Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Middleton (born 9 January 1982) was the former girlfriend of Prince William of Wales, elder son of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and second in line to the throne of the United Kingdom.

Early life Kate Middleton

Born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire, England, Middleton is the elder daughter of self-made millionaire Michael Middleton (born 1949), who was an airline officer at the time of her birth, and his wife, the former Carole Goldsmith, who was an air hostess.[1] Her parents now own Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells children's party paraphernalia. She has a younger sister, Philippa ("Pippa") and a younger brother, James.

Middleton was raised in Bucklebury, Berkshire, in the south of England. She went to St Andrew's School, Pangbourne until she was 13 and then attended the public school Marlborough College (the same school William's cousin Princess Eugenie of York attends), where she passed eleven GCSEs and three A-level exams. Like the Prince, Middleton was a student at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. She graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 (Upper Second-Class) MA (Hons) degree in History of Art.



In early 2006, it was rumoured that Middleton intended to found her own mail order company, selling high-end children's clothes. After a key investor stepped down, however, she decided to hold off on this plan.[2] In November 2006, she accepted a position as an accessories buyer assistant with the British clothing chain Jigsaw.

Kate Middleton and Prince William

While attending the University of St Andrews in 2001, Middleton met Prince William of Wales. At the time, Middleton was already in her second year at St Andrews. Since around Christmas of 2003 she and Prince William have been involved in a relationship that has been subjected to intense media attention.



The couple were first seen publicly on a ski trip in Klosters in April 2004. During 2005, the British media began speculating that the Prince and Middleton would eventually become engaged. It is believed that she has met the Queen at Balmoral, but there has been no statement from the Queen or from Prince Charles regarding their views on the relationship or a possible marriage. However, Prince Charles has asked and warned the media to leave Middleton alone on numerous occasions.

Middleton's status as the girlfriend of Prince William has brought her widespread media coverage in the UK and abroad, and she is often photographed on her daily outings. On 17 October 2005, she complained through her lawyer about harassment from the media, stating that, she had done nothing to court publicity. In December 2005, the German magazine Das Nee published photos of the exterior of Middleton's London flat, revealing its location in London. This prompted a security review by police amidst concerns for her safety and a report in the London Evening Standard that Prince William was considering going to the European Court of Human Rights over concerns for Middleton's and his own privacy.

In February 2006, it was announced that Middleton would receive her own 24-hour security detail supplied by the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department. This fuelled further speculation that she and Prince William would soon be engaged, since she would not, otherwise, be entitled to this service. No engagement occurred, and Middleton was not granted an allowance to fund this security.

Middleton has been included in at least one activity attended by members of the royal family; Prince William's "passing out" ceremony at Sandhurst military academy. It was reported by the Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper, that she was invited by the Queen to Christmas lunch in 2006, that would have made her the first unmarried partner of a royal to be asked to the festive celebrations at the royal estate of Sandringham House near Sandringham, Norfolk. Middleton declined the offer, preferring to spend Christmas with her own family.

In 2007, the couple briefly split after struggling to find time as Prince William pursued his army career. However, they soon came back together.

Engagement of Kate Middleton and Prince William

On 16th November, 2010, Kate Middleton and Prince William announced their plans to marry in the new year

Announcing their engagement Prince William said: "The timing is right now, we are both very, very happy." Miss Middleton added that joining the Royal Family was a "daunting prospect" but said: "Hopefully I'll take it in my stride."

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Royal Wedding: Kate Middleton and Prince William in London (April 29, 2011)

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