Kate Middleton’s mom, Carole Middleton, is reportedly not that easy to work with.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s mother is known as a fun individual who likes to throw parties and confesses to being a “chatterbox.” Whenever she’s out and about, Carole appears jolly and down-to-earth.
However, some of her employees revealed that there’s another side of Carole. Michael and Carole started Party Pieces three decades ago, initially supplying homemade goody bags to the parents of her children’s school friends.
In an interview with Daily Mail, the employees dished on Carole’s “high-handed” management style. She reportedly sent one employee 71 emails in one day, an excessive amount even for a busy working office. Other staff members added that Middleton’s mom would occasionally click her fingers to get someone’s attention when she was under pressure, which they found irritating.
Carole is reportedly also very strict when it comes to their working hours. The staff members are required to enter their personal code into a computer that logs when they come and go to ensure that they have worked during their shifts.
The company accountant reportedly sends Carole the names of those who have fallen short of their quota. Sometimes, they may be emailed and given the choice of having money deducted from their pay or making up their hours.
Unlike Carole, Prince William’s father-in-law is more considerate toward their employees. He is a “father figure who soothes staff ruffled by his wife.“
“Michael Middleton, though, who keeps a close eye on the financial side of the business, emerges as the perfect foil for his driven wife,” the report read.
Michael and Carole’s staff described Middleton’s father as a “mediator in internal disputes, a shoulder to cry on and a lovely bloke.”
Just recently, The Sun reported that Carole fired half of their company’s staff. Among those who lost their jobs were the company’s web designer, PR agent and search engine optimization wizard. An unnamed source said that “there is a terrible air doom and gloom about the place.”
Carole’s work ethic might be due to her family background. Middleton’s mother came from a simple family with a modest background. None of her siblings, including her, was able to further their education in university because they didn’t have the money. When Carole landed a job at the British Airways, it was a feather in her cap, and her parents were overjoyed as air travel was a novelty at the time.
However, when Carole and Michael were about to welcome the Duchess of Cambridge, she decided to give up her career for her family. The Duchess of Cambridge’s mom took on motherhood “amazingly.”