Kate's origins, alas, leave no illusions: her family is people from the working class builders and miners. The first who tried to improve material and social status family, became Kate's great-grandmother maternal line– Dorothy Goldsmith. Dorothy encouraged her children to set high goals and achieve them. Following Dorothy's advice, Kate's mother managed to get a prestigious job as a flight attendant at the time. It was at that job that Carol met air traffic controller Michael Middleton, and they soon married.

By the time Kate was born, her persistent mother was looking for new ways to climb the social ladder. And in 1987, Carol founded her own company Party Pieces, engaged in postal delivery of holiday paraphernalia and decorations. Understanding perfectly the importance of quality education for her children, Carol pursued the ambitious goal of sending them to study in elite private schools, because studying in a good school largely determines future fate child. And, as life later showed, Kate’s mother’s calculation was completely justified.

In the photo: Kate Middleton while studying at school (middle in the front row).

Fortunately, family business turned out to be surprisingly successful and, in the end, the Middletons became multimillionaires. Golden times have come for Kate and her family: Kate studied at several elite boarding schools, including St. Andrew's Prep School, Down House, And Marlborough College. It can’t be said that Kate’s school days went perfectly smoothly: at the age of 13, she had to leave the prestigious Down House girls’ school due to bullying from other students. And on her first day at Marlborough College, some arrogant male students began handing out grades to the new female students based on their level of attractiveness. Kate received only 2 points out of 10. However, despite the initial difficulties, Kate did well in her studies and successfully passed her GCSE final exams, as well as three A-level exams (giving the right to enter the university).

In 2001, Kate Middleton entered University of St Andrews(the University of St Andrews) in Scotland, becoming the first of its kind to enter higher education in the UK. During her first year at university, Middleton lived in student housing St. Salvators Hall, where he lived with her at the same time Prince William. Kate and William also took some classes together during their studies and soon became friends. However, despite the fact that they often had breakfast and went to classes together, the young people did not initially show romantic interest in each other. At the time, Kate was dating senior student Rupert Finch, and William was too preoccupied with contacts with the press and getting used to the new educational institution.

In the photo: the same dress that intrigued Prince William

Everything changed in 2002, when Kate appeared at a university charity fashion show, wearing a provocative transparent dress. William, who was present at the event, was intrigued and looked at Kate with new eyes. That same evening he tried to start a relationship with Kate romantic relationship, however, Kate, who was still considered Finch’s girlfriend, decisively rejected the claims of the future king of Great Britain.

Relationship with Prince William

At the end of 2002, Kate Middleton's then-boyfriend graduated from university. The couple's relationship did not stand the test of distance, and they soon broke up.

In the photo: Kate Middleton and Prince William at the graduation ceremony at the University

Free again, Kate, who was continuing her studies at University, and some of her friends were offered to share an apartment with Prince William. In 2003, a romantic relationship began between Kate and William and they began dating.

At first, Middleton's life didn't change much: the couple kept their relationship secret for several years, mainly due to the Prince's extreme distrust of the press. They decided not to show their relationship in public - not to hold hands or sit next to each other at dinner parties. This caution paid off, and in June 2003, Kate graduated from university with a degree. BA in Art History, without intrusive attention from the press.

In the photo: caught paparazzi Kate Middleton and Prince William at a ski resort in Switzerland

However, in 2004, during a joint trip to ski resort With royal family Kate was waylaid by paparazzi. Her relationship with William soon came under scrutiny and by 2005 she had become a tabloid favorite. As a result, in February 2006, Middleton received round-the-clock protection from the Department of Royal and Diplomatic Protection. This sparked rumors that Middleton was being groomed to play royalty.

In the photo: Kate at the parade at the Military Academy, where Prince William participated

In 2006, Prince William went to study in Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. And Kate, deprived of round-the-clock security, alone coped with the attacks of the paparazzi. Being a girlfriend Crown Prince, she was having difficulty finding a job - her future position had to be decent royal family, but at the same time give Kate some freedom to meet with the Prince.

