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Another step toward a royal wedding?

Parents of Prince William’s girlfriend visit Balmoral estate

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Balmoral Castle
Tim Graham  /  Tim Graham/Getty Images
Balmoral Castle and its surrounding estate are the Scottish home of the royal family.
TODAY.com
updated 11/2/2010 11:11:15 AM ET 2010-11-02T15:11:15

Royal wedding watchers are speculating that the big day is looking more and more like a sure thing after Kate Middleton’s parents were spotted at the queen’s estate in Scotland.

Prince William’s girlfriend’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, spent the weekend with the celebrated couple at Birkhall, Prince Charles’ private residence on the Balmoral estate, Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper reported on Tuesday.

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In photos published by the paper, Carole Middleton is pictured receiving shooting lessons, apparently ahead of a hunting trip, while her husband looks on.

Video: Royal wedding rumored for summer of 2011 (on this page)

“That they should be guests at a shooting party should not be underestimated,” the Daily Mail quoted one royal watcher as saying. “This is the Middletons being taught to be able to join the royals at play.”

The Middletons, who own a party goods website, are often pointed out in the British press for their middle-class roots — quite at odds with their daughter’s boyfriend’s family background.

Slideshow: The lives of princes (on this page)

“The whole idea of William and Kate getting married is gaining momentum in the press,” royal commentator Dickie Arbiter told TODAYshow.com. “The Middletons’ visit to Balmoral is likely an effort by Prince William to repay the kindness that the Middletons have shown him in the past. A royal engagement will only happen when William and Kate decide it will happen.”

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Video: U.K. royal wedding set for 2012? (on this page) Nearly every week there is a story in the British papers speculating about a royal engagement. Several years ago, Prince William, 28, said that he would like to marry between the ages of 28 and 30. He and Middleton have been together eight years, and met during their time in university at St Andrews in Scotland.

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Video: Royal wedding rumored for summer of 2011

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Photos: The lives of princes

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  1. Sons of Charles and Diana

    Left: Princess Diana helps a 10-month-old Prince William stand up during a photo shoot. Right: Prince Harry, aged 1, at home in the playroom at Kensington Palace. (Tim Graham / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  2. A life in the public eye

    Prince William poses with members of the press at Kensington Palace for his 2nd birthday. Of press coverage of his life and relationships, Prince William recently told TODAY's Matt Lauer, "[I] occasionally see a bit of it here and there, but you just let it wash over you." (Tim Graham / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  3. Privilege and tradition

    A 7-year-old Prince William and a 4-year-old Prince Harry watch the Beating Retreat Parade at The Orangery, Kensington Palace. (Tim Graham / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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  4. First day at Eton College

    Left: Prince William on his first day at Eton College, England's premier school. Photo is dated September 7, 1995. Right: Three years later, Prince Harry follows in his brother's footsteps and also goes to Eton. Both are wearing the traditional Eton tail coat. (Tim Graham / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  5. An outpouring of grief

    Earl Spencer, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles at Princess Diana's funeral, September 6, 1997. The memorial services were watched by millions around the world. "After it happened, we were always thinking about it," says Prince William of their mother's death. "There's not a day that goes by... that I don't think about it once in the day." Prince Harry tells TODAY that for the brothers, time has gone by "really really slowly." (FNP / Express UK via Zuma Press) Back to slideshow navigation
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  6. Royal fans

    Left: A 14-year-old Prince Harry walks past cheering teenage girls during a visit to a high school in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. Prince William, 9 years old, shakes hands in an enthusiastic crowd of Canadian women. (Left: Carlo Allegri / Getty Images / Right: Tim Graham / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  7. On the field

    Left: An 18-year-old Prince William plays soccer at Eton College. In 2006, William is appointed President of the English Football Association. Right: Prince Harry, 20 years old, coaches rugby at Greenfield Primary School, in Walsall, England. (Left: St. James Palace via Getty Images / Right: David Rogers / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  8. Sports-minded

    Left: Prince William, like his father and brother, enjoys playing polo. Here he is photographed during a match at Cirencester Polo Club, June 10, 2007. Right: Prince Harry talks to fellow supporters prior to a Rugby Union International match in 2003. (Left: Kelvin Bruce / Abaca / Right: David Rogers / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  9. In their mother's footsteps

