Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the
British royal family. She is married to
William, Prince of Wales
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was edu ...
,
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
to the
British throne
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Baili ...
, making Catherine the likely next
queen consort.
Born in
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
, Catherine grew up in
Bucklebury, Berkshire. She was educated at
St Andrew's School and
Marlborough College before studying
art history
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
at the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
in Scotland, where she met William in 2001. She held jobs in retail and marketing and pursued charity work before their engagement was announced in November 2010. They
married
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
on 29 April 2011 at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...
. The couple's children—
Prince George,
Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to:
People
* Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1694–1715), wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter II, Emperor of Russia
* Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761), wife of ...
, and
Prince Louis—are second, third, and fourth in the
line of succession to the British throne
Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 a ...
, respectively.
Catherine holds patronage within over 20 charitable and military organisations, including
Action for Children
Action for Children (formerly National Children's Home) is a UK children's charity created to help vulnerable children & young people and their families in the UK. The charity has 7,000 staff and volunteers who operate over 475 services in the ...
,
SportsAid
SportsAid is a UK charity that helps British athletes, typically 12-18 whose parents are their only other means of support. The charity helps these athletes by giving them cash awards to help them meet the cost of training and competing.
Overview
...
, and the
National Portrait Gallery.
She undertakes projects through
The Royal Foundation
The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales is a charity which supports the work of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Their projects revolve around conservation, the early years, mental health, and the emergency services.
History ...
, with her charity work focusing on issues surrounding young children, addiction, and art. To encourage people to open up about their
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...
issues, Catherine envisioned the mental health awareness campaign "Heads Together", launched with William and
Prince Harry
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...
in April 2016. The media have called Catherine's impact on British and American fashion the "Kate Middleton effect". In 2011, 2012, and 2013, ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine selected her as one of the
100 Most Influential People in the World
''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine '' Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, ...
. On 9 September 2022, she became
Princess of Wales when her husband was created
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
by his father, King
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...
.
Early life and career
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born at the
Royal Berkshire Hospital
The Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) is a large NHS hospital in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It provides acute hospital services to the residents of the western and central portions of Berkshire, and is managed by the R ...
in
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
on 9 January 1982 into an
upper-middle-class
In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...
family.
She was
baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
at St Andrew's
Bradfield, a local parish church, on 20 June 1982. She is the eldest of three children born to
Michael Middleton (b. 1949) and his wife,
Carole Carole is a feminine given name (see Carl for more information) and occasionally a surname.
Carole may refer to:
Given name
* Carole B. Balin (born 1964), American Reform rabbi, professor of Jewish history
*Carole Bayer Sager (born 1947), Ameri ...
(née Goldsmith; b. 1955), a former
flight dispatcher and
flight attendant, respectively, who in 1987 founded Party Pieces, a
privately held mail order
Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as:
* Sending an order form in the mail
* Placing a telephone call
* Placing ...
company that sells party supplies and decorations with an estimated worth of
£30 million.
By the early 20th century, the
Middleton family had married into the
British aristocracy
The British nobility is made up of the peerage and the (landed) gentry. The nobility of its four constituent home nations has played a major role in shaping the history of the country, although now they retain only the rights to stand for election ...
and benefited financially from
trust funds
A trust is a legal relationship in which the holder of a right gives it to another person or entity who must keep and use it solely for another's benefit. In the Anglo-American common law, the party who entrusts the right is known as the "settl ...
which they established over 100 years ago.
Her Middleton relatives, including her great-grandfather
Richard Noël Middleton and his wife
Olive, played host to members of the British royal family in the 1920s through to the 1940s. Her mother's family are descended from
coal miners
People have worked as coal miners for centuries, but they became increasingly important during the Industrial revolution when coal was burnt on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Owing to coal's strategic ro ...
, and have been described as working-class. She has a younger sister,
Philippa
Philippa is a feminine given name meaning "lover of horses" or "horses' friend". Common alternative spellings include '' Filippa'' and ''Phillipa''. Less common is '' Filipa'' and even ''Philippe'' (cf. the French spelling of ''Philippa of Guelders ...
