Prince William, the Prince of Wales and the heir apparent to the British throne, has taken a daring and unprecedented step that has stirred up a long-standing tension within the royal family and reshaped the existing balance of influence. By granting his mother-in-law, Carol Middleton, the extraordinary title of Duchess of Barkshire, William has elevated someone from a non-aristocratic background to a status traditionally reserved for the highest ranks of nobility. This bold move also delivers a significant blow to Queen Camila’s stronghold over the royal court, challenging her authority in a way not seen before.
This dramatic decision is deeply rooted in a decades-long conflict involving social class and power struggles. Queen Camila has been left visibly furious, as her once unchallenged control over palace affairs now appears threatened, throwing the monarchy into a delicate and uncertain position. The groundwork for this act of defiance began years ago when William increasingly depended on the steadfast support of the Middleton family.
Unlike the often turbulent and fragmented relationships within the royal circle, the Middletons provided William with a much-needed sense of stability and warmth, especially after the heartbreaking loss of his mother, Princess Diana. Carol Middleton, known for her sharp intellect and entrepreneurial drive, became something of a maternal figure for William, offering guidance through both private hardships and public scrutiny.
Carol’s importance to the family was particularly evident during Catherine’s recovery from a serious abdominal surgery in early 2024, when Carol frequently helped with everyday tasks such as taking Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis to their school, Lamrook School, which is conveniently located near the Middleton’s family home in Bucklebury. William’s gratitude for Carol’s unwavering presence and assistance has now culminated in an official title that raises her to an elite social standing, one previously unimaginable for someone outside royal or noble birth. The title Duchess of Barkshire carries far more weight than a simple honor; it symbolizes William’s profound loyalty to the Middletons and his strategic effort to undermine Camila’s dominance at court.
Barkshire, the county where Carol and her husband Michael Middleton raised their children—Catherine, James, and Pippa—in the quiet village of Bucklebury, holds deep personal meaning. The title evokes the grandeur and historic legacy of traditional duchies such as York or Cambridge, anchoring the Middleton family firmly within the legacy of Princess Catherine, the Princess of Wales.
Catherine’s elegance and widespread public admiration have made her one of the most beloved figures in the monarchy today. Importantly, this elevation of Carol Middleton is also a direct challenge to Camila’s authority. While Camila has long been a quietly resilient and sharp-minded businesswoman wielding significant influence as Queen Consort, Carol’s new status positions her as a formidable rival, threatening the carefully built power base Camila has maintained.
The rivalry between Camila and Carol is not a recent development but rather a bitter saga fueled by class prejudice and personal grudges that trace back to the earliest days of William and Catherine’s relationship. Camila, who was born into the landed gentry and has been steeped in aristocratic traditions all her life, has never hidden her contempt for the Middletons’ middle-class background.
To Camila, Carol, who once worked as a flight attendant before founding a successful party supplies business, was seen as an upstart whose ambition and closeness to the royal family represented a dangerous threat to the established social order. Rumors and palace gossip, including reports from The Times dating back to 2010, revealed that Camila privately mocked the Middletons’ newly acquired social status with cutting remarks about Carol’s perceived pushiness and social climbing.
This disdain was expressed in various subtle but pointed ways, from excluding Carol from significant royal events to minimizing her role and visibility within the palace. The hostility between the two women reached a peak around 2007, during a difficult period when William briefly ended his relationship with Catherine. According to sources close to the couple and cited in a 2011 biography by royal author Katie Nicholl, Camila played a key role in sowing doubt about Catherine’s suitability as a future queen. She reportedly whispered to King Charles that Catherine lacked the pedigree and toughness required for royal life and suggested that William should find a bride from a more fitting background. Though these efforts failed to change William’s mind, the damage lingered, leaving the Middleton family wounded and prompting Carol to vow privately to protect her daughter’s place within the royal fold at all costs.
The rift only deepened years later after Camila became Queen Consort. Reports emerged that she had imposed a harsh restriction barring William and Catherine’s children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—from visiting their maternal grandparents’ home in Bucklebury. While officially justified as a security measure, insiders perceived this ban as a calculated power move designed to sever the children’s connection to their middle-class roots and consolidate Camila’s control over the next generation.
William’s recent decision to bestow the title Duchess of Barkshire on Carol Middleton represents the culmination of these longstanding grievances and serves as a bold act of retaliation. This title, even grander than the Earl and Countess of Bucklebury titles suggested by businessman Sir John Madski in 2014, positions Carol on equal footing with Camila, signaling a deliberate rewrite of royal protocol.
By choosing a duchy title—historically reserved for members of the royal bloodline—William has made clear his intention to challenge tradition and disrupt Camila’s unchallenged supremacy. As Duchess of Barkshire, Carol Middleton now holds a platform that could rival Camila’s influence, potentially taking on major public roles and patronages, especially in areas championed by Catherine, such as early childhood development and mental health awareness. For Camila, this development is a devastating setback. Since King Charles III’s coronation in May 2023, Camila’s reign as Queen Consort has been marked by her solid grip on palace affairs. She has expertly managed everything from state banquets to royal communications during Charles’s cancer treatment in 2024, establishing herself as an indispensable figure whose authority was never questioned.
However, William’s maneuver has forced Camila into unfamiliar territory, compelling her to share power with the Middletons, who were once regarded as outsiders but now hold significant sway. A palace insider revealed to The Telegraph in April 2025 that Camila is furious and deeply humiliated by this shift. She spent years keeping the Middletons at arm’s length, and now Carol Middleton is effectively her equal in rank and influence, which Camila finds nightmarish.
The public has eagerly followed this unfolding drama, with social media platform X buzzing with posts celebrating Carol’s rise and mocking Camila’s fall. Hashtags like “Duchess Carol” and “Middleton vs Camila” have trended widely, with many praising Carol’s relatable and resilient nature. One popular post declared, “Camila tried to keep the Middletons down, but Carol is a queen in her own right now,” garnering thousands of likes.
Public opinion polls by YouGov in 2024 had already shown Camila trailing behind both Catherine and William in terms of popularity, and this latest controversy has only widened that gap. Carol Middleton has emerged as a folk hero to many, symbolizing merit and perseverance triumphing over entrenched privilege. Inside the palace, tensions have skyrocketed, with Camila’s loyalists openly clashing with William’s team over matters of protocol and scheduling. At a recent state dinner, observers noted Camila’s cold demeanor while Carol, glowing in her new role, mingled confidently with dignitaries. A palace source remarked, “Carol has always been a force, and now she has the title to back it up.” Meanwhile, Camila has retreated into a containment strategy, increasing her public appearances in an attempt to maintain her influence and control amidst this unprecedented challenge.