Was ‘British Kris Jenner' behind Kate and William's love story?

Ever since The Crown season six aired, fans have been debating whether Kate Middleton’s mother, Carole, deserves a crown of her own for masterminding the future queen’s romance with Prince William. 

The show certainly leans into that narrative, with Carole portrayed by Eve Best as a stylish matchmaker, doling out advice ranging from empowerment speeches to strategic nudges .

In the storyline, Kate calls her mother out for what she sees as careful puppeteering, suggesting she defer Edinburgh and head to St Andrews, nudge her toward Florence’s art program, and even subtly sync her gap year expeditions with William’s travels. 

It’s a storyline that had viewers whispering, Carole British Kris Jenner.

Researchers behind the series led by Annie Sulzberger, dug into the details. 

While the timing of Kate’s choices overlapped with William’s, there’s no evidence she rerouted her life purely for love. 

Edinburgh had a stronger art history program, St Andrews made sense academically and socially, and Kate had never even planned a gap year. 

The research team, mostly women, worked hard to avoid the “Wow she did it all for William” conclusion but in some ways, the media’s original reporting was surprisingly accurate.

In reality, the Prince and Princess of Wales met at St Andrews in 2001 like any two young students sharing classes, living in a student flat, and gradually turning friendship into romance. 

Biographers note Kate’s naturally cautious personality and tendency to avoid risk which makes the idea of her meticulously engineering her life for a prince less plausible. 

Friends later confirmed she gravitated toward William, spending more time with him and his circle, but that was more organic than orchestrated.

The drama of The Crown taps into the enduring fascination with the Middletons once quietly ambitious, now mythologized as royal matchmakers.