Carole Middleton's family pays tribute to the Queen as they describe her death as a time of 'great sadness'

ok.co.uk:

Kate Middleton’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton have paid a poignant tribute to The Queen, following her death on Thursday September 8 at the age of 96.

The Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge’s parents marked the sad occasion with a tribute to her majesty on their family business Party Pieces’ social media page, where they referenced her enduring 70 year reign and described her passing as a time of “great sadness.” The post, which was shared alongside a smiling image of the monarch one day after the news of her death first broke, read: “RIP Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. “We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen." “For over 70 years she dedicated her life to service for the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. “We offer our heartfelt sympathy to The Royal Family at this time of great sadness.” As the nation mourns our longest reigning monarch, the Queen’s death also signals an end to the surprising bond shared between Kate’s mother Carole and Queen Elizabeth.Throughout the course of Kate’s relationship with Prince William, The Duchess’ parents became regular faces at many royal events, including several trips to Royal Ascot where they were personally invited by the Queen.

Bonding over their shared interest in horse racing, Carole and Queen Elizabeth struck up an unexpected friendship over the years, with one royal commentator suggesting it also carried with is a dose of nostalgia for the Queen - and perhaps even a sense of normality. “In the past, [young Princess] Elizabeth had a Scottish nanny who was the daughter of a railway signalman and actually slept in her bedroom until she was a teenager,” explained royals writer Robert Lacey, consultant to the Netflix series The Crown in a.