Carole Middleton "Used Her Head, Not Her Heart" When Trying to Win Over Queen Elizabeth, Says Royal Biographer

Carole Middleton has been a strong sense of support not only for her daughter, Princess Kate, but for Prince William, too. The 71-year-old mother of the future Queen has proven to be a trusted member in royal circles, and based on her affectionate outing with Queen Camilla and Princess Anne in March, she’s a true part of the family. It’s a stark contrast to the relationship Princess Diana’s mother, Frances Shand Kydd, had with Queen Elizabeth, and royal author Ingrid Seward says there’s a key reason why.

In Seward’s new book, Catherine & Diana, the Majesty magazine editor-in-chief wrote that Middleton used a tactic that was very different from Princess Diana’s mother.

"Put simply, Carole used her head, not her heart, when dealing with the phenomenon of becoming mother-in-law to the Prince of Wales,” Seward explained.

"Carole's wiliness was in her silence—it's what has made a woman from truly humble beginnings such a successful royal mother-in-law,” the author added.

Frances Shand Kydd, on the other hand, was the “opposite” of Middleton, per Seward, and her public comments about Diana didn’t go over well with the late Queen. "The Queen liked Carole very much; she didn't like Frances,” Seward wrote.

Earlier this year, royal author and journalist Robert Jobson told Hello! that Carole’s discretion earned her a spot in the inner circle. “Trust is the thing with Carole,” Jobson said. “She has been inside this world since William and Catherine first got together, and nothing has ever come out: not a conversation, not a confidence, not a whisper.”

“The Middletons aren’t guests any more,” he added. “They stopped being guests a long time ago. They’re family.”