Michael and Carole Middleton spent more than an hour with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at a meeting described by courtiers as having “a warm atmosphere”.
Although Miss Middleton was first introduced to the Queen by Prince William in 2006, many commentators have been mystified by the fact that her parents had never met the monarch during the couple’s eight-year courtship.
It had been reported that the Queen would not meet the Middletons until the reception after the wedding, but royal sources said Wednesday’s lunch was “a long-standing engagement”.
It is understood that arrangements for the Queen to meet her grandson’s future in-laws were put in place shortly after the announcement of Prince William’s engagement to Miss Middleton last November.
But because royal diaries are booked up months in advance, the Middletons had to wait until eight days before the wedding for their landmark meeting, which was also attended by a handful of members of the Royal household, thought to be the Queen’s private secretaries.