In November 2006, Middleton finally found an acceptable position - an assistant buyer for accessories in a London chain of clothing stores. Jigsaw. It was later reported that she left the company to study portrait photography.

In April 2007, Middleton and Prince William officially separated. There were rumors that the royal family allegedly put pressure on William to either finally formally propose to Kate or allow her to build her own life. It was alleged that William had decided to end his five-year relationship with Kate and announced this to her over the phone. However, a few months later, reports began to appear in the media about William and Kate appearing together at some royal family events. There was a rumor that the couple even lived together. However, both Kate and William stubbornly denied these rumors.

In 2010, it was reported that Kate Middleton was planning to launch a cake baking business with her brother James, who ran the company. The Cake Kit. The idea of ​​the business was to produce special kits for baking birthday cakes that simplified the cooking process and made it possible to involve children in it.

Kate's marriage to Prince William

November 16, 2010 Kate Middleton and Prince William announced their engagement. William proposed to Kate during their holiday in Kenya, giving her wedding ring to his mother. The couple then announced plans to move after their wedding to North Wales, where Prince William was serving in the Royal Air Force.

In the photo: the famous kiss of Kate and William at the wedding

April 29, 2011 Prince William and Kate Middleton got married in Westminster Abbey in London. Kate wore a wedding dress from designer Sarah Burton - the design of the dress was kept in the strictest confidence until the celebration. Shortly before the wedding, Queen Elizabeth gave Kate the title Catherine, Her Royal Highness Duchess of Cambridge.

Middleton's name made headlines again in September 2012 when French magazine Closer published a photo of the Duchess sunbathing topless in the south of France. Soon the photographs were reprinted in publications in Ireland and Italy. Immediately after the photo was released, the British royal family started a legal battle in order to obtain the rights to these photographs and thereby avoid further reprints. According to the Los Angeles Times, not a single news publisher in the UK dared to print the ill-fated photographs.

Just 4 days after the publication of the photographs, the royal family sued for their rights to them. The court ordered the French magazine to hand over the pictures within 24 hours of the entry into force court decision under threat of a fine of 13 thousand dollars for each day of delay and a fine for further distribution of photographs.

Duchess's pregnancy

On December 3, 2012, after almost a year of active rumors and speculation, St. James's Palace officially announced the Duchess's pregnancy. On the same day, Kate Middleton, accompanied by her husband, was hospitalized at King Edward VII's Hospital in London with an acute attack of toxicosis.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that The Duchess is expecting a baby," an official statement confirmed. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families are very pleased with the news."

In September 2014, it was announced that Kate Middleton was expecting her second child.

Births of heirs to the throne

Anticipating the imminent birth of the heir to the British throne, in early July 2013, representatives of international media occupied the territory in front of St Mary's Hospital in the London area of ​​Paddington. This was the same hospital where Princess Diana gave birth to Princes William and Harry.

In the photo: William and Kate with newborn Prince George leaving the hospital

July 22, 2013 The Royal Palace announced the birth of a boy weighing 3.8 kg at 16:24 local time. Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge became third in line for british throne, followed by Prince Charles and Prince William.

In the photo: William and Kate with newborn Princess Charlotte leaving the hospital

A May 2, 2015 Kate gave birth to a daughter Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, weighing 3.71 kg at 8:34 a.m. local time in the same hospital. She is the Queen's fifth great-grandchild and fourth in line to the throne after her brother Prince George.

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She was born on January 9, 1982 in the city of Reading in the English county of Berkshire in the family of Michael Francis Middleton and Carol Elizabeth, née Goldsmith. Carol was a flight attendant, Michael was an air traffic controller (he later became a British Airways pilot).

In 1987, the Middletons founded the parcel trading company Party Pieces, which successfully developed in the British market and made them millionaires. The company provides postal delivery of goods for various holidays. The family settled in their own house in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire.

Kate graduated from St. Andrews School in the village of Panbourne in Berkshire. Then the future princess moved to Marlborough College, a private educational institution in Wiltshire. At college, Kate played tennis, hockey and netball, and was involved in athletics.

