The Untold Truth Of Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton was thrown into the international spotlight when she married Prince William on April 29, 2011. Since then, she's become a beloved member of the royal family, as well as the mother of William's three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. However, Kate retreated from the limelight in 2024, with reports revealing that the princess had undergone abdominal surgery and wouldn't be returning to public events until later in the year.
Kensington Palace's decision to remain secretive regarding Kate's health and wellbeing led onlookers to question whether some sort of conspiracy was taking place behind closed doors. When a photo of Kate was proven to be fake, royal watchers became even more concerned for the duchess, but answers were not forthcoming from the royal family.
From her idyllic childhood with the Middleton family to how she first came into contact with Prince William, Kate's life has been a dramatic rollercoaster ride. Join us as we explore the untold truth of Kate Middleton.
She briefly lived in Jordan as a child
Long before she became the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton spent some time living in Amman, Jordan as a young child, along with her sister Pippa Middleton, and parents Carole and Michael Middleton. The Middleton family moved to Jordan in 1984 when Kate was just 2 years-old after Michael was offered a job in the country.
While living in Jordan, Kate had the opportunity to learn Arabic while attending a nursery for students from around the world. "They lived in a two-story rented villa, close to a park and the nursery where Kate went," Hanna Hashweh, the chief executive of a travel agency, told The National in 2011. "I remember she was a very beautiful little girl."
According to the publication, the now-shuttered Assahera nursery carried a fee of approximately $1,000 per student per year. The nursery's former owner Sahera al Nabulsi recalled the future princess' attendance at the establishment, telling the news outlet, "Kate's father used to pick her up sometimes in his work uniform and the kids used to get very excited and run to see him. But most of the time the mother picked her up. She was always on time."
The Middleton family lived in Jordan for around two years, leaving the country in September 1984 and moving back to Berkshire, England, where they have remained since.
She had an 'amazing' grandmother growing up
After joining the royal family, the Princess of Wales seemed to grow close to her husband Prince William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. But before she became a princess, Kate Middleton had a relatively normal upbringing, which included forging a strong bond with her own grandmother. During an appearance on the "Happy Mum, Happy Baby" podcast (via The Standard) in 2020, Kate opened up about her experiences as a young child, saying, "I had an amazing granny who devoted a lot of time to us — playing with us, doing arts and crafts and going to the greenhouse to do gardening, and cooking with us."
It would seem that Kate's close connection to her grandmother directly influenced how she decided to raise her own children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. "And I try and incorporate a lot of the experiences that she gave us at the time into the experiences that I give my children now," she revealed on the podcast. For instance, fans of the former Duchess of Cambridge will know that she publicly shared her passion for gardening with her children by taking them to a garden she designed for the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019. She may be royal now, but Kate continues to honor her own family traditions, while remembering the people who shaped her as a child.
She was a child model for the family business
Kate Middleton is regularly photographed as a member of the British royal family, but she was no stranger to posing for pictures prior to marrying Prince William. When she was a child, her family started Party Pieces, an online business selling party decorations and supplies. And from early on, Kate and her siblings, Pippa and James Middleton, were involved with the company in a major way.
In a since-deleted blog post, Carole Middleton celebrated the 30th anniversary of Party Pieces (via Marie Claire U.K.). "It is still very much a family business today, and over the years all my children have played a huge part in it from modeling for the catalogue to developing new categories for the brand," Kate's mom wrote, while sharing a photo of her children posing for the brand. Basically, it seems that Kate has never been shy in front of the camera.
During an interview with CNN Money, author Claudia Joseph, who wrote the biography "Kate: The Making of a Princess," discussed Kate's early foray into modeling on behalf of Party Pieces. "Both Pippa and Kate used to model for the catalogs, wearing t-shirts with their ages on them and holding cupcakes," she told the outlet. Since then, Kate has become one of the most photographed women in the world, but her family's business is where it all started.
She gained some unexpected nicknames as a kid
Since joining the royal family, Kate Middleton has acquired a number of new names and titles, including the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and she's become a member of the House of Windsor. It has also been revealed that when she was a child, Kate acquired some very unexpected, and slightly rude, nicknames that are likely to come as a surprise to some royal fans.
