Carole Middleton 'ready to step away' from work to 'enjoy being a granny'

Carole Middleton has decided it's time to step away from her life as a businesswoman and focus on being a granny, an insider has claimed.

• Carole and Michael Middleton are planning on retiring from their Party Pieces business, which launched back in 1987.
• Friends of the couple, who are parents to Kate Middleton, have said they are hoping to sell the company in the coming weeks to investors who will continue the brand.
• In other royal news, Prince Harry won't reunite with Prince William at the Coronation despite his father's pleas as the 'arch nemeses' remain at loggerheads.

Following news that Carole and Michael Middleton have hired advisors for their Party Pieces business, it's now been revealed that after spending time thinking about the decision, Carole is 'looking forward' to spending her time being a devoted granny.

Kate Middleton’s mom is the founder of creative party supplies company, Party Pieces, but it seems her royal grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are a driving factor in her stepping back.

A friend revealed to the Daily Mail, "It has taken her a while to come to terms with the fact that she's ready to step away and enjoy her time more. There are now a lot of grandchildren and she loves being a granny."

The fact that Kate and William moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor last year - which is near to the Middleton's home in Berkshire - will make it even easier for Carole to spend more time with her family.

Carole also has three other grandchildren, the children of her other daughter, Pippa, and her husband, James Matthews - Arthur, four, Grace, two, and baby Rose. They also recently moved into the same Berkshire village where Carole and Michael live, so it's hardly surprising Carole is keen to get stuck into life as a grandma.

A few weeks ago, a spokesperson for Party Pieces said, “We are working with our advisers to secure additional investment which will help support the business as we look to embark on the next phase of our growth plan."

It was claimed earlier this year that Carole Middleton had a “terrible” festive season Party Pieces-wise and had faced struggles. The company allegedly experienced a difficult Christmas period with Royal Mail postal strikes and sales reportedly not being as high as hoped during the ongoing cost of living crisis which has been severely impacting many businesses globally. 

But it's not all doom and gloom as the Middletons are expected to attend King Charles's Coronation which is just a few weeks away. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla released the official invitations earlier this month, which featured a welcoming nod to the Middletons. The beautiful design was created by illustrator Andrew Jamieson, and there are number of symbolic images around the edge. 

One of these is acorns, which could be a tribute to Princess Catherine’s family as they predominantly feature in the Middleton’s family coat of arms. The Middletons received a coat of arms in 2011 before the Princess of Wales’ wedding to Prince William.

Creating the design with the College of Arms, the three acorns represent Carole and Michael's three children – Kate, Pippa and James.

The acorns themselves were chosen because the children were brought up in West Berkshire which is surrounded by oak trees. They are also used to represent the English Oak which is a symbol of strength and longevity.