Carol Middleton to Retire from Party Pieces After Building a Party Wear Empire

Carol Middleton, the mother of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is reportedly planning to step away from her family business, Party Pieces, which has made her a fortune.

Carol and her husband, Michael Middleton, have built their kitchen table business into an empire selling party wear and decorations.

They have decided that the time is finally right to retire, with the aim of selling the company in the coming weeks to investors who will continue the brand.

With six grandchildren and her daughter Catherine and son-in-law Prince William having never been busier with official duties, Carol has realised this is the moment to move on.

It's the end of an era, the Princess of Wales' beloved mother, Carol, is retiring from the family's party wear business.

While this news is definitely bittersweet, we can't help but be excited for what's to come next for Carol, Michael, and their brood.

What started as a humble business idea from Carol while she was pregnant with son James in 1987, grew into a party wear empire that has become a staple of British celebrations.

Party Pieces has even sold items to celebrate the upcoming coronation of King Charles III, which the Princess of Wales' parents are hoping will bring in a last hurrah of business before they officially retire.

Party Pieces, like many businesses, has had a rough go of it during the pandemic, with tough trading and rising costs.

In fact, last October, accounts showed a loss of £285,506 in 2021, and the company's total deficit is now £1.35 million.

But let's not forget that this is a family business through and through.

All three of the Middleton children have worked for Party Pieces at some point.

This is a family that works hard and plays hard, and we have no doubt that Carol and Michael will be spending their newfound free time spoiling their grandchildren.

They have George IX, Charlotte VII, and Louis IV, through daughter Catherine and Prince William.

Later last year, the Wellesies moved to Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate, much closer to the Middleton family in Berkshire.

Carol and Michael also have three other grandchildren via daughter Pippa and her banker husband James Matthews, Arthur IV, Grace II, and baby Rose.

That young family fairly recently moved into the same Berkshire village that Carol and Michael have called home for decades.

Son James and his wife, Elise, are local too, all of which means that there is a lot keeping her in Bucklebury at the beautiful Grade II listed manor house that they bought for $4.5 million rather than at the offices of the company, which are at a farm in nearby Ash Hampstead.

It's not hard to see why Carol and Michael have decided that now is the time to retire, and Carol is sure to be spending more time with her beloved grandchildren.

While we'll certainly miss Party Pieces, we can't help but be excited for what's next for the Middleton family.

With their entrepreneurial spirit and close-knit family bond, we know they'll be just fine.

After all, they've weathered worse storms than a tough year in business, and who knows, maybe Carol and Michael will start a new business venture or spend their time travelling the world.

Whatever they decide, we're sure it will be with the same grace and class that Catherine has shown us all these years.

The Middleton family is known for their hard work and dedication to their businesses.

Carol and Michael have built an empire from a humble kitchen table business, and it's bittersweet to see them retire.