, and a younger brother,
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
.
The family moved from
Bradfield Southend, Berkshire, to
Amman,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, in May 1984, where her father worked for
British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport.
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...
. Middleton attended an English-language nursery school.
When her family returned to
Berkshire in September 1986, she was enrolled aged four at
St Andrew's School, a
private school
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
near
Pangbourne
Pangbourne is a large village and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames in Berkshire, England. Pangbourne has its own shops, schools, Pangbourne railway station, a railway station on the Great Western main line and a vill ...
in Berkshire. She
boarded part-weekly at St Andrew's in her later years. In 1995, the Middletons moved to the village of
Bucklebury. She studied at
Downe House School
Downe House School is a selective independent girls' day and boarding school in Cold Ash, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, for girls aged 11–18.
The ''Good Schools Guide'' described Downe House as an "Archetypal traditional girls' full ...
. She was a boarder at
Marlborough College, a co-educational independent boarding school in Wiltshire; Middleton showed talent in sports and was captain of the women's
field hockey
Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...
team. While at Marlborough, she underwent an operation on the left side of her head, reportedly to remove a
lump
Lump may refer to:
* "Lump" (song), a 1995 song by The Presidents of the United States of America
* ''Lump'' (compilation album), a 2000 best-of album by The Presidents of the United States of America
* Lump (dog), a dog who inspired Pablo Pica ...
. She obtained three
A-Levels in 2000, with an 'A' in mathematics, an 'A' in art, and a 'B' in English. Despite being offered a seat at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
, she took a
gap year
A gap year, also known as a sabbatical year, is typically a year-long break before or after college/university during which students engage in various educational and developmental activities, such as travel or some type of regular work. Gap yea ...
, studying at the
British Institute of Florence
The British Institute of Florence is a cultural institute founded in 1917 in Florence, Italy, with the aim of promoting Anglo-Italian cultural relations, teaching English and Italian languages, and running a library of English books to illustrate B ...
in Italy and travelling to Chile to participate in a
Raleigh International
Raleigh International is a youth expedition organisation based in the UK. On 19 May 2022 Raleigh International Trust ceased operations and entered Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation. The Raleigh International brand was bought by Impact Travel Group ...
programme. She worked as a deckhand at the
Port of Southampton
The Port of Southampton is a passenger and cargo port in the central part of the south coast of England. The modern era in the history of the Port of Southampton began when the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. The port has been owned and op ...
in the summer preceding university. Middleton subsequently enrolled at
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
in Fife, Scotland, studying
history of art
The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative, and even functional and other purposes, but with a primary emphasis on its aesthetic visu ...
. She briefly studied psychology before focusing solely on art history. She worked part-time as a waitress during her studies. While attending university, she achieved a gold
Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...
. Middleton was an active member of
The Lumsden Club, which held fundraisers and community projects each year. In 2005, Middleton graduated from the University of St Andrews with an undergraduate
MA (
2:1 Hons) in the history of art.
In November 2006, Middleton commenced part-time work for twelve months as an accessory buyer with the clothing chain
Jigsaw
Jigsaw may refer to:
* Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves
* Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces
Arts and media Comics
* Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...
. In 2007, she curated a photography exhibition to mark the book launch of "Time to Reflect", by Alistair Morrison, to raise funds for
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
. In 2008, Middleton made several trips to Naomi's House Hospice, where she brought gifts and read to children.
Later that year, she organised an '80s-themed
roller disco
A roller disco is a discothèque or skating rink where all the dancers wear roller skates of some kind (traditional quad or inline). The music played is modern and easily danceable, historically disco but in modern times including almost any form ...
fundraiser which raised £100,000, split between
Oxford Children's Hospital, for the construction of Tom's Ward to treat pediatric cancer, and Place2Be, an organisation which provides mental health counselling to school children. Middleton also worked until January 2011 at the family business in
catalogue design and production, marketing, and
photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employe ...
