Kate Middleton has come a long way from being a commoner to Prince William’s university sweetheart to the Duchess of Cambridge to the Princess of Wales. With her husband, Prince William, next in line to the throne, we are sure to see her become a Queen someday.
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It is no wonder so many women envy her fairytale romance and royal lifestyle. But how much do we really know about the future Queen of England? Being a royal family member is not all roses. Read on to get to know Kate Middleton more.
Her ordinary life
Catherine “Kate” Middleton was born on January 9, 1982. Her parents, Micheal and Carole Middleton met and fell in love while working as flight attendants. Kate is the eldest child. She has two younger siblings, Pippa and James.
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In 1987, Kate’s parents started a mail-order business selling children’s party supplies. As children, Kate and her siblings would model for the company catalog. The family business became a success, allowing them to live more comfortably.
Art history major
Thanks to the family business and with the help of some family inheritance, Kate was able to go to highly prestigious schools like St. Andrew’s prep school and Marlborough College. Kate was a student who excelled in sports and academics.
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In 2001, Kate decided to pursue a degree in History of Art at the University of St. Andrews. This decision would later on become the turning point in her life because this is where she met fellow art history student and future husband, Prince William.
The first attraction
Kate and Prince William were housemates and hung out in the same circle of friends – most of which lived in the same cottage as the two. It was not love at first sight for the two as they have been friends for quite a while and had not considered going beyond that.
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Things changed between the two in 2002 when Kate joined a student fashion show. She walked the ramp in a sheer outfit and that caught the attention of William. Rumor has it that William started to see her in a different light from that moment on.
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Kate and William started dating in the late part of 2002. The couple tried to be discreet and their relationship was only revealed in 2004 when they were seen in Switzerland for a vacation.
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Given how aggressive the British press is, it is a wonder how the two managed to cover up their relationship. A “gentleman’s agreement” between the royal family and newspaper editors allowed William and Kate to enjoy some privacy while they were still at school.
Graduating from university
When Kate and William graduated from university, William joined the military and started training. Kate got a job as a junior buyer for the fashion chain, Jigsaw. Dating the prince gave her some celebrity status but she handled the scrutiny of the press with poise.
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Kate kept to herself most of the time and tried her best to still cling to a more private life despite the intrusions of the paparazzi. While William was with the military, Kate also helped out in their family business and she also did a lot of charity work.
First public appearance together
Kate’s silence had fascinated the media. She was a woman of mystery and despite constant budging from the press, their relationship with William just grew stronger. In 2006, Kate made her first public appearance with William.
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Kate and her family attended the Sovereign’s Parade at the Military Academy in Sandhurst to show their support for Prince William, who was part of the parade. This was the moment that shouted to the world that their relationship was getting serious.
An unexpected development
After the Sovereign’s Parade, Kate was spotted several times joining William and his family on holidays. This triggered speculations that the two must be engaged already. One store started selling memorabilia even if there was no official announcement yet.
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But then, something unexpected happens. In April 2007, news spread that Kate and William had ended their relationship. It was a shock to their followers, who were impressed by the way they were handling their royal romance.
A second chance
As expected, the breakup between Kate and William caused a media frenzy. Some reports were cautious in their speculations while others were just outrageous. Some claim William had met someone new while others believe that this was just a temporary break.
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By June 2007, rumors had it that the couple have decided to rekindle their romance. A month later, Kate and her mother were spotted attending the Concert for Diana held at Wembley Stadium and the public took it as a confirmation that the two were okay.
History repeats itself
The couple was presumed to have made the decision to keep their second go at their relationship out of the spotlight. They were rarely seen together in public and the paparazzi desperately followed Kate around to simply catch them in the act.
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Prince William started to feel that history might repeat itself with the way his mother, Princess Diana, had died in a tragic car accident after being chased by the press. A spokesperson of the royal family had asked the press to stop harassing Kate.
Her life will not be normal
In late 2007, Kate quit her job at Jigsaw and took a production role in her family’s business. This move allowed her to have more control of her time and she was seen spending more time with William.
