Carole and Michael Middleton have called Berkshire home for decades, but they briefly relocated to Amman, Jordan with their very young daughters Kate, then two, and Pippa, then one, in 1984.
They rented a villa in Um Uthaina where they hosted parties for their wide social group. Kate: The Future Queen author Katie Nicholl described the family home in the "upscale neighbourhood", writing: "Compared to their attractive redbrick semi, the two-storey building was nothing grand, but there was an excellent nursery school nearby.
© Kensington Palace"The property, fully furnished and air-conditioned, came with a small garden with a swing where Kate and Pippa could play." Making their house a home, the Middletons reportedly added a patio furniture set and an inflatable paddling pool to cool down in the warm weather.
© GettyAside from entertaining their young kids, the home also offered the perfect space for entertaining, with Carole showing off her cooking skills by whipping up three-course meals for a large guest list. Among them was her almost-three-year-old daughter Kate, who supposedly loved staying up past her bedtime for the special occasions.
According to the book, Hanna Hashweh – who worked with Michael in Amman – said: "They frequently threw dinner parties and invited me and my wife and our employees. We would be around seventeen couples and the food was homemade. Kate was little and she was like a butterfly. We used to see her at dinner parties. She accepted people and she was sociable."
Carole and Michael returned to the UK two years later in 1986, ready for the future Princess of Wales to begin school at Bradfield near their Berkshire home.
Bucklebury Manor
© Getty ImagesSince then, they have moved into Bucklebury Manor, estimated to be worth £4.7 million. Despite the international move, one thing that remains the same is Carole's love of cooking.
In an interview with Good Housekeeping, the mother-of-three admitted that she loves spending time in her country kitchen.
"It's a kitchen/dining/sitting room and it's the heart of the house," she said, adding the traditional Aga oven means the room is "always warm".
© STEFAN ROUSSEAUCarole continued: "I love a kitchen supper. Where I have a small number of guests. I'll cook something delicious and make it look lovely, then we'll finish with a kitchen disco."
While the private family have yet to reveal their family menus, Carole previously hinted that she loves to use fresh home-grown produce including carrots, beetroot and onions.
"Digging for spuds is fun at any age," she told Saga magazine. While her dinner parties may now have a more intimate guest list with her grandchildren, she speaks fondly of her quality time with her family behind closed doors.
"There’s no better way to encourage healthy eating than to allow your grandchildren to see how food is grown and let them pick their own," she added.
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