.
While working for the company, she launched the firm's junior brand for toddlers, and began working with the Starlight Children's Foundation, which helps terminally ill youth, providing party essentials for sick children. Middleton also helped coordinate the
Boodles Boxing Ball
The Boodles Boxing Ball is a society ball held in London.
Overview
The ball is organised by James Amos, director of Boodles, the nightclub owner Charlie Gilkes, Hugh Van Cutsem, Jez Lawson, Bear Maclean, Alice Beaumont and Alex Macewan. , which raised money for the charity.
Prior to her marriage, Middleton lived in an apartment owned by her parents in
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, London alongside her sister, which was estimated to be worth £1–1.4 million.
In 2018, Catherine's total net worth was estimated at £5–7.3 million, most of which is from her parents' company.
Personal life
Early relationship with Prince William
![Prince Harry and Kate Middleton at the Garter Procession 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Prince_Harry_and_Kate_Middleton_at_the_Garter_Procession_2008.jpg)
In 2001, Middleton met
Prince William
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educa ...
while they were students in residence at
St Salvator's Hall at the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
. She reportedly caught William's eye at a charity fashion show at the university in 2002 when she appeared on the stage wearing a see-through lace dress. The couple reportedly began dating in 2003. During their second year, Middleton shared a flat with William and two other friends.
From 2003 to 2005, they both resided at Balgove House on the
Strathtyrum estate with two roommates. In 2004, the couple briefly split but continued their relationship soon afterwards.
After her graduation, Middleton and her family were faced with intensive tabloid press scrutiny.
She was often photographed daily by the
paparazzi
Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
outside her flat and work over the course of their relationship.
This prompted multiple warnings from the Palace and Middleton's lawyers.
She attended William's
Passing Out Parade
Passing out is the completion of a course by military or other service personnel or the graduation from a college, largely in Commonwealth nations. Soldiers sometimes take part in a passing out parade upon completion of a basic training course. ...
at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 15 December 2006. In April 2007, they ended their relationship. She and her family attended the
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a benefit concert held at the newly built Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday. 31 August that year brought the 10th ann ...
in July 2007,
where she and William sat two rows apart. It was subsequently reported that the couple had reconciled. On 17 May 2008, Middleton attended the wedding of William's cousin
Peter Phillips
Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman and the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. He is the eldest nephew of King Charles III, and 17th in the line of succession to the British throne.
...
to
Autumn Kelly
Autumn Patricia Phillips (née Kelly; born May 3, 1978) is the Canadian-born former wife of Peter Phillips, who is the son of Anne, Princess Royal and the eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. After grad ...
in William's stead, and met Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
for the first time.
Middleton attended the
Order of the Garter procession at Windsor Castle in June 2008, where Prince William was made a Royal Knight of the Garter. On 19 July 2008, she was a guest at the wedding of
Lady Rose Windsor and George Gilman. Prince William was away on military operations in the Caribbean, serving aboard
HMS ''Iron Duke''. In June 2010, the couple moved into a cottage on the
Bodorgan Estate in
Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, where Prince William resided during his
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
search-and-rescue training and subsequent career.
Marriage and children
![Cambridge family at Trooping the Colour 2019 - 03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Cambridge_family_at_Trooping_the_Colour_2019_-_03.jpg)
Middleton and Prince William became engaged in October 2010, in Kenya, during a 10-day trip to the
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to celebrate William passing the RAF helicopter search and rescue course.
Clarence House announced the engagement on 16 November 2010.
Prince William gave Middleton the
engagement ring that had belonged to his mother,
Diana, Princess of Wales. Middleton, who was christened as a child, decided to be
confirmed
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
into the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
preceding her wedding. The confirmation service was conducted on 10 March at
St James's Palace by the
Bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
with her family and William in attendance.
