There’s always been a question, for me, about the actual wealth of the Middleton family. The official line from all of the Middleton-centric British media is that Michael Middleton had some family money and Carole used that money to build Party Pieces into a massive business which made the family millions. I personally believe Carole’s brother, dodgy Gary Goldsmith, helped finance the Middletons’ social ascension, just as I believe that the Middletons have always played something of a financial shell game when it comes to keeping up appearances and trying to maintain a lifestyle that supported Pippa and Kate’s husband hunts. It’s well-known that Carole, Pippa and Kate take freebies and discounts for all sorts of things too, everything from Audis to Range Rovers to jewelry to clothes. But did you also know that Carole Middleton had to ask Roger Federer’s wife for free tickets to Wimbledon?
Friends in high places are always helpful … particularly when it comes to getting your hands on Wimbledon tickets. And Carole Middleton appeared to be making good use of her friendship with Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka, at the tournament this week – by securing herself two last-minute Centre Court spots.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s mother, said to consider world number three Federer a ‘heart-throb’, was overheard asking Mrs Federer if she had ‘any spare tickets’ for Monday afternoon’s play. And, despite asking on the most popular day of the tournament so far, she was in luck.
Moments later, the 62-year-old was spotted walking away from the jovial conversation – which took place near Wimbledon’s VIP entrance – with two tickets in hand. It is unclear whether the freebies were for her or her daughter Pippa, as they both saw Federer’s match separately with friends.
An onlooker said: ‘It didn’t take long for Mirka to sort her out with two tickets, and she was very happy about it, thanking her and then walking away with them in her hand smiling.’
An All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club spokesman said: ‘Players get an allocation of tickets which they can distribute to friends and family.’
This is fascinating, isn’t it? I’m sure the Middleton Apologists will just say that Carole arrived late and maybe the tickets were sold out. But surely she wouldn’t have gotten all dressed up to see Roger Federer… without having a ticket already? Did she think that she was going to have a place in the Royal Box again, but then she got denied? Or were the tickets for Pippa and a friend, who were also seated behind Federer’s box? I have no idea. But you would think, surely, that the Middletons would be season ticket holders, right? Their brand is “loving tennis,” so why not have season tickets to Wimbledon? Is it because those tickets are really expensive?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Pacific Coast News.
I’m just laughing at Carole and Anna Wintour in the same photo. A woman with little sense for fashion with a woman who made a career in fashion.
I am just hoping that two people didn’t lose those tickets so Carole could get them.
My first thought was, “Oh, look – Anna Wintour gets to sit with Mrs Bucket! Whoops, Mrs Bookaaaay!”
She may have made her career in fashion, but Anna Wintour is no fashion plate either….
I think they had tickets and Carole did not like where she was seated so she went as asked Mirka for better seats. Anything other than the box is gauce for Mother Bennett.
This sounds logical
I think so, too. Carole may have been playing it by ear this year because the “Brexit Ambassadors” are traveling next week and she wanted to keep her schedule open in case they needed help getting ready.
The Middleton’s PAY for things – are you feeling all right? They demand freebies wherever they go, always have and always will.
Keeping in mind their will to show status, how could Carole get so low and ask Mirka for tickets, in public. In public.
If you are as wealthy as the Middletons pretend to be, you buy tickets well in advance. It’s the plebs like me who turn up and hope to score tickets on the day. These people are shady as F. But I have to admit, much like Kris Kardashian, she has managed to ascend the societal ladder like a pro.
ITA. And I don’t believe for a minute that Party Pieces makes that much money for the Middletons to afford expensive private education for their offsprings, buy an apartment in Chelsea and purchase/maintain the family home, go on expensive trips to Mustique, and basically finance the lifestyle of the whole family of five – two parents and three offsprings. No way. I read somewhere ages ago some estimates of the turnarounds of such business in such size. That employs some 10 people IIRC. The estimates were made by professionals with knowledge of the subject. Their estimates came to around 200,000 – 300,000 pounds, per year. Net gain, I presume but I’m not sure.
Anyways, the Middletons have the right to be private about their wealth but they should not pretend that they got their fortune through PP alone.
The shield of secrecy around their family ties and wealth was put in place since Keen Katie was little. As Carole had started the conspiracy to make her Billie’s wife since then. Everything was calculated to protect the Middletons, from the way they set up their company, to the lack of other BFs of Keen Talented Kate, getting them into private schools, her unsuccessful chasing of Billie in Chile on gap year, and the successful change of university to get in the same one as Bill. Everything is well documented except for the way they made their wealth.
Apparently there is a trust fund set up by Kate’s great-great-grandfather (Middleton side) who was a wealthy Yorkshire industrialist (where there’s muck, there’s brass). The trust is still in existence and apparently pays for education and property, but nothing else.
@Tina-I know that’s the story-but I heard there really wasn’t that much money in those trusts-and they were only for education. I really think the rest is smoke and mirrors and a lot of credit card debt, and freebies.
@CynicalAnn, no one really knows. What’s certain is that they’re not living that lifestyle off Party Pieces!
About the trust and properties: the Ma and Pa had regular jobs paying regular salaries. The legend says that the family fortune started with PP, a business that they started when the children were little. I remember seeing pics of the house when Keen K was born, the DM published them. It was a regular, decent-sized home outside London. While I understand the alleged trust funds for education could have been used when the children started school, the narrative is that PP made the family’s wealth. Whatever bigger house they got, it was years after PP was started. And it takes time to grow a company no matter the niche. Especially in the 80s-90s when marketing options for small companies were limited. I personally do not believe the trust fund narrative. It must have been Uncle Gary’s money that supported the life style and the climb up of the Middletons.
I think you’re right.
