons’ roots were much more modest than the monarchy. Michael and Carole met while working at British Airways and married in 1980. The couple raised their three children — Kate and her younger siblings, Pippa and James — in the village of Bucklebury, England. Though their upbringing may have been a far cry from royal life, the Princess of Wales previously revealed that she has nothing but fond memories of growing up in the countryside.

“I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun — I’m very lucky, I’ve come from a very strong family,” Kate said in a February 2020 interview with the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. “My parents were hugely dedicated to us, my siblings. I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us.”

The Middleton clan grew up close, with Michael and Carole supporting their children at their school sporting events and the family spending school holidays together. That family bond has remained strong as the royal and her siblings have grown into adults and started their own families (Pippa has three children with her husband, James Matthews, and James shares a son with his wife, Alizeé Thevenet) — and as they’ve faced adversity, including Kate’s cancer diagnosis in March 2024.

“I’m extremely proud. I’m always taken aback by how much she does do,” James said about his eldest sibling and her impact on Good Morning Britain in July 2023. “But to be honest, she’s my sister, so I know all of her quirks and everything and to see her blossoming in that role, I’m very proud of her.”

From their earliest connections to the royal family to their next generation of little ones, here is everything to know about Kate Middleton’s family.

Kate Middleton’s Parents
Carole Elizabeth Middleto

Though she is the mother of the future queen consort, Carole Middleton comes from humble beginnings. Born Jan. 31, 1955, in Perivale, England, Carole Elizabeth Goldsmith was the daughter of Ronald, a builder, and Dorothy, who worked as a shop clerk. Both of her parents had a strong work ethic, which inspired Carole throughout her childhood.

“I grew up watching my parents, who both worked extremely hard,” Carole told Good Housekeeping in 2021. “I remember them working hard to make ends meet and give us a lifestyle.”
Michael Francis Middleton

Michael Francis Middleton was born on June 23, 1949, in Leeds. Before his daughter became a member of the royal family, Michael had his own connections to aristocracy through his family: his grandmother, Olive Middleton, had a family textiles fortune and would host members of the British royal family at her manor in Leeds, while Michael’s father, Peter Middleton, was Prince Philip’s first officer during a two-month flying tour of South America in the 1960s, per The Telegraph.