Catherine Middleton, also known as Kate, is the first born child of Michael Middleton and his wife, Carole. She was born on 9th January 1982 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. At the time, her father was a flight dispatcher for British Airways and her mother was a flight attendant, as Michael had been when the couple met. It was in 1987, when Catherine was aged around five, that her parents founded the Party Pieces company, selling party supplies and decorations by mail order. This business later made Michael and Carole Middleton millionaires.
Catherine Middleton has two younger siblings: a sister, Phillippa Charlotte, known as “Pippa” to her family and freiends (born 1983) and a brother, James William (born 1987). Their parents’ acquired wealth afforded the children a privileged upbringing and education at some of England’s top public schools, but it was Catherine’s romance with Prince William, second in line to the throne of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, which catapulted her to fame.
Catherine’s education began in an English-speaking nursery in Amman Jordan, where her parents were based for work from May 1984 to September 1986. That was when the family returned to Berkshire. Catherine was then educated at St. Andrew’s School in the village of Pangbourne in Berkshire, and then briefly at Downe House, an independent girls boarding school in Cold Ash, Berkshire. She later transferred to the prestigioust Marlborough College, a co-educational independent boarding school in Wiltshire, where she stayed until she had completed her ‘A’ levels.
Catherine then went on to study a History of Art degree at the University of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. She graduated with an upper second class honours degree in 2005.
It was at the University of St. Andrews that Catherine Middleton met Prince William and their relationship began. After graduation, Catherine moved to London to be closer to William as well as for work. However, their relationship was kept closely under wraps to avoid the pressures of press intrusion and being marked out as the girlfriend of the second in line to the throne.
However, the couple took several exotic holidays abroad together such as to the Lewa Downs game reserve in Kenya and skiing at Klosters before Prince William took up his army training at Sandhurst. The couple’s first public kiss was on this holiday in Klosters. Further holidays in Prince William’s time away from Sandhurst saw the couple holiday in Ibiza and Mustique.
In April 2007, the pair reportedly cooled their relationship for a while. Prince William had grown concerned about the media speculation about their romance and knew that any wedding would be years away as he forged out a credible career for himself in the armed forces. However, the split lasted less than two months before they were photographed kissing on the dance floor at an Army party. Their relationship has stayed on course ever since and the two families gradually got to know each other.
The engagement of Catherine Middleton to Prince William was announced on 16th November 2010 and the date for their wedding was later set for 29th April, 2011 at Westminster Abbey. Following her wedding, Catherine Middleton is to be known as Princess Catherine.