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Kate started attending family events and supported William during his polo matches. The couple was also spending holidays overseas. This also meant she was more exposed now to the paparazzi. Kate was starting to realize that her life will never be normal again.
Unable to play
In 2007, Kate started to train with The Sisterhood, an all-woman dragon boat crew. The team was preparing to cross the English Channel for charity. Kate was excited to join the race especially since their team was going against an all-male crew.
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However, Kate had to withdraw from the event because of security concerns. She was upset about it but agreed to drop out after considering the safety of the team. It was after this situation that Kate’s lawyers issued a warning to the paparazzi to respect her privacy.
Allergic to horses
The royal family is constantly exposed to horses. After all, they are used in almost every formal event. but did you know that Kate is one of the few in the royal family who never rode a horse? This is because she used to be severely allergic to horses.
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In a 2009 interview with Katty Lette, Kate shared that she has been actively working to overcome that allergy by spending more time with horses. Kate has been photographed around them and sometimes giving them a pat.
The Queen lets her guard down
In the summer of 2009, everyone was surprised when Queen Elizabeth broke protocol for Kate. The two were together on a family trip to Balmoral and it looked like the two hit it off since the Queen allowed her to take photos of the estate.
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It was an unprecedented gesture that surprised royal experts. They believe that Kate must have done something good to impress the Queen on that visit. Indeed, it was rare to see the Queen let her guard down.
Being called “Waity Katie”
With the Queen showing favor to Kate, the press speculates that a wedding is coming soon. Days passed then months then a year without an engagement breaking out between the two. The exasperated British media started calling her “Waity Katie.”
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The nickname mocks her waiting for William to take their relationship to the next level. Finally, William popped the question in October 2010 while they were on a vacation in Kenya. William gave her the famous sapphire engagement ring of the late Princess Diana.
Announcing the engagement
But it was not until the next month, November 2010, that the couple and the royal family announced the engagement. After the palace released a statement, the happy couple had a press conference. And spoke to the public about their relationship.
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In preparation for her joining the royal family, Kate assumed her more formal name, Catherine. The blue dress that Kate wore during that press conference instantly became a hit. The designer brand had a hard time keeping up with the demand for it.
Her first meeting with the Queen
In the post-engagement video that the couple released, Kate revealed that she only met Queen Elizabeth officially after five years of dating William. Their first formal introduction was during the wedding of Peter Philips, the son of Princess Anne.
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This surprised a lot of people because Kate had attended several events where the Queen was also present before that. Reports clarified later on that the Queen may have avoided a formal introduction since the relationship was still new during the first five years.
The wedding of the century
On April 29, 2011, the royal wedding, which was deemed to be the wedding of the century, happened at Westminister Abbey. It was no doubt one of the most expensive weddings in history with an estimated cost of $34 million.
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The televised ceremony had an estimated global audience of 3 billion viewers. All eyes were on her as she walked down the aisle. After the royal marriage, Kate walked out of Westminister Abbey as the Duchess of Cambridge.
The bridal tradition
English brides follow the tradition of carrying something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Kate’s something old was in her gown that featured old Irish lace and her something new was the diamond earrings given to her by her parents.
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Kate’s something borrowed was the Cartier Halo Tiara from the Queen’s jewelry collection, and her something blue was a blue ribbon sewn into her wedding gown. The blue ribbon was a homage to Princess Diana who also sewed a blue ribbon into her dress.
Breaking royal rules
Did you know that Kate broke protocol on her wedding day? Being a royal comes with a lot of rules and that include the way one should dress and style their hair. The royal family told Kate that she should wear her hair up for the royal wedding as tradition dictates.
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The half-up half-down hairstyle Kate wore was frowned upon. But Kate insisted on wearing her hair down with flowing curls because it was her favorite way to wear her hair and it was William’s favorite hairstyle on her too.
Her biggest scandal
Among the biggest scandals Kate had to face was in 2012 when French tabloids published topless photos of her. Kate was sunbathing topless in a private and secluded villa but the paparazzi were able to capture photos of her using a long-lens camera.
