It's no secret that the Prince of Wales is one of the lucky ones when it comes to his in-laws, famously enjoying a good relationship with both of his wife's parents.
asserted
it → come → parents
But now, royal author Robert Jobson has shed light on just how close Prince William, 44, has become to his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, 71, especially after she was there to support the future King during Kate's cancer diagnosis and treatment.
asserted
she → shed → diagnosis
Speaking to Hello! magazine, the journalist claimed that the Princess of Wales' mother would take her son-in-law out to the pub and 'they would sit and talk', offering William a break from the 'brutal' time, as he would later describe it.
'
asserted
he → speak → it
[Carole] was there to support William and was there all the time for the grandchildren.
asserted
Carole → support → grandchildren
She's been as solid as a rock,' Robert said.
asserted
Robert → say → rock
'When everything was falling apart and he needed someone to talk to, she was the one.
asserted
she → fall → someone
She took him out to the pub and they would sit and talk.
asserted
they → take → pub
While much has been written about their easygoing bond, it wasn't until the pair attended Royal Ascot in 2024 that their genuine affection for each other became plain for all to see.
asserted
all → write → other
When Carole's heel got stuck in the grass during the occasion, it was William who offered a helping hand to his 'second mum' as she steadied herself, before the pair chatted jovially among other guests.
asserted
pair → stick → guests
The natural moment, caught in a charming set of photographs, was a touching reminder of the close bond that the Prince has forged with the Middletons - and in particular, matriarch Carole.
asserted
Prince → catch → Middletons
Carole Middleton holds hands with Prince William, Prince of Wales, as they attend day two of Royal Ascot 2024
asserted
they → hold → Ascot
William is said to have 'adopted' the Middleton family soon after he started dating Kate in the early 2000s - and Carole is now an indispensable part of the Wales' close-knit family unit.
asserted
Carole → say → unit
She enjoys making the Prince of Wales his favourite snack of cheese on toast and stocks up on the sea salt chocolates that he likes.
asserted
he → enjoy → that
Writing in her 2022 book The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor - the Truth and the Turmoil, royal commentator Tina Brown described how William 'adopted' the Middleton family after just a year of dating Kate.
asserted
William → write → Kate
One acquaintance told Brown: 'Not only did he fall for her but them.
asserted
he → tell → her
The dad played the dad, the mum the county's tiger mum, but he also saw the daughters and James getting along - and wanting to get along - with their parents.
asserted
daughters → play → parents
'
William, who had a choice of palaces to spend weekends, enjoyed nothing more than 'tennis, TV and Carole's creature comforts at the Middleton manse', Brown said.
asserted
Brown → have → manse
The Prince's love for the whole Middleton family was evidenced by his decision in 2011 to spend Christmas at their mansion in Bucklebury, West Berkshire, rather than with the Royal Family.
asserted
love → evidence → Family
Carole Middleton, Princes William, Louis, George, and the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte, Michael Middleton and James Middleton after Kate completed the Three Peaks Challenge
William was such a regular guest at the Middletons' home that he transferred his quadbike there from Highgrove.
asserted
he → complete → Highgrove
He also joined the family on their holidays, including to the island of Mustique, which was once a favourite of Princess Margaret.
And his closeness to Carole was evidenced by the fact that she joined Kate when she made her first official public appearance at William's passing-out parade at Sandhurst in December 2006.
asserted
she → join → December
After Kate's cancer diagnosis, it was the continued support of Carole and Michael that allowed William to continue undertaking some royal duties.
asserted
William → allow → duties
In April 2024, William was spotted at a Norfolk pub with his mother-in-law.
asserted
William → spot → law
During the Easter school holidays that year, Carole stayed with the Wales', according to the Mail's Richard Eden.
uncertain
Carole → stay → Eden
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, previously said: 'Carole and Michael are just as much family to William as they are to Catherine.
asserted
they → say → Catherine
'He loves Carole being around to help as she has been with the children from the beginning and it is easy and reassuring having her invaluable help.
asserted
it → love → help
Carole Middleton grabs hold of son-in-law Prince William's hand as she gets her heel stuck in the grass at Royal Ascot in 2024
Carole and Michael have also formed a very tight bond with their grandchildren.
asserted
Carole → grab → grandchildren
They were the first members of the family to visit Prince George when he was born in 2013 and have been a constant presence in his life ever since.
asserted
he → visit → life
A month after the young royal's birth, Michael volunteered to take the first picture of his new grandson so that William and Kate would not have to bring in an external photographer.
asserted
William → volunteer → photographer
In 2014, Carole joined William and Kate on their tour of Australia and New Zealand so she could help look after George alongside the couple's nanny, Maria Borrallo.
uncertain
she → join → nanny
The Middletons' support has no doubt meant so much to the Prince of Wales that he may 'rewrite the fabric of the monarchy' to give Kate's parents a greater role, royal experts claimed earlier this year.
uncertain
experts → mean → role
The Daily Mail's Sarah Vine said: ‘In the 21st century, royalty is about how you behave.
asserted
you → say → century
It’s not a given.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
And if the royal family is anything in this day and age, it’s to set an example.
asserted
it → ’ → example
'It’s to uphold certain standards...
asserted
It → ’ → standards
It means that a door is open to other people becoming royal through their behaviour.’
asserted
people → mean → behaviour
To make Carole and Michael working royals, William would have to 'completely rewrite the entire fabric of the monarchy', said Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston.
asserted
correspondent → make → monarchy
'But the guy does say he wants change.
asserted
he → say → change
Anything is possible,' he added on Channel 5's The Middletons: Should They Be Working Royals?.
asserted
They → add → Middletons
One of the most telling clues about the Middletons' importance in Kate and William's family life came from their daughter's emotional video message about her cancer journey in 2024.
asserted
One → come → 2024
Kate announced she had completed chemotherapy treatment in a three-minute-long clip that was unprecedented for the Royal Family.
asserted
that → announce → Family
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
