ROYAL SHOCK: Kate's multi-million pound family business loses HALF its staff in huge blow
KATE, the Duchess of Cambridge’s family business has ditched half its employees to “align with its financial targets”.
Kate Middleton's family business shows off products
Owned by Kate’s mother Carole Middleton, Party Pieces has been forced to cut staff. According to the Daily Mirror, Mrs Middleton opened the business in 1987. The newspaper reports that the business sells around 7,000 items online.
But a source told The Sun, three workers were chopped.
The insider said: “There is a terrible air of doom and gloom about the place.”
The Duchess used to work part-time for the party supplies business.
Her sister Pippa and brother James also held positions.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle: How Meghan has been 'PREVENTED from eclipsing Royals'
Kate Middleton meets students at King’s College London
Reports suggest that a web designer, PR agent and search engine optimisation expert were among those given the boot.
The new job losses come after three warehouse staff saw their contracts terminated.
A Party Pieces spokesperson said 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."
The Duchess of Cambridge is estimated to have been worth £5.3million before she joined the Royal Family, according to Time.
Kate was born in Reading in 1982 and attended public schools such as Downe House and Wiltshire’s Marlborough College, which cost up to £36,000 a year.
Some outlets have claimed that Party Pieces is worth around £30 million.
Much of Kate’s net worth came about from her family’s business and she worked for them up until just months before her wedding.