Today, the Duchess of Cambridge Catherine is perhaps the most popular royal in the world. She is the wife of the future English monarch, the mother of three heirs to the throne, an example of femininity and elegance for millions of fashionistas. It is not surprising that Kate's personality, details of her biography, pedigree and life before marriage attract huge attention of the press.
1. Keith is middle-class
The wife of Prince William has no noble roots. She is typical of the middle class. Relatives of the Duchess on the side of Carol's mother were employed in such professions as butchers, janitors, domestic servants, plasterers. On the side of Michael's father, lawyers and landowners can be found in the Middleton family. Kate's parents met when they both worked in civil aviation: mom was a flight attendant, and dad was a pilot. They had three children, and the future Duchess of Cambridge became the firstborn of the Middleton couple.
Access to high society for the girl was provided by a successful business organized by Carol and Michael in 1987. Their Party Pieces company is engaged in the postal delivery of goods for celebrations. Entrepreneurship has allowed the spouses to earn a million dollar fortune.
2. The Duchess has family ties with famous people
Researchers on the family tree of William's wife have discovered that she is a distant relative of the first President of the United States, George Washington. They have a common ancestor - Sir William Gascon. Thus, Katherine can be called the cousin of the legendary historical figure in the eighth generation. In addition, Middleton found family ties with the American TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres: they are cousins separated by 14 generations. But the most interesting thing is that Kate and her husband William also have a common ancestor. Sir Thomas Leighton was the prince's great-grandfather 12 generations ago, and he was related to his wife at a distance of 11 descendants.
3. Before marriage, Kate had several nicknames
The journalists managed to find out that in elementary school Kate had the nickname "Squeaker", which she received in honor of the school guinea pig. At that time, the future duchess attended St. Andrew's School, located in the small village of Panborne, Berkshire. Middleton studied there between 1986-1995.
The next nickname stuck to her thanks to the ruthless media representatives. Looking at the long and unstable relationship between the prince and his future wife, which lasted 8 years before the engagement was announced, journalists began to call the girl "Patient Katie." They say that she dreamed of William long before meeting him. For example, when Middleton was studying at Marlborough College, where she entered immediately after school, a photograph of the young heir to the British throne allegedly hung on the closet in her room. Therefore, colleagues in the college called the girl "The Princess in Waiting".
4. Kate fell in love with William in absentia
According to rumors, Kate dreamed of the heir to the British throne since childhood. As mentioned, as a teenager, she hung a photo of William on the wall in her room. True, the future duchess herself, in an interview timed to coincide with the engagement with the prince, denied these speculations. According to her, she actually admired the poster of the guy from the Levi’s ad.
As if anticipating her future, in 1992 Kate played the role of a prince in love in a school production. She delivered a beautiful monologue from the stage, a confession of her feelings. Perhaps the girl later just heard these words from the real heir to the throne.
5. Kate and William were friends before romance
The future spouses met while studying at the University of St Andrews, where they entered in 2001. In her first year, Kate ran a charity fashion show, which the prince attended. He even paid 200 pounds for a front row seat and, according to some sources, it was then that he first noticed a charming classmate. In that show, Middleton, along with other students, took part as a model and paraded in a transparent dress that was hard to miss.
The next academic year, Kate and William moved into a house near the university with friends. From that moment on, rumors appeared about a possible romance between them. True, the journalists managed to capture the public manifestation of their tender feelings only in 2004, when the lovers were caught kissing on the slopes of the Klosters ski resort in the Swiss Alps.
6. Before marriage, Kate had two boyfriends
The first love of the future duchess was Willem Marx. They met while attending Marlborough College. After parting, the former lovers maintained a good relationship, they were repeatedly seen together. For example, eyewitnesses told the press how Middleton and Marks had fun in the Boujis nightclub in 2008. Longtime acquaintances danced and had a great time in each other's company.
Henry Ropner did not manage to be another boyfriend of Kate for long. She dated him during a brief breakup with Prince William in April 2007. Fortunately, the couple reunited in August, and the new boyfriend was retired.
7. Kate loved Tom Cruise when she was young
In 2013, writer Katie Nicholl published the book The Future Queen, in which she detailed the biography of Kate Middleton. In particular, she said that in her youth, William's future wife was a fan of the Hollywood star Tom Cruise. In particular, the girl adored the film "Cocktail", where the famous actor played the main role - the young and ambitious bartender Brian Flenegan.
8. After university, Kate worked in a clothing store
In November 2006, Middleton joined the purchasing department of Jigsaw, a women's clothing store located in London. She worked part-time and handled accessories. To highlight her brand identity, Kate even wore clothes with the Jigsaw logo. During her work, she managed to take part in the creation of a silver pendant, later named after her - Kate Quartz Necklace. Colleagues of the Duchess spoke of her as a kind, creative and purposeful person.
9. The Duchess is allergic to horses
Australian writer Katie Lett claims that in 2008 Kate told her about her allergy to horses. The prince's friend was certainly upset by this fact. After all, the royal family is famous for its love of horses, and Prince William, like most aristocrats, loves to play polo. Despite her allergies, Middleton tried her best to love these animals. For example, she came to support Zara Phillips, William's cousin, during her performance at the Olympics.
10. Home nicknames of William and Kate
In an interview, William told reporters that Princess Diana called him "Wombat" as a child. This animal somehow attracted her during her official visit to Australia. The heir to the British throne and his wife also have cute nicknames for each other. The journalists managed to find out that Kate is calling her husband "Big Willie", and he, in turn, gave her the affectionate nickname "Tiny". Naturally, the official status does not allow a couple of public displays of affection, so they never call each other that in front of casual witnesses.
11. The Duchess wears Princess Diana's ring
For the engagement, which took place on November 16, 2010, William presented his bride with a ring previously worn by his mother, Princess Diana, during her engagement to Prince Charles. At the center of the piece is a 12-carat blue sapphire surrounded by smaller diamonds. In 1981, the ring was worth £ 28,500. Now its cost is priceless due to its connection with the deceased British pet. The audience was a little surprised by the act of William, since his bride has no noble blood. In addition, unlike Charles, it took the young prince much longer to marry.
12. Kim Kardashian dedicated a shoe model to the Duchess
On the day of the 30th anniversary, which Katherine celebrated on January 9, 2012, American socialite Kim Kardashian released a souvenir shoe model called "Duchess". According to the designer, these stylish and laconic black shoes with 11 cm heels will make any girl feel like a princess. As befits a member of the royal family, Kate ignored Kim's antics.
