#ThrowbackThursday Middleton Family Edition
Before I get to the breakup, I’d like to do a short post on the Middletons. As I said on my previous posts, a lot of Kate’s pre-engagement coverage was tainted by classism. It wasn’t that bad during the college years, as the tabloids spun the relationship as a sign of William’s down-to-earth nature and evidence of the normality of his university experience. Once fall of 2005 came around, however, engagement rumors started surfacing, and the coverage turned more vicious. It still wasn’t as horrible as the coverage during the breakup, but it was significant enough that I’d like to cover it separately. Kate’s class background, after all, was cited as one of the main reasons for the separation.
Again, if you have any corrections, comments, or additional links please let me know.
BTW, in 2005 things were serious enough that Robert Jobson wrote a book about Kate in 2006 titled “William’s Princess.” It was full of speculation about an upcoming engagement.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/William_s_Princess/9ez3AQAACAAJ?hl=en
It’s on Internet Archive, if you are interested. I’m going through it now and there’s a lot of information about the press negotiations going on at the time. There’s also a lot of info about Kate’s relationship with the royals, which was pretty close. That closeness was likely one of the reasons why everyone expected an engagement.
https://archive.org/details/williamsprincess0000jobs
In any case, the expected engagement inspired a lot of discussion about Kate’s class background. This was one of the first articles. The Middletons were already being portrayed as slightly too big for their britches.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/just-the-ticket
Her “coal-miner” background was emphasized.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-424446/Kate-coal-miners-girl.html
https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/kate-the-coal-miners-girl-7212369.html
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1435149/Family-detective.html
And the press seemed fascinated by the mundane details of her “middle-class” life from economy class train tickets to getting locked out of her house to riding the bus to taking out the trash to getting a starbucks.
https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/prince-williams-girlfriend-kate-middleton-spotted-at-heathrow-airport-queuing-up-with-her-tickets-to-check-into-economy-class-london-uk-17112006-17-nov-2006-9345224a
https://waity-katie.skyrock.com/3061835891-Kate-Taking-Out-The-Trash-29-November-2006.html
https://waity-katie.skyrock.com/3061838173-Kate-Locked-Out-Of-Her-Flat-12-November-2006.html
https://waity-katie.skyrock.com/3062144381-Morning-Starbucks-For-Kate-28-March-2007.html
Although her normality was seen as a positive factor, there was a dark side as the Middletons were seen as “not quite” the right sort for a royal connection. The family (particularly Carole) was characterized as strategic and ambitious.
The Spectator article made much of the speculation as to why Kate changed her university choice, hinting that Carole had supported the change as a way to catch William. The charity catwalk pics were often trotted out as “evidence” of the plot to catch William.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/just-the-ticket
And the Mail was on it like white on rice.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-358268/Did-Kates-pushy-mother-send-hunting-prince.html
Kate was often characterized as competing “with blue-blooded beauties” for Prince William. Her rivals’ pedigree was always considered an advantage.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/the-prince-william-stakes-560179
Her London lifestyle (including the flat, her wardrobe, and her Longchamps collection) was characterized as an “investment” by the Middletons. There were rumors or a personal stylist and publicist. She seemed a little too comfortable with the press.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/mar/18/monarchy.features
Jobson’s book included several interviews with photographers who noted that both Kate and Carole seemed too at ease with photographers.
https://archive.org/details/williamsprincess0000jobs/page/12/mode/2up
And the Mail noted that Kate had a “prep routine” for exiting nightclubs that included freshening her makeup and straightening her clothes.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-441343/Prince-William-savvy-young-lady-.html
The Mail also mocked the Party Pieces “princess” merchandise,
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/article-259626/The-middleclass-girl-shares-Williams-life-NOT-bedroom.html
The press had a field day with Carole’s gum-chewing.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1537070/Kate-reigns-at-Williams-parade.html
And made much of Kate’s car upgrade to an Audi.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/article-439015/Kates-car-fit-princess.html
As did the paps.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-kate-middleton-stops-at-starbucks-for-a-take-out-coffee-on-her-way-34193810.html
To some Kate and her family were symbols of upward mobility.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2005/08/prince_william_and_the_two_nat.html
And although Kate wasn’t blue-blooded, her “Sloane Ranger” credentials seemed impeccable,
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/who-they-are-how-they-speak-what-they-wear-where-they-go-and-what-they-do-there-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-sloane-rangers-tp753cwmb89
Interestingly, the Queen was often characterized as middle class too,
https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/2272/So-what-does-the-queen-really-like
But, still, the “Middleton Christmas” was considered superior to Sandringham.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/im-not-coming-for-christmas-until-were-married-kate-tells-royals-7251328.html
Overall, not horrible coverage...yet. But the class issues are definitely there, and the coverage turns a lot uglier when the breakup is announced.
But we’ll cover that next week. Sorry for the delay, but as I went through the breakup coverage, I was fascinated by how much of it was class-based. I went back and read the earlier articles and realized that it was there from the beginning, but it was much more toned down, almost as if the tabloids were waiting to see if Carole’s grand scheme actually did work.