The
couple married in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...
on 29 April 2011 (
St. Catherine's Day), with the day declared a
bank holiday in the United Kingdom. Estimates of the global audience for the wedding ranged around 300 million or more, whilst 26 million watched the event live in Britain alone.
Her wedding dress was designed by
Sarah Burton
Sarah Jane Burton (née Heard; born 1974) is an English fashion designer, currently creative director of fashion brand Alexander McQueen. She designed the wedding dress of Catherine Middleton for her wedding to Prince William in 2011. In 2012, ...
at
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashio ...
. Upon her marriage, Catherine assumed the style "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge".
The couple were given the country home,
Anmer Hall
Anmer Hall is a Georgian country house in the village of Anmer in Norfolk, England. Built in the 19th century, it was acquired by the Sandringham Estate sometime after Queen Victoria purchased the property, and has previously been leased to b ...
, on the
Sandringham Estate
Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a estate ...
, as a wedding gift from the Queen. Catherine keeps bees on the grounds of Anmer Hall. Following their marriage in 2011, the couple used
Nottingham Cottage
Nottingham Cottage (nicknamed "Nott Cott") is a house in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London. As a grace-and-favour property, the house has been frequently occupied by members of the British royal family, as well as staff and employees ...
as their London residence. They moved into the four-storey, 20-room Apartment 1A at
Kensington Palace in 2013. Renovations took 18 months at a cost of £4.5 million.
Kensington Palace became William and Catherine's main residence in 2017, moving from their country home, Anmer Hall. In 2022, it was announced that the couple, along with their children, would move to
Adelaide Cottage
Adelaide Cottage (formerly known as Adelaide Lodge) is a house in Windsor Home Park just east of Windsor Castle, in Berkshire. It is the principal residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
History
In 1831, under the supervision of archit ...
in Windsor.
On 3 December 2012, St James's Palace announced that Catherine was pregnant with her first child. The announcement was made earlier in the pregnancy than is usual as she had been admitted to
King Edward VII's Hospital
King Edward VII's Hospital (formal name: King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes) is a private hospital located on Beaumont Street in the Marylebone district of central London.
Agnes Keyser, later known as Sister Agnes, established the hospi ...
suffering from
hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. She remained in hospital for three days.
Prince George was born at
St Mary's Hospital in London on 22 July 2013.
The severe morning sickness returned with the subsequent pregnancies, forcing Catherine to cancel her official engagements. She gave birth to
Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to:
People
* Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1694–1715), wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter II, Emperor of Russia
* Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761), wife of ...
on 2 May 2015 and to
Prince Louis on 23 April 2018. Prince George was third in the line of
succession to the British throne, while Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were fourth and fifth, respectively, at the times of their births.
[ William and Catherine have owned two ]English Cocker Spaniel
The English Cocker Spaniel is a breed of gun dog. It is noteworthy for producing one of the most varied numbers of pups in a litter among all dog breeds. The English Cocker Spaniel is an active, good-natured, sporting dog standing well up a ...
s, named Lupo and Orla.
Public life
Middleton's first public appearance with Prince William following their engagement was at a fundraising event organised by the Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. I ...
in December 2010. She was formally introduced to public life on 24 February 2011, when the couple attended a lifeboat-naming ceremony in Trearddur
Trearddur or Trearddur Bay ( cy, Bae Trearddur) is a village, seaside resort and community south of Holyhead on the west coast of Holy Island off the north-west coast of Anglesey in Wales. The community includes the small settlement of Penrho ...
, near their home at the time in Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
, North Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...
. A day later they appeared in St Andrews to launch the university's 600th anniversary celebrations. In March 2011, the couple toured Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
. Catherine's first official engagement after the wedding came in May, when she and William met U.S President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
and First Lady Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace. William and Catherine's first royal tour of Canada took place in July 2011. The couple's activities included attending celebrations for Canada Day. The tour included a two-day trip to California. This was Catherine's first visit to the United States. On 27 October 2011, she undertook her first solo engagement at a reception for In Kind Direct, hosted at Clarence House
Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent to St James's Palace, for the Duke of Clarence, the future king William IV.