    After graduating from Eton College, both princes spent a year traveling around the world doing humanitarian work. At left: Prince William carries a log used to construct walkways during an expedition in the village of Tortel in southern Chile. At right: Prince Harry and a young orphan boy plant a peach tree at a children's home in Lesotho. Both Prince Harry and Prince William say they learned values and humanitarian work by their mother's example. "It's the way she was the whole time," says Harry. (Left: Toby Melville / Pool via Getty Images / Right: A. Joe / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  10. Media glare

    A man reads the "The Sun" in London, January 2005. The headline is critical of Prince Harry for wearing a Nazi uniform at a costume party. He quickly issued a formal apology "Harry's had sort of his fair share of hard time given by the media," remarks his brother, Prince William. Prince Harry also faced criticism after British tabloid News of the World revealed a video of Harry calling a soldier wearing a turban a "raghead." (Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
    Related video Dressed down
  11. Related video Prince Harry will not serve in Iraq

    Second Lieutenants

    Prince Harry (photo on the right, second from right) grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II inspects the Sovereign's Parade. Prince Harry went to Sandhurst Military Academy after graduating from Eton College. After attending St. Andrews University, Prince William attended military school as well. He graduated on Dec. 15, 2006 (left), after his younger brother. Both now serve in the military. (Left: Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP / Right: Dylan Martinez / AP) Back to slideshow navigation

  12. Must love sports

    Left: Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton at a rugby match at Twickenham stadium in London, February 2007. Right: Prince Harry with Chelsy Davy, watching the Champions League match at Stamford Bridge in London, April 2007. (Alastair Grant / AP) Back to slideshow navigation

  13. Remembering Diana

    Prince Harry and Prince William hosted and helped organize the Concert For Diana on July 1, 2007 in London, England. The concert marked the 10th anniversary of their mother's death with an event to celebrate her life. (Dave M. Benett / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  14. Military men

    Left: Prince William is an officer in the army but is also training with other parts of the British military, of which he will be commander-in-chief when he becomes king. As a junior officer in the Royal Navy, he took part in a $80 million drug bust in the North Atlantic. Right: Prince Harry, right, served for 77 days in the war in Afghanistan, but was sent back home after the global media revealed that he had been secretly fighting on the front line. (Left: L. Pitarakis / AFP - Getty Images / Right: John Stillwell / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  15. Flying high

    Prince William, right, receives his flying wings from his father, Prince Charles, after graduating as a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot. (Paul Ellis / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
    Related video Prince Charles fights for the rain forests
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  16. Related story The lives of princes

    Relationship rollercoaster

    Prince Harry dated Chelsy Davy on and off for five years, but the two split up for good in January 2009. (Jamie Mcdonald / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  17. Happily ever after

    Prince William and Kate Middleton started dating in 2002 and were married on April 29, 2011. (Peter Jordan / News International via Zuma Press) Back to slideshow navigation
    Related slideshow A royal couple’s long courtship
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  18. Prince of the city

    From top left, Prince Harry plays polo on Governors Island on May 30, 2009, in New York City, and pays respects to the victims of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks on the same day. At bottom, Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso speak to students during a tour of the Harlem Children's Zone school, also on May 30, 2009. (Getty Images, Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
    Related video Prince Harry: ‘I’m three different people’
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  19. Saving the earth

    Prince William, left, and Prince Harry appear in a May 2009 video as part of a campaign to protect the world's rainforests launched by Britain's Prince Charles. The video is aimed at raising awareness of deforestation and climate change. (Clarence House via AP) Back to slideshow navigation

  20. Solemn occasion

    Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, center, and her grandsons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry, right, attend the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony at in London on Nov. 8, 2009 as the military reported the 200th British soldier killed in combat in Afghanistan. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP) Back to slideshow navigation
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  21. A princely portrait

    Artist Nicky Philipps stands with her portrait of Prince William and Prince Harry at the National Portrait Gallery in London on Jan. 6, 2010. The painting is the first double portrait of the royal brothers. (Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  22. Winning his wings

    Britain's Prince Charles, left, presents his son, Prince William, with his wings during a ceremony at RAF Shawbury in England on Jan. 15, 2010. (Marc Giddings / Pool via Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
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  23. After the blaze