After graduating from college in 2000, Kate did not go to university, taking a year off from studying. During this time, she visited two countries - Italy, where she studied at the Florence British Institute, and Chile, where she participated in a program for the charity Raleigh International. In addition, Kate managed to take a short cruise along the Solent. In 2001, she entered the University of St. Andrews in the Scottish region of Fife. There she met Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales.

Kate graduated from the university without failing grades, receiving a bachelor's degree with second-class honors in 2005, majoring in art history. After that, she began working for the company Party Pieces, which was founded by her parents.

In 2005, all British and world tabloids wrote about Kate as Prince William's new girlfriend. A photo of them together, taken during one of the excursions, appeared on the front pages of the world's leading publications. Subsequently, Middleton turned to a lawyer due to the constant interference in her personal life and harassment of journalists.

At the university, young people studied art history together, but later Prince William changed his specialization to geography. According to some reports, he wanted to drop out of the first year, but Kate convinced him to continue his studies. According to another version, William remained at the university thanks to his father’s persuasion.

Middleton began to appear frequently at events involving the royal family. On November 16, 2010, Clarence House announced Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton.

On April 29, 2011, Kate Middleton married Prince William of Wales. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain granted the lovers the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Kate Middleton ordered two for her wedding wedding dresses(one -

for the wedding ceremony, the second - for the wedding dinner). The first, which became the main intrigue of the celebration, amazed all fashion experts. The bride chose a dress from the British brand Alexander McQueen. The second dress was created by the famous British fashion designer and stylist Bruce Oldfield, who previously took part in the design of Princess Diana's wardrobe.

On May 2, 2015, the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a daughter. The girl was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

Probably, you imagined that the most august persons could afford whatever they wanted, thanks not only to their unlimited power, but also to their inexhaustible wealth? Be quick to be disappointed: the Queen is only 257th on the list of the richest people in Great Britain - her fortune is $550 million.

2. Decree on the king fish

According to British law, any member of one of the species " king fish» - whales, sturgeon or dolphins - caught in British territorial waters are automatically considered to belong to the royal family. This decree was issued by Edward II. 13th century and is still in effect, even though it has since been proven that dolphins are not fish.

3. Double birthday

Some people born shortly before or immediately after the New Year celebrate their birthday twice, but in general a person usually has one birthday. But the Queen has two of them - on April 21 she was born for real, and in May or June official celebrations are usually organized on the occasion of her birthday.

4. Long live the Queen!

Queen Elizabeth II is currently Britain's longest-serving ruler in history: her reign now stands at 64 years. Queen Victoria, who reigned before her, remained on the throne for 63 years and 216 days. Nowadays, it is difficult for a person not to lose his job even within a year, let alone over 60 years!

5. Smart guy

In 2001, Prince William entered the University of St. Andrews and graduated with honors in 2005. Among the heirs to the British throne, he had the highest academic achievement!

6. Another smart girl

Prince William is not the only member of the royal family to receive academic honours. His wife Kate Middleton also studied at the University of St. Andrews (where they met). Kate has a degree in art history, making her the first Crown bride with a university degree.

7. Progressive morals

It was only in 2013 that the UK moved away from the concept of male succession to the throne, thus declaring that any member of the royal family, regardless of gender, could inherit the throne. You may ask: how then did Elizabeth II ascend the throne? Elementary: her father had no sons.

8. Without a real last name

What is the Queen's surname? I think many would like to know. But in fact, this is not so important: once on the throne, a person can take almost any surname. Elizabeth II's father changed his surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor; Windsor later became Mountbatten-Windsor.

9. The house is full of servants

If you've ever seen Buckingham Palace up close, at least in a movie - you know that it is huge. It is located on an area of ​​77,000 square meters, has 775 rooms and about 800 workers to maintain its condition and the life of the royal family as normal. There are cooks, maids, butlers, security and even watchmakers!