Over the years, it has undergone much exten ...
, stepping in for the then Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
.
On 2 November, Catherine and William visited the UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
Supply Division for malnourished children in Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. On St. Patrick's Day in 2012, Catherine carried out the traditional awarding of shamrocks to the Irish Guards
("Who Shall Separate s")
, colors =
, identification_symbol_2 Saffron (pipes), identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan
, identification_symbol =
, identification_symbol_label = Tactical Recognition F ...
at their Aldershot base; this was her first solo military engagement. On 19 March, she gave her first public speech for the opening of a children's hospice opened by her patronage, East Anglia's Children's Hospices. William and Catherine were announced as ambassadors for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. As part of her role, Catherine attended numerous sporting events throughout the games. In September 2012, the couple embarked on a tour of Singapore, Malaysia, Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
, and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...
to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
The year 2012 marked the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II being the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. The only diamond jubilee celebration for any of Elizabeth's predecessors was in 1897, for the 60th an ...
across the Commonwealth. During this overseas visit, she made her first official speech abroad, while visiting a hospice in Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, drawing on her experience as patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices. The couple attended further celebrations of the Jubilee throughout the year, including the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of th ...
in July.
The first engagement that Catherine carried out after the birth of Prince George was in late August 2013, when she accompanied her husband to meet runners preparing for an ultra-marathon in Anglesey. At the beginning of March 2014, it was announced that the couple would be accompanied by their son on an upcoming tour of New Zealand and Australia from 16 to 25 April. The tour was Catherine's first visit to the area and Prince George's first major public appearance since his christening in October 2013. The tour itinerary included visiting the Plunket Society
The Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust provides a range of free services aimed at improving the development, health and wellbeing of children under the age of five within New Zealand, where it is commonly known simply as Plunket. Its mission is "t ...
for children and visiting fire-damaged areas in New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. In June 2014, the couple visited France to attend the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
at Gold Beach. On 21 July 2014, it was announced that Catherine would be making her first solo trip, visiting the island of Malta on 20–21 September 2014, when the island was celebrating its 50th independence anniversary. Her trip was cancelled, with her husband taking her place, after the announcement of her second pregnancy in early September. In December 2014, the couple visited the United States and attended a charity dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
.
In October 2015, she attended her first state banquet at Buckingham Palace, held to host Chinese President Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, ...
. In April 2016, Catherine and William undertook a tour to India and Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
. Activities included visiting children's charities such as Childline India, as well as a visit to Lingkana Palace. Later that month, the couple met again with the Obamas at Kensington Palace. The couple toured Canada again in September 2016. On 11 October 2016, Catherine made her first solo foreign trip to The Netherlands. Countries visited by the couple in 2017 include France, Poland, Germany, and Belgium. Catherine takes official portraits of her children and joined the Royal Photographic Society in 2017. She visited Luxembourg City
Luxembourg ( lb, Lëtzebuerg; french: Luxembourg; german: Luxemburg), also known as Luxembourg City ( lb, Stad Lëtzebuerg, link=no or ; french: Ville de Luxembourg, link=no; german: Stadt Luxemburg, link=no or ), is the capital city of the Gr ...
in May 2017 for the Treaty of London commemorations. In January 2018, the couple visited Sweden and Norway. In February 2019, William and Catherine carried out a two-day visit of Northern Ireland, visiting Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
, Fermanagh
Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of a ...
, and Ballymena.
In June 2019, Catherine took the royal first salute, typically received by the Queen, at the Beating Retreat military pageant. Catherine accompanied her husband on a tour of Pakistan in October 2019, the royal family's first visit to the country in 13 years. The couple conducted an interview for CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
in Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
while visiting the SoS Children's Village, where Catherine gave a speech relating to her work on the early years. In March 2020, the couple carried out a three-day tour of Ireland, visiting County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...
, Kildare
Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...
, and Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...
. In October 2020, William and Catherine met Volodymyr Zelensky
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...
