Prince William Is Supportive Of Kate Middleton’s Parents Amid Rumors Of Business Trouble
After a number of staff members of Carole and Michael Middleton’s party planning business, Party Pieces, were fired, rumors started to swirl that the couple was in financial trouble, and that their business had expanded too fast, but royal sources say that no matter what, Prince William remains supportive.
Page Six says that after three employees were fired this week, rumors started that Party Pieces, which sells party supplies, from invitations to party favors, was in financial trouble. But the Middletons are reportedly seeking investors for their company, and are indicating that there is no issue.
Prince William has always been vocal about the fact that the Middletons are self-made, with Carole Middleton starting her professional life as an air hostess with British Airways.
“He’s always admired that they were self-made.”
The Daily Mail broke the story that after firing several employees right before Christmas, the Middletons terminated the additional staffers this week. Party Pieces fired the company’s web designer, PR agent, and SEO specialist just this week reportedly out of the blue, leaving the rest of the staff “shocked.”
Someone still employed by the Middletons says that the rest of the staff is worried.
“There is a terrible air of doom and gloom about the place.”
#KateMiddleton family business in trouble, mom #CaroleMiddleton axed half of the staff https://t.co/8znOkucWTe
— Nicholas Douglas (@Readers_Delight) March 22, 2019
The Middletons started their business in 1987 as a family affair. Daughter Pippa and son James continue to be associated with the business, as Pippa does the company blog and James creates the custom cake photo designs through his company, Boomf, which has also recently suffered losses.
Employees have reported that the holidays around the company were grim.
“There wasn’t so much as a Christmas tree or festive decorations in the office. Morale is at rock bottom.”
Party Pieces is said to be worth over $30 million, and the family is said to live quite comfortably in the village of Bucklebury, in Berkshire.
The sudden rumors of financial trouble could prove especially embarrassing to Carole Middleton, who recently gave several interviews as part of the 30th-anniversary celebration of her business, telling magazines like Good Housekeeping that she continues to include the whole family in the business, including her three children.
“Because they [the children] all grew up with me working, Party Pieces has been very much part of our lives and what we talked about. I still ask their advice and say ‘What do you think of this?”
Carole Middleton shared how she started the company at her kitchen table, and how she grew it over the years to be the empire it is now.