My knowledge of the Middletons is pretty much confined to what I read here, so I have absolutely no insight into whether they are as rich as they say. But I do know that taking advantage, or even encouraging/loving, getting things free is absolutely no indication of a lack of wealth.
I’ve never been to Wimbledon, so this is conjecture, but wouldn’t Carole Middleton need tickets to even get in, to ask Mirka Federer for tickets? I’m inclined to think she wanted different/better seats.
perhaps she wandered in fully expected to be let in for free or given emergency tickets and without tickets by virtue her daughter is patron of Wimbledon? or with Pippa? that she could already enter the VIP enclosure spoke of that privilege… only that seats are attached to tickets, unless you have one of those landyard things Anna Wintour wear…
or at least that’s my experience in Roland Garros where i saw a yelling match between a celeb (of sorts; he’s already laden down with gift bags, which i suppose came from the gifting vvip tents) and the usher. basically the celeb was told “politely” that his celeb status might be good enough for the vips but he better work his connection further for a ticket and therefore a seat.
They probably don’t have as much money as has been reported – 30 million according to one source! – but I remember reading that they purchased London flat mortgage free back in the 90s as well as some other property, either their house or some land. SO they have some money and they use their connections to get the rest of things free. I have no doubt Will helped out with the purchase of their Manor but it probably belongs to him as much as it belongs to them. Carole definitely knows how to hassle. And as my ex father-in-law used to say: “It never hurts to ask!”
They might have allocated their wealth into their 2 properties and not be liquid enough to be considered “rich”. I don’t find anything wrong with freebies and discounts if it is done ethically. Of course, this applies to the Middletons, not Kate.
Lol, so much for the fan fic of Kate and Pippa meangirling Mirka, which a couple of posters here used to frequently state as fact. She was sooooo upset by it she gives their mum free tickets. LMAO !
Carole is a grifter and deserving of the defining description given the character Matty Walker in the movie “Body Heat”–Carole is RELENTLESS.
She expects all her hard won connections to deliver money, houses, holidays, cars, clothes, fame. Her extremely obsequious manners towards her “betters” help to oil the grifter train.
The same Mirka whose body shape Carole’s Wisteria daughters mocked a few years ago at Wimbledon???
Sounds interesting. Do you have the deets?
Mirka was in the big screen and then they cut to the Middleton girls who looked like the had been bitching about her and looked shifty when they realised it had been caught on camera.
Who cares? Don’t ALL A, B, C, and D List celebs and celeb-adjacent people get free stuff all the time?
I hear you but the ethical implications of this situation are different. The Middletons married into the RF therefore higher standards of conduct should apply to them.
On the other hand the RF have lowered their status as Billie married into the Middletons and holds an esteemed position in their court. Not that some RF members have not shamelessly taken advantage of their status. It’s not that the Middletons should follow suit. But the precedents exist. And Keen Kate is married to the second in line. Everything and anything is allowed for the Middletons. Shameless.
There’s not really such a thing as season tickets at Wimbledon; you’re either AELTC members (by invitation) and get tickets that way, know a member who can hook you up, get them through the lottery in advance, queue on the day, or get invited for a day in the royal box. She probably had some other seats (likely members tickets) but liked the look of being in the players box a bit better. Gotta showcase those connections you know.
There are also debenture tickets. If you buy a debenture (£100k+ per ticket for the 2016-2020 Centre Court debentures) you have the right to buy and sell those seats for the life of the debenture. Those seats can be sold on the open market (Stubhub etc), unlike ballot tickets or the Ticketmaster tickets.
Tickets to the stadium courts r bought only from “season holders” ….royal families who uave had those right for forever…its very difficult to get those since other people already own them. If they dont plan on coming then they put them up for sale
Oh, you can get them. They are just very very expensive. Hospitality tickets are available for anyone to purchase. A gourmet lunch, a special lounge to enjoy the tennis, guaranteed seats on either centre court or court #1. They are, at the cheapest 400 pounds a pop.
It could have been a Will Call-typel situation. Carole could have secured the tickets a week ago and then met Mirka to pick them up.
Do none of the Middleton women posses a top lip?
Having seen Breaking Bad, I wonder if Party Pieces is Uncle Gary’s car wash. I just don’t see excessive wealth coming from selling mail-order streamers and confetti.
Yes. There is no way they make enough money to have the lifestyle they have. My husband works in an industry with a lot of very wealthy people-and only the very richest (like multi millions) live like the Middletons do.
Has anyone else noticed that Carol’s dress for Wednesday’s Wimbledon is the same (exact same, mind you, save the sleeve length and colour) as the dress Kate wore when she was meeting Canadian PM Justin Trudeau?
No comment on the ticket scrounging, but looking at the pictures gives everyone an excellent indication of exactly what Kate is gonna look like two or three decades down the line, lol. The Middleton women don’t age well, do they?
Above about aging, that’s mean. Why all the hate for this family? What have they done that is so bad? I think most are just jealous at this middle class family moving up the latter. Otherwise, I dont get the hate.
They can do what they want, and I can continue to think it looks grasping and tacky. Compare that to Sophie’s father (also a commoner) who never puts a foot wrong and is a favourite of the Queen and regularly invited to Sandringham at Christmas.
Hard to believe now perhaps, but Kate Middleton will inevitably morph into the Mother Wisteria. Has William thought that far ahead, I wonder? Kate does not NEED to put on her perpetual grin – the lovely smile of her late mother in law would be so much more acceptable. Kate, aka Wisteria 1 has displayed admirable patience, although the Waity Katy tag might be going a climb too far.
Still trying to work out what first attracted Wisteria 2 to her multi-millionaire (now) husband.
We all use other people from time to time; it’s the scale and shamelessness of this awful family that is intriguing, and what makes us ordinary people feel happy that we are well distanced from such as these.