At an official royal engagement at St Andrew's School in Pangbourne, Berkshire in 2012, Kate spoke to some students about the pets her family owned when she was growing up. After revealing that she used to share two Guinea pigs with her sister Pippa Middleton, the princess explained (via the Mirror), "There was one called Pip and one called Squeak, because my sister was called Pippa and I was Squeak."
As well as sharing a pretty adorable nickname with a Guinea pig, Kate apparently acquired a racier nickname while attending the exclusive Marlborough College as a teenager. In the documentary "Kate Middleton: Biography," which was released in 2011, royal experts discussed Kate's risqué behavior at the college, with author Claudia Joseph revealing (via The Sun) that the future duchess had exposed herself to students who were passing by her window. Royal expert Christopher Andersen seemingly confirmed the story, saying, "She was so famous for this at the school she became known as Kate Middlebum," which is certainly unexpected.
Prince William first 'caught her attention' while playing hockey as a child
Kate Middleton and Prince William's romance blossomed when they both attended the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001. However, according to one royal expert, the pair's fateful meeting at the educational institution may not have been the first time they connected with one another. In her book "Kate: The Future Queen," royal author Katie Nicholl alleged that Kate first became aware of Prince William at a hockey match between their rival schools when they were kids (via the Mirror). At the time, the pair were reportedly 9 years old, respectively. "Although [Kate Middleton] wasn't especially interested in boys, the arrival of one particular young man had caught her attention," Nicholl alleged.
While Prince William attended the prestigious Ludgrove School, Kate was a student at St Andrew's Prep in Eastbourne, England. "William, like Kate, loved sports and was one of the best hockey and rugby players in his year," Nicholl reported in her book. "Of course, the arrival of the Prince generated a flurry of excitement." If Nicholl's version of events is true, Kate and William's first meeting may have taken place much earlier than previously thought. If anything, their proximity to one another as children makes their love story all the more romantic.
She spent a gap year in Italy and Patagonia before university
Prior to arriving at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in the fall of 2001, Kate Middleton took a year off from studying to travel the world. Interestingly, Prince William did the same, embarking on some worldwide journeys prior to committing to college. As reported by the Mail on Sunday, Kate first decided to travel to Florence, Italy with some of her girlfriends, with the group sharing accommodation and enjoying their time in the city for three months. Discussing Kate's Italian adventure, a source alleged to the publication, "[Kate's mom] Carole [Middleton] teased Kate about an Italian waiter, saying, 'Isn't he handsome?' She would try to get Kate to take an interest in boys and say things like, 'Let's go and buy you some nice clothes, darling.'"
After leaving Italy, Kate ventured to Patagonia in Chile, where she joined an expedition organized by Raleigh International, a company with whom Prince William also completed a trip a few months earlier. During her stay in Chile, Kate was part of a group that helped to construct a fire station in local village, with the instructor praising the future princess' work ethic to the Daily Mail. Before arriving at the University of St Andrews, Kate had quite an adventurous life, and likely had no idea what was ahead of her.
She was 'hung up' on first love Harry Blakelock for a long time
While it's hard to imagine Kate Middleton with anyone other than Prince William, the future Princess of Wales apparently fell in love with her high school boyfriend, Harry Blakelock, whom she met while attending Marlborough College. And even during her gap year, before she started attending the University of St Andrews, Kate allegedly had a hard time getting over her ex-boyfriend.
In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, a so-called friend of the duchess dished, "When Kate arrived in Florence, she was really hung up about Harry. She spoke about him all the time and he seemed to have messed her around quite a bit." The friend continued, "He seemed to have blown hot and cold with her when they were at school and she was always talking about how she could get him back." The friend also revealed that Blakelock had allegedly traveled to Florence at the same time as Kate, although it's thought that they didn't reunite with one another during the trip.
Of course, if Kate had reignited her romance with Blakelock, then she may not have started dating Prince William at the University of St Andrews. As a result, it would seem that everything happens for a reason.
She proved she was 'physically fit' and 'mentally strong' as a professional rower
In July 2007, The Telegraph reported that Kate Middleton had joined an all-female rowing crew called The Sisterhood, and had begun training to row from England to France with the team. Despite being a well-known figure due to her relationship with Prince William, with whom she was separated from at the time, Kate reportedly had to work extremely hard to prove herself and gain a space on the crew. "But it wasn't a question of 'Oh, she's Kate Middleton so she makes the team,'" rower Emma Sayle told the publication. "She has had to prove herself. We launched the challenge in November, and Kate joined in April. Our coach said she could join only if she was up to it."
