The Duchess of Cambridge: Family, Wealth and Background

[Avicenna]

Middleton sisters: Kate and Pippa, the child stars of Uncle Gary's first wedding: Sisters pictured as bridesmaids | Mail Online

On a sidenote - Something positive about Uncle Gary:
By opening his Family Album for the press, he has at least chosen a beautiful picture of his sister and nieces. Nice and adorable kids, nothing offending or exposing. IMHO whatever his motivation was - and I doubt he would have done it without an urgent necessity - it was a kind trait to chose positive pictures. And this doesn't mean, that I believe it was ok. Just trying to find something good about him.

[PrincessofEurope]

I dont like the way Gary has allowed his (i think) 11 year old daughter into the photo shoot. Apparently from the article she is close to Kate, Pippa and James - as the little girl is their only first cousin on Carole's side of the family. I feel sorry now for her as this relationship with cousin Kate could become strained after Gary's Hello interview

He mentions that before the Kate and William couple story made it to newspapers - Carole phoned family members to inform them that Kate and William were a couple. Apparently Gary took the call in a business meeting and told whoever was seating beside him that his neice was going to be the future Queen of England. He mentions that his daughter has been used from a very young age that her cousin would be the future Queen.

I'm sorry but this man annoys me - and has let Carole and Kate down by seeling his 'story'.

[HRHHermione]

I think everyone has a family member that's a bit crass and less discreet than we would like, but still we accept them because that's what family does.

Gary's interview was a poor decision, but he did at least refrain from revealing anything particularly personal or embarrassing. There really wasn't anything new there.

And I'm absolutely certain that Kate knows better than to blame an 11 year old child for the actions of her father.
.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Oh gawd I thought this man had put his embarrassing behavior behind him. I hate when people talk about the Middleton's as social climbers riding on the backs of the Royals and being common and not good enough; but Gary perpetuates such an image.

[Grandma828]

Gary is not the Middletons. They have never said or done anything wrong. Be fair..

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Grandma828

Gary is not the Middletons. They have never said or done anything wrong. Be fair..

I agree. Compared to a few other royal family members and in-laws. (cough, cough Vittorio Emanuele Prince of Naples, Earl Spencer, Fergie, Jorge Zoriguetta etc...cough, cough) Uncle Gary seems rather tame.

[Ish]

I think Uncle Gary has in him the makings of an equal to Charles Spencer. For all of the Spencers' flaws, a lot of their behaviour can be attributed to the combo of anger/resentment and a desire for attention. Gary's wants the attention and money, but in place of the anger he's got drugs. Never underestimate the power of drugs.

[TLLK]

I hope that won't happen.

[Isabella]

Indeed, between the narcissism and the drugs - and the public interest - he's bad news.

I know some people will look down upon Kate's whole family because of someone like him, but I always try to remind myself that, although my family seems quite normal, I have no idea who might crawl out of the woodwork if I were to be put in a prominent position like Kate. Proximity to attention/fame can certainly bring out the worst in some.

[Dman]

A tribute to Kate Middleton's great-grandmother...-
A tribute to Kate Middleton's great-grandmother... - hellomagazine.com

[Warren]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

This "news" keeps getting repeated and reposted over and over again...

Once more into the breach...

Kate Middleton's family tree reveals Duchess of Cambridge is a real Cambridge University boffin | Mail Online
3 April 2013

The Duchess of Cambridge is a real Cambridge boffin: New details of Kate's family tree reveal that she is descended from university academics

• Portraits of Kate's ancestors have been presented to Trinity College
• Her great great grandfather and great great grand uncle were both students
• Link uncovered by Australian teacher Michael Reed and his Melbourne class

The Duchess of Cambridge has been revealed to have 'varsity blue' blood - because she is descended from Cambridge University boffins. Kate Middleton's great great-grandfather Francis Martineau Lupton and great great grand-uncle Sir Charles Lupton were both academics at Trinity College Cambridge.Both came from a rich and successful merchant and manufacturing family and Sir Charles was the founder of the world's largest law firm DLA Piper. The assignment also revealed that her second cousin - thrice removed - is Newnham College graduate Lady Barbara Bullock.

The link to the Duchess's title city was uncovered by Australian history teacher Michael Reed and pupils during a class project in Melbourne. Mr Reed visited Cambridge on Tuesday to present pictures of Kate's long-lost Lupton ancestors to Trinity College. He said: 'This all stems from a class project before Christmas on genealogy which made me look into Kate Middleton's ancestry. We had confirmed that Lady Barbara Bullock - nee Lupton - had links to Kate and so when the name Lupton cropped up again I looked into it further. We found the connections between her and the Lupton brothers, who studied at Trinity in the mid 19th century.'

Mr Reed traced the Duchess's family line back five generations to the Marquess of Lansdowne and his brother Thomas FitzMaurice who lived at the Buckinghamshire stately home Cliveden with his wife Mary, 4th Countess of Orkney in the late 18th century.

Professor David McKitterick, Vice Master of Trinity and College Librarian, said: 'We are grateful to Mr Reed for donating these photographs to Trinity.'

v the Middleton Lupton line of descent
thumbnail image courtesy of MailOnline, Associated Newspapers Ltd

[Dman]

Very nice pictures.

[Lady Kathleen]

I think James Middleton resembles his ancestor Francis Martineau Lupton.

[csw]

Originally Posted by Lady Kathleen

I think James Middleton resembles his ancestor Francis Martineau Lupton.

That was my first thought as well! I think it's quite distinct

[Dman]

Puppy love: New couple James Middleton and Donna Air enjoy a romantic daytime date as they walk their dogs in the park:
James Middleton and Donna Air enjoy a romantic daytime date as they walk their dogs in the park | Mail Online

[cepe]

The Mother of the Year - Tatler

This is an article about Carole from the Tatler magazine. Superficially it looks ok, but you don't have to delve very far to realise that this is damning with faint praise.

Very snippy from a very posh magazine.

[AdmirerUS]

I actually found the Tattler article to be quite positive. Having worked since the early 80s as a woman in professional/managerial positions I acknowledge that there are trade offs I made. It's like walking on a tightrope - but that is essentially the same tightrope every minority has walked until they became accepted as fully functioning members of society.
Bits of society are still uneasy with women in the lead. We still bear the majority of childrearing duties. If we as women can tough it out, we know, eventually, society will follow. Heaven knows most of us have shown that we are more than capable at juggling both work and family.
The snark I found in the Tattler article simply is saying that society is still uneasy about this. Personally, I think it acknowledges that many women can step up the game in ways that many men do not.
That does not make Carole any less spectacular at her jobs or her children any less successful.
"Not only are all of her children unfairly good-looking, they are also famously charming. Always the first to write a thank-you letter, they dance all night and are still the first up in the morning, plumping cushions and washing up. If our future king or queen is even half as well raised, may we all be truly thankful." Tattler, Celia Denison, May 2013