'Meddlesome Carole Middleton': Kate Middleton's Mom Wasn't as Conniving as 'The Crown' Portrayed Her As

Carole Middleton is depicted as something of a "meddlesome" matchmaker in the final season of The Crown, specifically in how she arranges for her daughter Kate Middleton to be near Prince William.

"It is Carole, not Kate, who delivers the (social-climbing) match-making narrative. It is meddlesome Carole who is dreaming of a royal wedding long before her daughter," royal author Tessa Dunlop shared.

"It is relatively unusual to marry (and stay married!) your university sweetheart, but William and Kate have managed just that. Their blossoming romance at St Andrew's University is fertile terrain for Peter Morgan in the final episodes of The Crown. Speculation has long persisted that Kate swapped her first choice of Edinburgh University for St Andrews when she heard that William was heading there. "Heaven forefends that a girl might engage in a bit of daydreaming and future-proofing," Dunlop added.

The biographer continued: "But in The Crown, the real driver behind the romance is Carole Middleton, a self-made businesswoman who was once an air hostess; again, Peter Morgan picks on an outsider to deliver the tension. Prophetically, she tells Kate, 'never think there is anything in this world that you are not good enough for.'"

Prince William first met his future wife in the autumn of 2001 at the Scottish college. After months of getting to know one another, the one-day king and queen started dating in 2002 and would remain in a committed relationship until their marriage in 2011, despite a brief breakup in 2007.

"Kate, meanwhile, is a girl before her time. Stand by for a MeToo moment in the library (I have my doubts about that!) as well as that charity fashion show and the transparent dress. Actress Meg Bellamy is cast as kind and calm, the perfect fit for a prince struggling with his emotions, his father, and university life," Dunlop observed about how their relationship unfolds in the show.

"It is William who is disappointed that Kate is unavailable. (In real life, she had another boyfriend, Rupert Finch, in her first year). All of this student speculation and high jinx is perfect fodder for our most famous royal drama. The Crown was filming these last episodes when Harry’s truth bomb was unraveling," the author added.

Although not royal or noble by birth, Dunlop points out how her upper-class life and beauty already placed Kate in a prime position to catch the future king's eye.

"We will never know exactly what role Carole Middleton played, but we can confirm that she successfully pulled the Middleton family up by the financial boots straps. Kate enjoyed all the trappings of an upper-class life: including a stint at Marlborough College, where she honed the perfect accomplishments and friendships for a future princess. When it comes to bagging a royal, money talks. Whether deliberately or accidentally, perhaps Carole Middleton played Cupid after all," she concluded.

The Daily Mirror reported on Dunlop's comments.