Speculation over Carole and Michael Middleton earning titles stems way back to when their daughter gave birth to Prince George in 2013. At the time, The Telegraph even pointed out that Michael would be the first grandfather to a future king who didn’t have a title (as the outlet noted, even those who hadn’t had a title initially were granted them).
Nevertheless, DeBrett’s editor, Charles Kidd, told the outlet that precedents had changed over the years. For starters, Kidd pointed out that Queen Elizabeth even had title-less grandchildren, Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, and daughter, Zara Tindall. Added to that, King Charles has long advocated for a smaller royal family– so the odds of him bestowing a title to someone connected to the firm through a child’s marriage, like Carole, are slim.
That’s not to say the Middleton family doesn’t have any official recognition, though. In honor of the now-Prince and Princess of Wales’ wedding, the royal family’s website issued a statement about the coat of arms issued to Michael. In the statement, the Garter of Arms who approved the design, Thomas Woodcock, pointed out that the coat of arms was a big deal in itself. “Heraldry is Europe’s oldest, most visual and strictly regulated form of identity,” he said. Carole is symbolized right at the center of the design, with a gold chevron in honor of her maiden name, Goldsmith. Not a title, but it’ll do!
