The Princess of Wales' childhood homes with Carole and Michael Middleton have been dissected over the years, as fans rushed to get an idea of the future Queen's upbringing.
While her childhood in the Berkshire countryside seems picturesque and idyllic, a 2013 book has shed light on how her family dynamics with her grandparents could have been very different had they not relocated to live near the Middletons.
© GettyCarole's parents Ron and Dorothy wanted to be closer to their grandchildren, and decided to move from Norwood Green to Pangbourne, not far from Bucklebury. However, Kate: The Future Queen revealed that they almost pulled out of the property purchase, which Carole and Michael helped fund thanks to the success of Party Pieces in the late 1980s.
"Carole was close to her mother and father, and as they got older, she wanted them to be nearer so they could spend time with their grandchildren. Financially, the Middletons were also in a position to put some money toward a property for them," the book explained, before revealing they found a "charming cottage" on the bank of the River Pang.
Describing the not-so-smooth-sailing move, the book continued: "It was chocolate-box pretty, and Ron and Dorothy fell in love with the cottage as soon as they saw it. But leaving Southall was a life-changing move for the retired couple, and they had a change of heart at the last minute."
Dudley Singleton, who sold the property, told the author: "'They backed out of the sale and I told them they were mad.
© Shutterstock"They were worried it didn't have a garage and the gardens were small. I told Ron he was silly not to buy the house, and they did say on many occasions afterwards, 'Thank god you persuaded us to buy it.'"
He described it as the "perfect house" and said: "They loved it, and the move and the house was right for them."
At the time, Carole and Michael were living in Bradfield with their three young children Kate, Pippa and James after returning from their two-year stint in Amman, Jordan.
Carole described their house as "a very sweet semi-detached cottage" in an interview with The Telegraph. She said: "We stayed there until Catherine was 13, so the children spent a lot of their youth there."
The family went on to move into detached property Oak Acre, where Prince William famously landed his Chinook helicopter in 2008, and their seven-bedroomed home where they now live, Bucklebury Manor.
