Kate’s great-great-great grandfather Frank Lupton was a successful businessman, and he had five children.
One of the five was Francis Lupton.
Francis was well-off, inheriting what is 1.5 million in today’s money after Frank’s death.
After Francis' wife, Harriet, passed away, he became focused on work.
After Francis' own death, he was survived by his daughters Anne and Olive.
The money Michael inherited from his family isn’t the only money the Middleton family had, however.
Years later, they started a company called Party Pieces that helped grow their family’s wealth.
She spoke about the conundrum in aDaily Mailinterview from 2021.
“All I could find were basic clown plates,” Carole told the outlet.
I took some prototypes to various High Street retailers and was turned away."
So Carole launched Party Pieces from home to sell party bags.
Kate Middleton and her siblings all contributed to the business at various times as well.
She and Michael Middleton handled all the responsibilities of Party Pieces when it began.
Their kids were sometimes part of the process too.
“My family have always been my biggest supporters and biggest critics,” Carole said.
“Their honest feedback has been invaluable in helping to shape the business.”
The business grew and grew over time, but it suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unfortunately, Party Pieces had to be sold in 2023 due to some debt issues.
