22 facts about Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is the private residence of the British royal family. Purchased in 1852 by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, it became a belov ...
Kate Middleton is the wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince William, with whom she has three children. Even though joining the official ranks of the Royal Family took many years, today she is one of its most popular and well-liked representatives. She is an icon of style and has impeccable manners. She actively serves the Crown by raising her children and pursuing her passions.
Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael, met at work; the Princess’ mother worked as a flight attendant and her father was a flight dispatcher for British Airways. Kate is the eldest of Mr. and Mrs. Middleton’s three children. She has a sister Philippa (born 1983) and a brother James (born 1987).
When she was two years old, her father got a job as an airport manager in Amman. The whole family moved to the Jordanian capital and lived there for the next two years.
She attended St. Andrew’s in Pangbourne, Berkshire, then Downe House, which she dropped out of after experiencing harassment from her peers. She finished her education at Marlborough College, achieving high academic results. Before entering the university, she opted for a gap year, during which she took a course in Italian art history in Florence.
In 2001, she began studying art history at the University of St. Andrews in Fife County, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in 2004.
She engaged in ballet and tap dancing. Additionally, Kate was a member of a choir, with which she received an honorable mention in a Christmas song competition organized by the BBC in 1994. She also tried her hand as an actress in school plays.
In addition, she was involved in tennis, athletics and was a member of the school’s field hockey and netball teams. For her athletic achievements, she was awarded the Leslie Cup at the end of her education.
During her school days, she took up the usual casual employment for young people; she was a store attendant and worked as a hostess and bartender. After finishing her education, she joined the family business, Party Pieces, where her parents put her in charge of marketing. Kate associated her future with fashion, and for a while, she worked for the clothing company Jigsaw as an accessory buyer.
Prince William, like Kate, took a gap year after finishing college. He then chose the same university as his future wife - the University of St. Andrews. In 2001, they both became art history majors. And, even though William later changed his major to geography, they spent enough time together to become friends.
They formed a pack of friends with other students, renting a place together. In the early years, Kate dated other men and did not form a relationship with the heir to the throne until 2003.
Their relationship became public in 2004, after their first break up in 2003. Kate was accompanying William to family celebrations, such as the birthday of William’s father, King Charles III. The increasing media attention led the prince’s spokesperson to issue a statement in 2007, obliging the press to seize an interest in Kate’s private life. The couple separated again that year, but Kate continued to be photographed at various events.
Just a few months after the breakup, the couple got back together and began appearing together in public again. Their relationship was gaining momentum, and in 2008, the Prince introduced Kate to Queen Elizabeth II at the wedding ceremony of Peter Phillips, William’s cousin.
The press began ironically calling her Waity Katie after the couple’s subsequent reunion, still not followed by a proposal from the prince. There was no shortage of voices saying that the situation itself was causing consternation in Kate’s family. Her mother was reportedly worried that, approaching her 30th birthday, her daughter was still not engaged.
In the fall of 2010, the couple was on vacation in Kenya. William proposed to Kate while the couple was preparing William’s favorite dish–roasted chicken. Kate’s engagement ring belonged to William’s mother, Princess Diana, who died tragically in 1997.
Buckingham Palace officially confirmed the engagement on November 16th, 2010. The couple held a press conference and a photo shoot, and the preparations for the wedding were set in motion. The ceremony was to overshadow all previous events involving the British Crown. Before the ceremony, however, Kate Middleton had to receive confirmation.
1.900 people, including politicians, athletes, and artists, were invited to the ceremony. The day of the Royal Wedding was declared a bank holiday throughout the United Kingdom, allowing Royal subjects to celebrate. Overall, 3 billion viewers worldwide watched the event online and on TV.
George, the couple’s firstborn son, was born on July 22nd, 2013. On May 2nd, 2015, their only daughter Charlotte was born, and on April 23rd, 2018, Kate gave birth to their third son, Louis.
With each pregnancy, the Duchess withdrew from her royal duties as she suffered from unrestrained pregnancy vomiting. Each time, just hours after giving birth, Catherine appeared with her newborn children in front of the hospital, presenting them to the public.
Among the most important are public appearances, official meetings, and charity work.
Kate Middleton became involved in charity work long before she became the Duchess of Cambridge. In 2008, two years before her engagement, she started working with Starlight Children’s Foundation, a foundation dedicated to helping hospitalized children. A year later, she entered a committee organizing art workshops for children.
The Duchess of Cambridge, William, and her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, established The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
The Duchess focused on an area close to her interests perfected during her studies. Her patronized institutions centered around culture, arts, sports, and children’s aid.
The Princess and her siblings can use the coat of arms, while in the future, this right will apply only to her brother’s descendants due to the male line inheritance rule.
The coat of arms is kept in a red and blue color scheme, with gold elements, and depicts three acorns of an oak tree, symbolizing the Middleton siblings. Other features associated with the Princess’ entire family refer to the love of the mountains and the Duchess’s mother’s maiden name, Goldsmith.
It is likely that if it were not for her role as Duchess of Cambridge and eventually Princess of Wales, Kate would have found professional fulfillment in the photography industry. As an active member of the Royal Family, she cannot afford to take up this profession but can give vent to her creative nature by taking official photos of the prince’s profile on Instagram.
The Duchess is the author of all official photos of her children published on social media.
Although her image used to be less formal, Kate Middleton has developed a style that inspires women worldwide. She does not dress in strictly designer clothes but can just as often be seen wearing clothing from popular chain stores. In addition, she wears the same outfit several times, following the initiative of limiting consumerism in its broadest sense.
Kate, like other members of the British Royal Family, often tries to include a symbolic message in her clothing and accessories. For instance, it has been pointed out she is trying to pay tribute to her late mother-in-law, Diana, but also to Queen Elizabeth II.
Life in the Royal Family, especially when one occupies the position of the wife of the heir to the throne, involves enormous pressure and a series of rules obliging one to behave in a specific way. It is difficult to observe Princess in an emotional reaction inappropriate to the situation she is currently in; she is typically smiling and cheerful, although there is no shortage of rumors that behind closed doors, the princely couple is going through all sorts of crises.
For some time, the media has been speculating about Prince William’s alleged affair with Kate’s former friend, Rose Hanbury. Comments have also been fueled by the fact that the woman in question was said to have been somewhat estranged from the couple shortly after reports of the affair first surfaced. However, one looks in vain for Kate’s reaction or visible signs of tension between the couple, so in all likelihood, this will remain an unresolved issue for the public.
Because Kate’s father-in-law, Charles, became the new King of Great Britain, the Duchess, and her husband were granted the title of Prince and Princess of Wales.
It was not a live performance but pre-prepared footage filmed at Windsor Castle. Princess accompanied the winners of the 2022 edition, the Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra.
Although, as a future Queen of the realm, she can use the help of many people in running the house, she tries to cook meals for her family. She can be seen shopping in neighborhood stores.
She is very fond of Indian cuisine and often prepares curry. In an interview, Kate admitted she has to make two versions - a mild one for her husband and sons and a spicy one for herself and her daughter. The other frequently served dish is roasted chicken, loved by Prince William.
