The Duchess of Cambridge: Family, Wealth and Background

[Skydragon]

Kate Middleton’s mother has launched a damage limitation programme to protect her family’s reputation after the storm over her drug-taking brother Gary Goldsmith.
The Mail on Sunday has been told that Carole Middleton held a summit at the family’s Berkshire home last week to decide how to deal with the crisis.

Read more: Kate Middleton's mother warns family to keep heads down after storm over drug taking uncle | Mail Online
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And if we believe this, we will believe anything!

[Lumutqueen]

"Now Kate and her family plan to flee to the Caribbean island of Mustique to escape the scandal over 44-year-old Mr Goldsmith."

Well thats just sad and pathetic. I understand that this has had some affect on Kate and her relationship with royals, but to flee the country a week after the news has broke and began to die down, but over dramatic. I thought Kate would stay and face the music?

[Skydragon]

Or the holiday has been booked for some time and they are getting on with life. Don't forget it was The Mail telling us a couple of weeks ago that William had to pull out of this trip because he was being sent to Wales!

[Lumutqueen]

Ahh i'd forgotten about that. The topic of "Uncle Gary" is just old news, that daily mail need something to report on so they invented this. It is quite possible that Carole Middleton called her family to discuss what had happened, but I doubt it was a "summit" as the paper describes.

[grace marie]

I really don't understand why tabloid make so fuss about it. Kate doesn't take drugs and her uncle is adult and she couldn't do anything with that. If I were on Kate place, I would be ashamed becouse of some uncles or cousins for sure. We don't choose family, and anyway Kate would marry Will, not her brother or uncle. She couldn't be blamed for sth what some member of her family have done.

[zembla]

I don't think this little "scandal" is such a big deal, every family has their demons, TRF knows about that more than anyone.

[Zonk]

I would concur...it seems as if the tabloids need something to write about. Dont get me wrong....Uncle Gary and doing/selling drugs is a definite bad thing but other than the blood relation...its has nothing to do with Kate.

[Wisteria]

Originally Posted by Zonk

I would concur...it seems as if the tabloids need something to write about. Dont get me wrong....Uncle Gary and doing/selling drugs is a definite bad thing but other than the blood relation...its has nothing to do with Kate.

Actually I think it has a lot to do with Kate. He is her uncle and whether you like your uncles or not they are your blood and she did have something to do with it when she took her royal boyfriend to meet him. It seems the family are only ashamed of him when the public knows about him. If she really wanted to keep this connection quiet she should not have exposed Prince William to such a controversial person. Drugs and prostitutes are serious subjects and not peccadilloes, and it is no use bringing up names of royals who have dabbled, they are royals and are not hoping to become a member of the royal family, they already belong and on the whole in Britain royals can get away with almost anything without any great problem.
If she is satisfied with being no more than a royal mistress then no problem whatsoever but if she really is aspiring to marriage well this has been a serious blow, let us see is this can be brushed away or not. I think it all depends on the depth of William´s feelings for her.

[Marsel]

It is most unfortunate to have a 'drug dealer' uncle, and it is even more unfortunate that William and Kate had stayed at his house. However, I don't think the 'revelation' is really all that damaging for Kate Middleton.
If the press digs deep enough into any person's private life, they'll find enough unwanted and/or embarrassing relatives.

[Zonk]

Are you familiar with the Middleton family and their relationships? How do you know that they only time they have a problem with Uncle Gary is because the tabloids say so?

I stand by my comment. The use and selling of Uncle Gary is stupid and illegal. Based on what I have read, I am sure the family was aware that there were some issues with the uncle but from what I understand about Kate(again based on the media because she hasn't really spoken) if she knew he was doing and selling drugs...do you think she would have introduced William to him? That doesn't sound too bright now does it?

And seriously, if William is going to brush Kate away because her uncle has issues than that does say alot about their relationship. Its supposed to be for better and worse isn't it?

I fail to see how William will walk away from Kate as he has close personal friends, family friends (Tara), cousins (Freddie Windsor) , brother and a step brother who have been caught doing illegal drugs.

My point that this has nothing to do with Kate is other than the fact that it is Kate's uncle, and she happens to be dating William, this would be another middle aged, rich drug addict and wouldn't be in the papers nor would we be discussing this at all.

[zembla]

I'm willing to bet she didn't know he was selling drugs when she took William to meet him, to her he may have just been a fun wacky uncle that she ran into occasionally. I agree that if she gets tossed out for this then it says more about how superficial the relationship was, and I can't see that happening.

[Little_star]

Originally Posted by Wisteria

Actually I think it has a lot to do with Kate. He is her uncle and whether you like your uncles or not they are your blood and she did have something to do with it when she took her royal boyfriend to meet him. It seems the family are only ashamed of him when the public knows about him. If she really wanted to keep this connection quiet she should not have exposed Prince William to such a controversial person. Drugs and prostitutes are serious subjects and not peccadilloes, and it is no use bringing up names of royals who have dabbled, they are royals and are not hoping to become a member of the royal family, they already belong and on the whole in Britain royals can get away with almost anything without any great problem.
If she is satisfied with being no more than a royal mistress then no problem whatsoever but if she really is aspiring to marriage well this has been a serious blow, let us see is this can be brushed away or not. I think it all depends on the depth of William´s feelings for her.

