Carole Middleton Says 5-Year-Old Kate Sparked Her Party Supply Business: 'My Children Continue to Inspire Me'

Carole Middleton is opening up about the inspiration behind her family business, revealing her daughter, Kate Middleton, was a major influence in her work.

Carole, 66, who owns party bag business Party Pieces, spoke with The Daily Mail on Friday about the origins of her company, which she founded when Kate was just a little girl.

"My children inspired my business and have been involved from the start," she said, adding, "the success that we've had has helped us build the life we have currently. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found the professional fulfilment I always wanted."

Specifically, it was Kate's fifth birthday that sparked the idea for Party Pieces, Carole explained. While searching for party supplies for her daughter's celebration, Carole was uninspired by the selection she found in stores at the time.

"All I could find were basic clown plates," she said. "I realized there was a gap in the market for party ware that wasn't too expensive and which looked good, so [I] decided to design my own. I took some prototypes to various High Street retailers and was turned away."

Still, Carole wasn't ready to give up. She decided to pursue her passion from her home, starting her business from her kitchen table in Berkshire and promoting her products at her children's nursery school. The company proved to be a success, and, three decades later, Carole is still rolling out new products.

"Thirty-five years later, I'm launching the Party Pieces collection. I suppose some things are worth the wait," she said. "So rather than slowing down, this is an exciting new chapter for me. I think I'll always be interested in party trends."

All three of Carole's children — Kate, Pippa, 38, and James, 34 — have worked for Party Pieces at some point, per The Daily Mail.

"My children continue to inspire me and, as they have grown up, our brand has evolved," Carole explained.

The mom-of-three added, "They say if you do a job you enjoy, you don't work a day in your life, and I truly feel like that."

Carole previously opened up about celebrations in the Middleton household with her children, sharing a look into how she and her family celebrated Christmas when Kate, Pippa, and James were younger.

While promoting her Christmas collection for Party Pieces, Middleton shared a photo on Instagram of a wooden Santa with white whiskers wearing a red suit with gold buttons and a black belt.

"I remember that when they were young, my children found flexi-figures like these totally absorbing," Carole wrote in the caption. "A good choice of stocking fillers can give one extra time, undisturbed in bed on Christmas Day. Invaluable!"