Discussing the important attributes the future princess possessed, which made her a perfect fit for The Sisterhood, Sayle told the newspaper, "Kate has done all the training and she's really committed. She is physically very fit. But she is also strong mentally." Despite seeming to be a respected member of the team, it was reported in August 2007 that Kate would no longer be taking part in the Cross Channel Race alongside her fellow rowers, leading many to speculate that she'd reunited with Prince William. Speaking to the Daily Mail, an unnamed member of the crew alleged that Kate was really upset about no longer being able to take part.
She prefers being called Catherine, not Kate
For the longest time, the Duchess of Cornwall has been referred to by the media as Kate Middleton, but apparently the royal isn't all that enamored with the moniker. In a special report for the Express, writer Adam Helliker shared the inside scoop on a very particular email Kate had allegedly sent to her friends in 2008, in which she requested that everyone started calling her by her birth name of Catherine, instead of by the nickname popularized in the media.
According to Helliker, not all of Kate's friends were happy about the request, while others took it as an indication that her romance with Prince William was getting more serious. In fact, a so-called friend of the princess told Helliker, "Everyone knows it's about to happen with Kate and William, but we were a little surprised about the request to call her Catherine." The source continued, "There is a distinct feeling she has started to become very aware of her position." Whatever the reason behind Kate's decision to go by the more formal version of her name, it would seem that the princess has no trouble making her preferences known to those around her.
She's a distant relation of George Washington
While much is known about Kate Middleton's immediate family, revelations have also been made about the Duchess of Cambridge's more distant relatives. In 2010, CBS News reported that the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston had discovered that Kate was actually a relation of George Washington. Although the pair are far from close on the family tree, Kate can apparently count the American president as her eighth cousin, eight times removed. Someone get Kate an American passport already.
Of course, distant relations such as Kate's are fairly common. In March 2024, Today reported that Taylor Swift was distantly related to iconic American poet Emily Dickinson. While the relation, which saw Swift and Dickinson listed as sixth cousins, three times removed by family history site Ancestry, seemed tenuous at best, the news outlet suggested it was evidence that the "Bad Blood" singer was born to be a talented writer. And as for Kate, perhaps if her tenure as a princess in England doesn't work out, she can start a new life across the pond as a descendant of a Founding Father.
She's more 'strong-minded' and 'strong-willed' than people realize
After marrying Prince William, Kate Middleton took on an important role within the royal family. As well as welcoming three children with her husband, all of whom are in line for the British throne, Kate quickly became a favorite among royal fans, with her fashion choices regularly being analyzed across the internet. However, according to one royal expert, Kate's pleasant demeanor doesn't necessarily tell the whole story when it comes to the princess.
Speaking to People, royal expert Valentine Low said of the Duchess of Cornwall, "She has this public image of being nice and smiley and, dare I say, innocuous." He continued, "But she is actually strong-minded, strong-willed and prepared to fight for what she wants and what she thinks is right." Low suggested that Kate's character was actually what made her such a crucial member of the modern royal family, particularly as she would one day step into an incredibly important job role. "Kate thinks strategically," Low said of the princess. "She is going to be queen one day and has the longterm interests of the monarchy and royal family at heart."
She enjoys secret trips to public places
While it must be nearly impossible for Kate Middleton to leave the house without being spotted by royal fans or paparazzi, the Princess of Wales apparently loves to fly under the radar by secretly visiting public places. In August 2023, The Royal Observer reported that Kate had quietly attended a music festival alongside her alleged friend Rose Hanbury, with a source telling the publication that Prince William didn't accompany his wife. While the princess couldn't attend the event without her security team, she allegedly took the decision to overcome her nerves and have some fun for the night.
In 2020, the Daily Mail revealed that the Duchess of Cornwall had taken her eldest children Prince George and Princess Charlotte on a trip to the Imperial War Museum in London. "Kate took [George] and Charlotte there, very much as members of the public," a source told the publication, suggesting that the royals managed to blend in at the venue and enjoy the exhibits just like regular visitors. Perhaps royals really are just like us, after all.