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Kate and William sued the Closer magazine and the La Provence newspaper for $1.9 million in damages. The French court was in their favor and also granted the couple an injunction against the publishers of the images.
Her first pregnancy
On December 2012, it was announced that Kate and William were expecting their first child. Kate had a complicated pregnancy. She was suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe pregnancy sickness and she needed to be hospitalized.
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Three days after the announcement, the couple was seen leaving the hospital after Kate got treatment. It was reported that the sickness took a toll on Kate until her final trimester. But thankfully, she was able to make it through and give birth to a healthy baby.
The birth of Prince George
Kate and William welcomed their firstborn on July 22, 2013. They named their son George Alexander Louis, inspired by the names of Queen Elizabeth’s father and grandfather. If George takes the throne, he will rule as King George VII.
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The country celebrated the birth of the young prince by doing gun salutes in Green Park and the Tower of London. the bells at Westminster Abbey also rang for three hours to announce the birth of the prince. Kate and William did the traditional photo of showing the baby outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
The Kate Middleton effect
Kate has become a fashion icon because of the way she dresses glamorously and elegantly. A lot of women follow her style and they called it the “Kate Middleton” effect. As a result, whoever gets to design what Kate wears gets to enjoy a bit of success.
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When fans noticed there was a point where they were unable to track down the designer of what Kate wore, it was revealed that Kate actually had a private dressmaker. Some took offense saying that she was preventing other British designers from benefitting from the “Kate Middleton” effect.
Her fashion mishap
Speaking of fashion, Kate has also made controversial moments with her fashion choices. There was a time when she wore wedges on a royal visit to a cider farm. The choice was said to create a stir within the royal household.
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Generally, there was really nothing wrong with her look but Queen Elizabeth was not fond of wedges. It was noted that ever since that event, Kate only wore wedges on events where the Queen was not present.
The second pregnancy
Kate and William announced that they were expecting their second child in September 2014. The pregnancy announcement was also made early because Kate was having difficulty with the pregnancy once more and had to miss a series of public engagements.
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Some die-hard fans went so far as to camp outside St. Mary’s Hospital for days in the hopes that they would be the first ones to see the second baby. When Kate and William heard about the campers outside, they sent hot coffee and pastries to them.
Moving to the countryside
Kate gave birth to Princess Charlotte on May 2, 2015. Kate and William left the hospital just hours after she had given birth. After the birth of the young princess, Kate, and William decided to leave London and move to somewhere more remote.
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They decided to move to the 10-bedroom Anmer Hall, which was given to them as a wedding gift by the Queen. The remote country home gave their growing family a lot more privacy and a chance to have normal days. Kate particularly loved the village because the residents never bothered them,
Skipping events
Presenting the Shamrocks to the 1st Battalion of Irish Guards on St. Patrick’s Day is a long-standing tradition started by Queen Victoria. This was to honor the English support for Ireland during the Boer War. In 2016, William showed up alone in the event.
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The public ridiculed Kate for skipping such an important event and the palace had to release a statement saying that Kate chose to stay home and prioritize time with her kids since she would be leaving for a royal tour to India and Bhutan.
Meeting Meghan
January 2017 marks the month Kate and Meghan Markle formally met at a gathering in Kensington Palace. Meghan had been dating Prince Harry for over 6 months by then but their relationship was getting pretty serious at that point.
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Meghan’s visit was a day after Kate’s birthday, so she brought a gift for Kate – a Smythson notebook, which Kate appreciated. It was noted that William was able to meet Meghan earlier, about 2 weeks before she was introduced to Kate.
The Fab Four
In March 2017, Harry and Meghan had lunch with William and Kate at Norfolk. It was the first time Kate and Meghan got to really sit down and talk. The two had been bumping into each other before at Kensington Palace but they only were limited to small talk then.
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That particular lunch helped the girls know each other a little better. It was reported that Kate welcomed Meghan and found her a breath of fresh air while Meghan saw Kate as a friend who helped her navigate through the world of royalty.
