The couple’s relationship has had its ups and downs. William and Miss Middleton split for several months in 2007, and there was speculation in the British tabloids (always denied) that the royal family was dismayed by the supposedly déclassé behavior of the Middletons. Miss Middleton’s mother, Carole, was said to have chewed gum and used unaristocratic words like “toilet” and “pardon” in front of the queen, and some of William’s friends were said to mutter “doors to manual” when Miss Middleton came into the room, a reference to her mother’s prior career.
No one ever confirmed those stories, and some royal-watchers pointed out that since Mrs. Middleton did not appear to have yet spoken to the queen at that point, it was highly unlikely that she would have had occasion to say much, let alone use the word “toilet” in the queen’s hearing.

THE TIMES: Pardon! How the class struggle still rules in royal press coverage

She reportedly betrays her humble background by saying “toilet” when she should say “lavatory”, and “pardon?” or even “what?” when she means “I beg your pardon?”. The very mention of her name is said to trigger the chorus “Doors To Manual” among the Prince’s more hoorayish friends, who refer to her as “Mrs Meddleton” for her scheming to get her daughter married into the country’s first family. She is said to have responded “Pleased to meet you” instead of the expected “Hello ma’am” when introduced to the Queen.

Language The thesis underlying Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and the musical My Fair Lady was that a flower seller could pass herself off as an aristocrat if she only learnt to speak the part. That is not just a matter of accent but it is also about choice of words. The commonest trap is to choose a posh sounding word, which actually is a giveaway. Mrs Middleton's crimes included using "toilet" and "pardon". You can say "lavatory" or "loo" or even 'bog', but not "toilet". And if you want someone to repeat what they have said, say so. Other words proscribed in Nancy Mitford's famous guide include mirror, settee, serviette and notepaper, which should be looking glass, sofa, napkin, and writing paper.

Carole has also been accused of chewing gum (of the nicotine variety) at William's passing-out parade at Sandhurst in 2006 and then - the greatest sin of all - saying: "Pleased to meet you" instead of "Hello, ma'am" when she was first introduced to the Queen.Some reports say the poor woman even said "toilet" rather than "lavatory" in the royal presence.

"Commoner"

When: Lookups on Merriam-Webster.com spiked on November 16, 2010. Why: After Prince William and Catherine Middleton announced their engagement, the bride-to-be was often referred to as a "commoner." To many Americans the word sounds comical, but it makes a technical distinction: it describes someone, like Ms. Middleton, who is not of royal or noble birth. For example, as one British newspaper reported, "Kate Middleton will be the first commoner to marry an heir presumptive to the throne in more than 350 years..." – Stephen Bates, The Guardian, November 16, 2010 Commoner has been used with this meaning since the 1300s. Coincidentally, the sample use that appears in the Merriam-Webster dictionary suits the moment well: "a prince who married a commoner."