Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Middleton (born 9 January 1982) is the girlfriend of Prince William of Wales, elder son of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and second in line to the throne of the United Kingdom. Middleton was raised in Bucklebury, Berkshire, in the south of England, and attended the public school Marlborough College (the same school William's cousin Princess Eugenie of York attends), where she passed eleven GCSEs and three A-level exams. Like the Prince, Middleton was a student at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. She graduated in 2005 with an MA in the History of Art. She attained a 2:1 (Upper Second-Class) Honours degree.
Middleton is the elder daughter of businessman Michael Middleton and his wife Carole, a former air hostess. Her parents own Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells children's party paraphernalia. She has a younger sister, Philippa ("Pippa") and a younger brother, James. Shortly after Middleton graduated from St Andrews, in 2005, it was widely speculated in the British press that she would make use of her History of Art degree by working in one of London's many art galleries. Similarly, in early 2006, it was rumoured that Middleton intended to found her own mail order company, selling high-end children's clothes. After a key investor stepped down, however, she decided to hold off on this plan. In November of 2006, she accepted a position as an accessories buyer with the British clothing chain Jigsaw.
Relationship with Prince William
While attending the University of St Andrews in 2001, Middleton met Prince William of Wales. At the time, Middleton already had a boyfriend, Rupert Finch. She, William, and two other students became flatmates in late 2002, at the beginning of their second year at St Andrews. Middleton and Finch broke up around Christmas of 2003. Since then, she and Prince William have been involved in a monogamous relationship.
The couple was first seen publicly on a ski trip in Klosters in April of 2004. During 2005, the British media began speculating that the Prince and Middleton would eventually marry. It is believed that she has met the Queen at Balmoral[1], but there has been no statement from the Queen or from Prince Charles regarding Ms. Middleton, their views on the relationship, or a possible marriage. However, Middleton has been included in various activities attended by members of the royal family, and she reportedly was invited by the Queen to Christmas lunch in 2006 as the first unmarried partner of a royal to be asked to the festive celebrations at the royal estate of Sandringham in Norfolk.
Middleton's status as the girlfriend of Prince William has brought her widespread media coverage in the UK and abroad, and she is often photographed on her daily outings. On October 17, 2005, she complained through her lawyer about harassment from the media, saying that she had done nothing to court publicity. In December of 2005, the German magazine Das Neue published photos of the exterior of Middleton's London flat, revealing its ___location (in Eardley Crescent, Earls Court, London. This prompted a security review by police amidst concerns for her safety and a report in the London Evening Standard that Prince William was considering going to the European Court of Human Rights over concerns for Ms. Middleton's and his own privacy.
In February of 2006, it was announced that Ms. Middleton would receive her own 24-hour security detail supplied by the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department. This fueled further speculation that she and Prince William would soon be engaged, since she would not, otherwise, be entitled to this service.
However, no engagement occurred, and Ms. Middleton was not granted an allowance to fund this security. Prince William himself has remarked that he has no plans to marry in the near future.[2][3] Nevertheless, retailers such as Woolworths are preparing commemorative merchandise to be ready should any such announcement occur. [4]
References
- ^ Jobson, Robert: "William's Princess", Blake Publishing, Ltd.,London: 2006
- ^ "CTV.ca : Rumours swirl of wedding for Prince William". Retrieved December 5.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Tabloids Guess Prince William to Pop the Question". Retrieved 28 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "cbc.ca: No engagement yet, but royal wedding souvenirs in the works". Retrieved November 17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
External links
- Kate Middleton Fan Site
- BBC profile
- Press plea for privacy
- What next for the OTHER (less grumpy) love birds?
- Kate Middleton: Her Royal Shyness 23 October 2005
- Love nest photos rile William 12 December, 2005
 | This English biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |