Carole Middleton Has a New Vocation Thanks to Daughter Pippa

Carole Middleton wearing a blue feathered fedora and smiling; Pippa Middleton wearing a dark tweed coat smiling — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Carole Middleton has always been very involved in the lives of her three children—Princess Kate, Pippa Middleton, and James Middleton. Now, a new report suggests that, despite closing down her business Party Pieces, Carole has apparently found herself another task to occupy her time.

According to the Daily Mail, Carole can regularly be found "mucking in at Bucklebury Farm, the petting zoo owned by her younger daughter [Pippa], where she serves teas in the cafe and lends a hand in the gift shop." Basically, Princess Kate's mom's schedule remains incredibly busy.

The 72-acre property includes everything from glamping pods to yoga classes and a children's play area. As Bucklebury Farm is located nearby to Carole and Michael Middleton's home, Bucklebury Manor, it makes sense that Pippa's mom would be heavily involved in the venture.

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Carole and Michael Middleton walking in front of James, Pippa and Alizee Middleton with lit Christmas trees behind them — Carole can be found "mucking in at Bucklebury Farm, the petting zoo owned by her younger daughter [Pippa]."

The Daily Mail also reported that Carole is "a hands-on, down-to-earth grandmother," whose "days are spent whipping up cottage pies and fragrant curries to fill the freezer, for when her seven grandchildren come to visit."

The outlet noted that Princess Kate's mom enjoys "going on dog walks in the Berkshire countryside and playing a weekly game of tennis with her girlfriends." She also finds time to take two of Pippa's children, Arthur and Grace, to school.

Carole Middleton walking with Mike and Zara Tindall to the Cheltenham races — Carole is "a hands-on, down-to-earth grandmother."

Meanwhile, a source sang Carole's praises, telling the publication, "Despite the fact that her daughter is a future Queen of England, she remains exactly the same with her friends."

The source continued, "There are no airs and graces. Given all the scandals that hit the Royal Family, we should be grateful to have a strong yet down-to-earth woman like her in the background."

Whether it's taking care of her grandchildren or helping out at Pippa's farm park, Carole appears to be happy to get involved.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.