10. Dads come and go, but the Queen remains.

The current Pope is already the sixth to be replaced in his post during the reign of the Queen. Maybe it will impress you even more if you know that there have been 266 Popes since 33 AD.

11. What is in my name for you?

Some people change their name because they don’t like the name they were given at birth, others because they associate it with something unpleasant. Members of the royal family also change their names - for a ceremonial reason: they need a new name to reign, and they can choose it. Queen Victoria was once Princess Alexandrina, King George was once Prince Albert, and so on.

12. Connections with America

It has recently been discovered that although the US declared independence from England in 1776, there is still a connection between the US and England - related: the Duchess Cambridge Kate Middleton is related to Founding Father George Washington.

0 April 14, 2018, 20:45

Kate Middleton with friends

The lives of British monarchs are seemingly in the public eye (we even know Prince George and Princess Charlotte), but at the same time there are things that are hidden from the public. For example, have you heard anything about best friend? Journalists conducted their own investigation and found out who the duchess is friends with.

Of all Kate's circle, the most famous to the public is, of course, Pippa. The Duchess and her sister have always been very close; their age difference is less than two years. It was Pippa who most actively helped Catherine prepare for the wedding and now spends a lot of time with her. The sisters often travel together, they have common friends, interests and even tastes in clothes.

Kate Middleton's wedding

Pippa Middleton's wedding

This girl is called Katherine's best friend, she is George's godmother. Emilia and Kate have known each other since college. They say that when Middleton and Prince William separated for a while, Emilia arranged for her friend a “consolation tour” to Ibiza. Now the “party” days are a thing of the past for both: Emilia also has two small children. She owns a design bureau and helped Kate renovate her interiors Kensington Palace. By the way, Emilia’s husband David studied at Eton with Prince William, so the couples are family friends.

Another close friend of Kate, Sophie Carter, is Princess Charlotte's godmother. Moreover, this ex-girlfriend best friend William Thomas Van Straubenzee, and her brother Robert is married to a school friend, Catherine.

The Duchess and her friend are so close that Sophie may appear with the royal family at a church service or travel with the Dukes of Cambridge and their children.

Trini Foyle

Katherine's closest friends are those with whom she studied at Marlborough College. Among them is Trini Foyle, who also supported the future duchess during her disagreements with William. Foyle now spends time at the palace and attends events with the Middleton family.

Mutual friends and neighbors of Kate and William, James is also Princess Charlotte's godfather. He is one of the prince's oldest friends, and he and his wife can also come to church services along with representatives of the crowned family.

Hugh is one of the four van Cutsem brothers - the sons of Prince Charles's best friend, so William has known him since childhood. The Prince and Catherine are now communicating with all the van Cutsem brothers and their wives, and little George and Charlotte have already become friends with their children, so there is a big company.

Alice Avenel

Kate and William's closest circle is also Alice Avenel - Middleton became friends with her at Marlborough College, where they were in the same tennis section. In her teenage years, Alice was friends with William, and then studied at Edinburgh University with Pippa Middleton. Now Avenel continues to communicate with the Dukes of Cambridge; they were guests at her wedding.

Rebecca is the Duchess's former private secretary, but Kate is said to treat her like a friend. Deacon once worked in charitable foundation Prince Harry, and after the engagement of William and Kate became right hand duchess. For ten years she was responsible for scheduling Catherine's activities and went with her and William on all official trips.

Rebecca left her position this summer and is now running her own PR company. The Deacon and the Duchess broke up not just good relations: At a special ceremony at the palace in the fall, Prince William presented Rebecca with a Royal Victorian Order in recognition of her many years of service and dedication.

Another of Kate’s assistants, also included in the “circle of trust,” is Natasha Archer, the Duchess’s personal assistant and her stylist. The girl is responsible for all of Catherine's outfits, traveling with her around the world. The fact that the relationship between them is trusting is evidenced by the fact that Natasha and Rebecca Deacon were among the first to visit Kate after the first and second births.

Photo Gettyimages.ru