, the President of Ukraine, and First Lady Olena Zelenska
Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska (;russian: Елена Владимировна Зеленская, , Elena Vladimirovna Zelenskaya, born 6 February 1978) is a Ukrainian architect and screenwriter who is the current First Lady of Ukraine as the ...
, at Buckingham Palace, the first royal engagement held at the residence since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, the couple embarked on a three-day tour of England, Scotland, and Wales via the British Royal Train "to pay tribute to the inspiring work of individuals, organisations and initiatives across the country " in 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
expressed his support for the initiative, while First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon criticised the tour, citing travel restrictions; UK, Scottish and Welsh governments were consulted before planning the tour. In May 2021, the couple returned to Scotland for an extensive tour of Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, Fife and Orkney. In Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
on 11 June 2021, William and Catherine attended the G7 summit for the first time. Catherine visited primary students alongside US First Lady Jill Biden
Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (born June 3, 1951) is an American educator and the current first lady of the United States since 2021, as the wife of President Joe Biden. She was the second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her hus ...
and participated in a roundtable discussion focusing on early childhood education. In February 2022, she visited Denmark to celebrate historic ties between the UK and Denmark and also to celebrate milestones of both countries' monarchs. In March 2022, William and Catherine embarked on a tour of Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
, The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
and Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
to commemorate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
On 27 September 2022, Catherine and William visited Anglesey and Swansea, which marked their first visit to Wales since becoming the Princess and Prince of Wales.
Charity work
Patronages and interests
Following her marriage, Catherine assumed royal duties and commitments in support of the Queen. In March 2011, William and Catherine set up a gift fund held by The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry to allow well-wishers who wanted to give them a wedding gift to donate money to charities they care about instead. The gift fund supported 26 charities of the couple's choice, incorporating the armed forces, children, the elderly, art, sport and conservation. In June 2012, The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry was renamed The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, to reflect Catherine's contribution to the charity. The charity is now listed as The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales.
Catherine's charity work focuses mainly on issues surrounding young children, mental health, sport, addiction, and art. Her impact on charitable donations and project visibility has been called the "Kate effect". She has a number of charitable patronages: Action for Children
Action for Children (formerly National Children's Home) is a UK children's charity created to help vulnerable children & young people and their families in the UK. The charity has 7,000 staff and volunteers who operate over 475 services in the ...
, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as the All England Club, based at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon, London, England, is a Gentlemen's club, private members' club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon ...
, the Anna Freud Centre
The Anna Freud Centre (now renamed the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families) is a child mental health research, training and treatment centre located in London, United Kingdom. The Centre aims to transform current mental health ...
, East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), Evelina London Children's Hospital
Evelina London Children's Hospital is a specialist NHS hospital in London. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and provides teaching hospital facilities for London South Bank University and King's College ...
, Family Action
Family Action (previously Family Welfare Association and the Charity Organisation Society) is a charity in England founded in 1869. It provides support for families, including financial and mental health issues relating to them.
The stated aim ...
, the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, the National Portrait Gallery, the Natural History Museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
, NHS Charities Together
The Association of NHS Charities, operating as NHS Charities Together, is a federation of over 250 charitable organisations that support the devolved National Health Service (NHS), their staff, volunteers and patients, in the United Kingdom. ...
, Place2Be, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that ...
, SportsAid
SportsAid is a UK charity that helps British athletes, typically 12-18 whose parents are their only other means of support. The charity helps these athletes by giving them cash awards to help them meet the cost of training and competing.
Overview
...
, the 1851 Trust, the Foundling Museum
The Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, London tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, Britain's first home for children at risk of abandonment. The museum houses the nationally important Foundling Hospital Collection as well as the Gerald ...
, the Lawn Tennis Association
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Founded in 1888, the LTA promotes all levels of lawn tennis. It believes that tennis can provide "physica ...
