Princess of Wales Kate Middleton

Catherine, Princess of Wales, born Catherine 'Kate' Elizabeth Middleton - the wife of the British heir to the throne William, Prince of Wales. After the wedding, she received the official title Duchess of Cambridge - Her Royal Highness Duchess Catherine of Cambridge. In Scotland - Countess of Strathearn, in Northern Ireland - Baroness Carrickfergus. Place of birth. Education. Born on January 9, 1982, in Reading in the English county of Berkshire to Michael Francis Middleton and his wife Carole Elizabeth, born Goldsmith. The Middletons are not part of the British nobility: Michael came from the middle class, and Elizabeth came from a long-standing mining family, the Harrisons, in County Durham. The couple worked in civil aviation; Elizabeth was a flight attendant and Michael was an air traffic controller. They also have a middle daughter Charlotte (Pippa) and a younger son James William. In May 1984, when Kate was two years old, she moved with her family to the Jordanian capital, where her father was transferred. The Middletons lived there until September 1986. When Kate was three, she began attending an English kindergarten in Amman. In 1987, the Middletons founded the mail-order company Party Pieces, which successfully developed in the British market and made them millionaires. The family settled in their own home in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire. After returning to Berkshire, Kate attended St. Andrew's School in Pangbourne, Berkshire, until 1995. After that, the future princess transferred to Marlborough College, a private school in Wiltshire. At this school, Kate was active in tennis, hockey, and netball, and also participated in athletics - particularly high jump. During her time at Marlborough College, Kate also completed the highest level of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award - Gold. After graduating from college in 2000, Kate did not pursue further studies but took a gap year instead. During this year, she visited two countries - Italy, where she studied at the British Institute of Florence, and Chile, where she participated in a program organized by the charity Raleigh International. Kate also took a short cruise across the English Channel. In 2001, Kate began her studies at the prestigious St. Andrews University in Fife, Scotland. Kate graduated without honors in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in History of Art. After that, she began working in her family's company Party Pieces. The Middleton company provided mail-order goods for various celebrations. In 2008, Kate launched the 'First Birthdays' project as part of her work in the company. In the family business, Kate was responsible for catalog design, product photography, and marketing campaigns. At the same time, she began working in November 2006 in the purchasing department of the Jigsaw chain store in London. Relationship with Prince William. During her studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Kate met Charles’s eldest son, Prince of Wales, Prince William. Starting in 2002, Kate and William, already friends, shared an apartment in Fife and from 2003 also a country house. At that time, their romantic relationship also began. During the study holidays, Prince William and Kate traveled together several times, and in 2003 she was one of the few close friends invited to William's twenty-first birthday party. In 2005, Kate graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a Bachelor’s degree and began appearing more frequently in public alongside Prince William. Rumors of their impending engagement surfaced at that time. However, William began his studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and Kate was invited to the purchasing team of the clothing store Jigsaw. At that time, she resided in the London district of Chelsea. After Kate received the unofficial status of William's girlfriend, she was seen increasingly at events with members of the royal family. On December 15, 2006, Kate, along with her parents, was invited to a festive graduation ceremony at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which Prince William had finished, and which was also attended by Queen Elizabeth II and members of the royal family. In 2007, Prince William traveled to a military camp in Dorset county, while Kate remained in London. These circumstances and the growing pressure from the media were cited as possible reasons for the separation between Kate and William in April 2007. In the summer of 2007, the media reported on the possible resumption of the relationship between Kate and Prince William as they were together at a party at the prince's military base in June. In July, Kate and William jointly attended a memorial concert for Princess Diana, although official sources did not confirm the rumors of the couple's reconciliation. It was later reported that Prince William and Kate decided to renew their relationship in August 2007. Wedding. On November 16, 2010, Clarence House announced the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton - the wife of the British heir to the throne William, Prince of Wales. The couple married on April 29, 2011, and the wedding ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey. After that, Kate received the official title Duchess of Cambridge.