Moving back to London
After living in the countryside for a few years, Kate and William announced that their family will move back to Kensington Palace in 2017. Major renovations were made to accommodate the family. And the public was excited to see more of the royal family.
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As soon as they moved back to London, the royal couple were now more available for family and official events and the public was able to see more of the two and their kids. It was a move that the Queen and the public appreciated.
The third pregnancy
Kate and William announced that they were expecting baby number 3 on September 2017. Once again, Kate suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum. On April 23, 2018, Kate gave birth to Prince Louis. Louis was born in the same hospital wing as his older siblings.
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Going through three complicated pregnancies Kate proved herself to be a super mom. It is also noted that Louis was born just a few weeks before Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding. With all the royal events happening leading to that day, Kate was able to keep up.
Rumors of the feud
In March 2018, reports came out about the alleged tension between Kate and Meghan. A correspondent for Vanity Fair refuted these rumors saying that the two were friendly and spent a lot of time together.
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Meghan enjoyed spending time with Kate and her kids and the rumors were just fabricated by the press. The two were not exactly best friends but they were not feuding. It was also pointed out that Kate and Meghan had very different interests.
The controversial dress fitting
Days before the royal wedding of Kate and Meghan, the rumors were at it again. Some media outlets published a story that Kate broke down in tears due to emotional distress after a dress fitting for Princess Charlotte had resulted in a spat between the two.
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Although the press shared no specifics, it was greatly assumed that Kate was just emotional especially since she just gave birth to Prince Louis. It was noted that Kate showed no signs of stress or anxiety on the big day.
The royal split
A few months after the wedding, the feud rumors got stronger as it has been reported that Prince William and Prince Harry were splitting their professional responsibilities in Kensington Palace and would have separate offices.
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It was highly suggested that Meghan was the cause of the royal split between the brothers. Shortly after that, Meghan and Harry moved out of Kensington Palace to live in Frogmore Cottage. This time, the rumors say that the brothers are not even speaking to each other.
Her love for photography
As mentioned earlier, Kate and William are art history majors. In 2018, Kate became the first royal patron of the highly esteemed Victoria and Albert Museum in London. As a lover of photography, she has also been a long-standing patron of the National Portrait Gallery.
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Kate is also an honorary member of the Royal Photographic Society. Several of the official portraits of Kate’s children were done by Kate. She is known for taking candid photos that capture milestones like the first baby steps, the first day of school, and birthdays.
The controversial earrings
In 2019, Harry and Meghan held a private and intimate christening ceremony for their firstborn, Archie. Kate got some backlash when the official portraits were released because she chose to wear a pair of Collingwood pearl earrings that belonged to Diana.
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It was the same earrings Diana wore during Harry’s christening in 1994. Fans of the royal family thought this choice of jewelry was in bad taste and was an attempt to upstage Meghan on that day.
The missing engagement ring
In 2020, Kate caused panic among royal fans when she was spotted without her trademark sapphire engagement ring. Trouble in Paradise rumors started going around but it was pointed out that she was still wearing her wedding band.
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The Palace clarified that Kate had stopped wearing the precious sapphire ring temporarily because of the rigorous handwashing protocols brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans were relieved that things were still running smoothly between William and Kate.
Another legal battle with the press
Kate found herself in a legal battle against Tatler when they published a cover story in May 2020 about her. According to the article, the writer spoke to a bunch of Kate’s friends who had shared that the Duchess kept on complaining about the increase in her workload.
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This was after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family. Kensington Palace released a strongly worded statement criticizing the article for its inaccuracies. William and Kate sent legal notices to Tatler afterwards.
The future Queen
In September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles, Kate’s title changed. She was no longer just the Duchess of Cambridge – she became Princess of Wales, the future Queen of England. Diana was the last woman to carry that title.
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Kate’s understanding of the modern world and the younger generation will be of good use and can help make the royal family more relatable. Just as she has remained silent in hardship and controversy, it is expected that she would fulfill this future duty with the same grace and dignity.