NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
When Prince William<\/a> becomes king, Kate Middleton<\/a> will hold the title of queen consort \u2014\u00a0but does that mean there are royal titles in store for her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton?\n<\/p>\n Unlike many royal spouses of the past, Princess Kate wasn’t born into an aristocratic family with nobility or royal titles. The Middletons met while working at British Airways in the early 1980s, with Carole working as a flight attendant while Michael was a flight dispatcher. They later founded Party Pieces, a party supply company, which helped fund their three children\u2019s private education.\n<\/p>\n When Kate met William at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, she and her family, including siblings Pippa and James, were thrust into the public eye and entered the royal circle.\n<\/p>\n In the years since William and Kate’s 2011 wedding, the Middletons have joined the royal family as milestone events such as King Charles’ coronation in 2023<\/a> as well as annual gatherings such as summers at Balmoral Castle<\/a> or Royal Ascot<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n King Charles and Carole Middleton at Royal Ascot on June 18, 2025.<\/p>\n Samir Hussein\/WireImage<\/p>\n Despite being welcomed into the royal family’s inner circle, it’s not likely that Carole and Michael will receive royal titles when William becomes king and Kate becomes queen.\n<\/p>\n Royal titles are reserved for those born into or marrying into the family, while dukedoms and other noble titles are passed down through a family or granted by the reigning monarch. While the Middletons could be awarded titles, the family of a queen consort has historically not been given such an honor.\n<\/p>\n Although Queen Camilla<\/a>‘s parents have died, her two children don’t hold royal titles or roles. While her sister, Annabel Elliot, served as one of the royal\u2019s two ladies in attendance at her coronation, she isn\u2019t one of Camilla’s designated \u201ccompanions,” a modern version of a \u201clady-in-waiting\u201d adopted by Camilla when she became Queen,\u00a0according to the BBC<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Princess Kate could appoint her mother or sister as her “companions,” however, the role is different from an official royal title.\n<\/p>\n Kate Middleton and Carole Middleton.<\/p>\n Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage?\u00a0Sign up for our free Royals newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Regardless of titles, Princess Kate has remained extremely close to her family. The Middletons live a short drive away from the Prince and Princess of Wales’ home base in Windsor and are a steady presence in their grandchildren’s lives, often having\u00a0Prince George<\/a>, 11,\u00a0Princess Charlotte<\/a>, 10, and\u00a0Prince Louis<\/a>, 7, over for sleepovers.\n<\/p>\n “Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren,” a palace insider previously told PEOPLE.\n<\/p>\n rince William, Kate Middleton and Michael Middleton at their wedding in 2011.<\/p>\n Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool\/Getty<\/p>\n