    Britain's Prince Williams speaks with bushfire victim Richard Fox (left) on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2010. The prince was on the last day of a three-day trip to Australia. (Luis Enrique Ascui / Pool via EPA) Back to slideshow navigation

  24. Fans Down Under

    Britain's Prince William is greeted by members of the public as he arrives at Government House in Melbourne on Jan. 21, 2010, the third and final day of his unofficial visit to Australia. (Scott Barbour / Pool via AP) Back to slideshow navigation
  25. Related video Prince Harry: Like mother, like son

    For the children

    Prince Harry attends a Garden Party for Barbados' orphaned and vulnerable children at the Garrison Museum on Jan. 30, 2010 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Prince Harry visited the island with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho for the Sentebale Polo Cup to help raise funds to support Lesotho's vulnerable children. (Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  26. Help for Haiti

    Prince Harry wears a T-shirt bearing the slogan "Haiti We Care" as he dances with a local singer at a fund-raising concert on Jan.31, 2010, in Bridgetown, Barbados. (John Stillwell / Pool via Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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  27.  Related video Web only: Princes face slippery start to Africa trip

    Lending a hand

    Prince Harry and Prince William put gloves on a young boy during a visit to a child education center on June 16, 2010 in Semonkong, Lesotho. The two princes are on a joint trip to Africa where they'll be going to Botswana, Lesotho and finally South Africa. During that time they will visit a number of projects supported by their charities and the England vs. Algeria World Cup match in Cape Town. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  28. Pups for a cause

    Prince Harry holds Veyron, an 8-week-old puppy, during a visit to the charity Canine Partners Training Centre, in Midhurst in southern England on July 13, 2010. The charity specializes in assistance dogs, and the prince is particularly interested in helping wounded armed forces veterans. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / Pool via Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
    Related video Web only: Service pups get prince's approval
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  29. Heir in the air

    Britain's Prince William is seen sitting at the controls of his Sea King helicopter on Sept. 3, 2010. The following month, he completed his first mission as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter copilot, plucking a stricken worker from an oil rig. (Flight Sergeant Andy Carnall / MoD via Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation

  30. Controversial drama

    Australian-British actor Sebastien Reid, center, played the title role in "The Taking of Prince Harry," a "dramatized documentary" about the fictional capture of the Prince Harry while on military duty in Afghanistan. The TV-movie generated controversy when it was shown in Britain in October 2010. (Chanel 4 via Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation

  31. Royal salutes

    Prince William, left, and Prince Charles salute Royal Air Force airmen on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, 2010. (Luke Macgregor / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation

  32. Wedding guests

    Kate Middleton and Prince William attend Harry Meade & Rosie Bradford's wedding at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on Oct. 23, 2010 and set tongues wagging that their own engagement was imminent. On Nov. 16, 2010, the royal family announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged. (Indigo / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
    Related slideshow A royal couple’s long courtship
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    Horning in

    Prince Harry struggles with his klaxon horn while attending the opening of the Royal British Legion Wootton Bassett Field of Remembrance to commemorate soldiers fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan in Lydiard Park on Nov. 9, 2010, in Wootton Bassett, England. (David Parker / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation

  34. Paying respects to a brother in arms

    Prince Harry plants a cross for Lance Corporal of Horse Jonathan Woodgate during the opening of the Royal British Legion Wootton Bassett Field of Remembrance, in the grounds of Lydiard Park, Swindon on Nov. 9, 2010. The Prince planted a cross dedicated to his friend Woodgate, who was in the Household Cavalry Regiment with Prince Harry, and was killed on foot patrol in Afghanistan earlier in the year. (Ben Birchall / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
  35. Related slideshow Latest images of the royal wedding

    Two women, one ring

    A combo shows a picture (R) of Prince Charles and his then fiancee, Lady Diana Spencer, on the day their engagement was announced in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, in London. Prince William used the engagement ring of his late mother when he proposed to Kate Middleton on a safari in Kenya, in October 2010. (EPA) Back to slideshow navigation

  36. Snuggling up

    Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton pose in one of two official engagement portraits, taken by photographer Mario Testino in the Cornwall Room at St James's Palace in London on November 25, 2010. The couple were married on April 29, 2011 in a ceremony watched by more than 2 billion people around the world. (Mario Testino / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
    Related slideshow Images of the royal wedding
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