Party supplies company run by Kate Middleton’s mother Carole ‘has laid off staff over fears for its future’

• Carole and Michael Middleton founded Party Pieces in 1987 and have 40 staff
• They were inspired by the birthday’s of their children Kate, Pippa and James
• But they have reportedly laid off three members of staff over anxieties ahead 
• The news comes as Mrs Middleton recently broke a media silence over the firm 

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The party supplies company run by the Duchess of Cambridge’s mother has dismissed some of its staff amid fears for its future, it was claimed last night.

Party Pieces, run by Carole Middleton, reportedly laid off at least three of its staff on Wednesday and a fourth worker was told they were at risk, although there were claims up to half of staff members were let go.

The abrupt dismissals come months after three warehouse employees were laid off before Christmas.

The company’s web designer, PR agent and ‘search engine optimisation’ employee were among the recent firings.

Carole and Michael Middleton at St Mary’s Hospital for the birth of Prince George in 2013 – they founded Party Pieces in 1987

• James Middleton’s gift company Boomf unwittingly created… Every little helps, even when your daughter’s a Duchess!…

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A shocked source told The Sun: ‘There is a terrible air of doom and gloom about the place.’

The firm, whose slogan is ‘magical parties for over 30 years’, says on its website it has 40 staff ‘as well as a dedicated customer service team’.

Mrs Middleton, 64, set up the firm with husband Michael, 69, in 1987 and has publicly credited her children Kate, Pippa and James for helping grow the business.

The Duchess of Cambridge at an outing in January, she told students at King’s College London of her ‘entrepreneurial background’

On the company’s website, Mrs Middleton wrote: ‘It’s always been a family business and all the children have played a part.

James established our personalised photo cakes, Catherine started the 1st birthday side of the business, and Pippa developed the Party Pieces blog.’

Another source told The Sun: ‘There wasn’t so much as a Christmas tree or festive decorations in the office. Morale is at rock bottom.’

James’ company, Boomf, which prints Instagram photos on marshmallows, recorded losses of £3 million between 2015 to 2018.

The company, reportedly worth about £30 million, has almost exclusively funded the family’s upper-middle-class lifestyle.

The family own a secluded, seven-bedroomed, Grade II listed mansion in the village of Bucklebury, in Berkshire.

They sent the future Queen and her siblings to preparatory schools and Malborough College, where the yearly fee for a day pupil then ranged from £13,000 to £19,000 a year.

The revelations come as Kate paid tribute to her ‘entrepreneurial’ parents during a visit with the Queen to King’s College on Wednesday.

The Duchess told two university students: ‘I come from an entrepreneurial background and my parents started their own business so I’m all for it!

The disclosures could prove humiliating for Mrs Middleton after she recently celebrated the company’s 30th birthday last year with two high-profile media interviews.

The grandmother to the future King broke a 15-year silence to give interviews to The Daily Telegraph and Good Housekeeping Magazine.

James Middleton arrives for the 20th GQ Men of the Year Award at Komische Oper in November in Berlin, Germany

She told Good Housekeeping that she still turns to her children for advice on the business.

‘Because they [the children] all grew up with me working, Party Pieces has been very much part of our lives and what we talked about.

‘I still ask their advice and say ‘What do you think of this?’

The company began when the family returned to the UK from Jordan, where Mr Middleton had been managing an international air station for British Airways.

Mrs Middleton initially ran the business from her kitchen and enlisted a young James to model its clothes.

The Duchess of Cambridge also modelled for the firm’s catalogue as a child.

As it grew, the firm moved to a business unit in Hungerford, close to the family home in Berkshire.

The move prompted Mr Middleton to join the business full-time, resigning his job with BA.

Mrs Middleton revealed her excitement at apparently capturing what was then a niche in the market.

In an interview serialised over two days, she told The Daily Telegraph: ‘We were pretty much the only ones doing this sort of thing when we started.

ippa Middleton is seen walking her baby Arthur Michael William in Chelsea earlier this month

‘It was really clear almost from the start that this was going to work.

‘I got help from other mums – paperwork and that kind of thing… I think it’s easier to start a business when you’re young.

‘You’re less aware of the pitfalls and maybe you have less of a lifestyle to lose.

‘Running a business is very simple: you buy things and sell them for a profit’.

She vowed to continue running the business, adding: ‘I don’t see myself stopping [work]. If I did I’d have to have so many projects on. I’d have to redecorate the house. I’d love to travel, but then I’d miss the grandchildren.

‘I’ve got a billion ideas I still want to do.’

She hinted the family business kept her sane amid her busy life as a relative of the Royal family, adding: ‘I have two other children and grandchildren and my job, and I lead a lot of my life round here, where I’ve lived for years and people knew me before Catherine’s… impact. It isn’t normal maybe to go to Louis’ christening or Catherine’s wedding, but, in the end, they’re all family events.’

A Party Pieces spokesperson told The Sun it was ‘working on an exciting development partnership’.

It added: ‘The company’s structure is being reviewed to align with its financial targets, in consultation with staff.’

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