Great post.

It seems the family were perfectly willing to associate with him when they had something to gain.

[Lady Ann]

I think William will stand by her with all this. IMO they appear to have a strong relationship. Only time will tell at this point ....God only knows how much time it will take...lol

[Ella Kay]

Originally Posted by Little_star

It seems the family were perfectly willing to associate with him when they had something to gain.

You mean Gary Goldsmith by "him," right? What did they have to gain from him?

[SarahMay]

Originally Posted by Wisteria

Actually I think it has a lot to do with Kate. He is her uncle and whether you like your uncles or not they are your blood and she did have something to do with it when she took her royal boyfriend to meet him. It seems the family are only ashamed of him when the public knows about him. If she really wanted to keep this connection quiet she should not have exposed Prince William to such a controversial person. Drugs and prostitutes are serious subjects and not peccadilloes, and it is no use bringing up names of royals who have dabbled, they are royals and are not hoping to become a member of the royal family, they already belong and on the whole in Britain royals can get away with almost anything without any great problem.
If she is satisfied with being no more than a royal mistress then no problem whatsoever but if she really is aspiring to marriage well this has been a serious blow, let us see is this can be brushed away or not. I think it all depends on the depth of William´s feelings for her.

Insightful, I agree with your points.
I have wondered why the press has tried to play this down as simply the "blacksheep", it is much more than that and goes much deeper, imo.
The Middleton's including Kate, had no qualms about using the "Maison de Bang,Bang" belonging to the Uncle ( that name alone would have given me pause) to take the heir to the throne there. It goes much deeper because this family put the future heir to the Throne in a possible situation which could have had serious legal implications, for him and his future, (if police showed up and spotted something odd) or other people visited wanting substances similar to those seen in the video of the Uncle or all hell broke loose while the Prince was in residence as Maison de Bang, Bang) it could have been an International incident, for him.
I find it amazing that no matter what occurs surrounding the Middleton's or Kate it is somehow(for the press ) another sign that Pr. William will propose!!!

[muriel]

Originally Posted by SarahMay

I have wondered why the press has tried to play this down as simply the "blacksheep", it is much more than that and goes much deeper, imo.
The Middleton's including Kate, had no qualms about using the "Maison de Bang,Bang" belonging to the Uncle ( that name alone would have given me pause) to take the heir to the throne there. It goes much deeper because this family put the future heir to the Throne in a possible situation which could have had serious legal implications, for him and his future, (if police showed up and spotted something odd) or other people visited wanting substances similar to those seen in the video of the Uncle or all hell broke loose while the Prince was in residence as Maison de Bang, Bang) it could have been an International incident, for him.
I find it amazing that no matter what occurs surrounding the Middleton's or Kate it is somehow(for the press ) another sign that Pr. William will propose!!!

Is this not just getting too dramatic and hysterical? Does one actually believe that if Kate's family knew about what Gary was up to, they would send their daughter there? Also, if the story of how pushy Carole Middleton is is to be believed, why would she knowingly put Kate & William in a position that will reflect badly on the Middletons?

Whilst it is great to tut-tut the Middletons, IMO it does not take much thought to get to "my" conclusion which is that the Middletons had no clue what Gary was up to in Spain!

[SarahMay]

Maison de Bang Bang says it all.
Why even take the Prince to such a place?

[Zonk]

Honestly the name Maison de Bang Bang means different things to different people. When I saw the name....I wouldn't automatically think drugs and I don't know if most people made that connection.

People have a right to like to dislike Kate....from what you know of her and what you perceive....but I really think that some people are giving the Middleton's too much credit. I mean...if Carole is that maniupulative and she pushed Kate to attend St. Andrews because she knew William was going to be there (which wasn't the case) and she has made sure that Kate has wisely stayed on teh sidelines, so William WOULD HAVE to marry her (which doesn't mean he will)...WHY OH WHY would she mess it up by having William go to her drug dealing brother's house?! All that planning for nothing!

That just doesn't make sense.

[SarahMay]

Wonder how the Palace sees this?


If a undercover reporter can get into Kate's Uncle Gary's realm, so could have a possible undercover Policeman or woman. This is not just about blacksheep imo, despite what the press has tried to imply.


I have never understood why the press equates all moves, negative or positive, made concerning William,Kate and or her family as another sign of an engagement. I don't get that at all.
She is still single and William is still single.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Zonk

Honestly the name Maison de Bang Bang means different things to different people. When I saw the name....I wouldn't automatically think drugs and I don't know if most people made that connection.

People have a right to like to dislike Kate....from what you know of her and what you perceive....but I really think that some people are giving the Middleton's too much credit. I mean...if Carole is that maniupulative and she pushed Kate to attend St. Andrews because she knew William was going to be there (which wasn't the case) and she has made sure that Kate has wisely stayed on teh sidelines, so William WOULD HAVE to marry her (which doesn't mean he will)...WHY OH WHY would she mess it up by having William go to her drug dealing brother's house?! All that planning for nothing!

That just doesn't make sense.

Quite right, exactly the point I have been making!