, the Royal Photographic Society, and the Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
. Catherine, as a history of art graduate, takes an interest in art and handpicked the Art Room, which helped disadvantaged children access art therapy before their closure, as well as the National Portrait Gallery. She acquired patronage of the Lawn Tennis Association, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Action for Children, and the Royal Photographic Society after they were passed down by the Queen. In December 2015, she assumed the patronage of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets
The Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) is a volunteer-military youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force that manages both the Air Training Corps and RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force. The organisation is headed by a former ser ...
for youths 12–19 years of age. The Duke of Edinburgh, who had been patron of the RAF Cadets for 63 years, formally handed over during an audience at Buckingham Palace. She became a patron of the Foundling Museum
The Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, London tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, Britain's first home for children at risk of abandonment. The museum houses the nationally important Foundling Hospital Collection as well as the Gerald ...
, a museum to commemorate Foundling Hospital, in 2019. Catherine was also a local volunteer leader with The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was form ...
in north Wales, of which the Queen is patron, before being made co-president in September 2020, alongside the Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwar ...
.
In her capacity as patron of Action on Addiction
Action on Addiction is a UK-based charity that works with people affected by drug addiction, drug and alcohol addiction. It works in the areas of research, prevention, treatment, aftercare, as well as professional education and family support. , she has occasionally made visits to its centres, spending time with recovering addicts. In October 2012, she, alongside Action on Addiction, launched the M-PACT programme (Moving Parents and Children Together), one of the only UK programmes to focus specifically on the impact of drug addiction on families. 283 Place2Be volunteers were trained through the programme to reach over 26,000 children. On 24 June 2021, Catherine was announced as the patron of The Forward Trust after Action on Addiction was merged with it. As a patron of The Forward Trust, she launched a campaign titled "Taking Action on Addiction". She gave a speech at the BAFTA headquarters in London and highlighted that addiction is a "serious mental health condition" and it can "happen to any of us". She also spoke in detail about how COVID-19 pandemic had affected addiction rates. Catherine has worked extensively in children's palliative care
Palliative care (derived from the Latin root , or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Wit ...
alongside East Anglia's Children's Hospices and undertakes private visits to children's hospices and their families. She made her first public address at the opening of their Ipswich facility in 2012, which EACH deputy director Tracy Rennie cites as creating a "global interest" in children's hospices. Catherine officially opened their Norfolk hospice in 2019, after previously launching their financial appeal in 2014, which raised £10m. She has carried out engagements to raise awareness of Children's Hospice Week since 2013.
Catherine is a keen sportswoman and attends Wimbledon annually, as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Catherine, who enjoys sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...
, has occasionally taken part in the sport to raise money for charity. In 2012, together with her husband and Prince Harry, Catherine launched Coach Core. The programme was set up following the 2012 Olympics and provides apprenticeship opportunities for people who desire to pursue a career as a professional coach. As of 2018, Coach Core has had over 400 apprentices and graduates across 10 locations. In 2014 she and William were awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...
. In July 2019, she lent her support to Backyard Nature, a campaign created to inspire "children, families and communities to get outside and engage with nature". In August 2019, the couple competed in the King's Cup yachting regatta to raise money for eight different charities. In February 2022, she became the patron of both the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisati ...
, both governing bodies that were previously supported by her brother-in-law the Duke of Sussex. In August 2022, it was announced that Catherine and Roger Federer
Roger Federer (; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-e ...
would attend the Laver Cup
The Laver Cup is an international indoor hard court men's team tennis tournament between Team Europe and Team World, the latter of which is composed of players from all other continents except Europe. Usually held annually since 2017, the tournam ...
Open Practice Day on 22 September, which Catherine had to pull out from due to the mourning period following the death of Queen Elizabeth II
On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death wa ...
, but the proceeds from the event were donated to her patronages Action for Children and the Lawn Tennis Association.
In 2014, Catherine wrote the foreword for ''Living in the Slipstream: Life as an RAF Wife'', whose proceeds raised money for charity. Since acquiring patronage of the RAF Cadets, she has made visits to their base in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the ...
and celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2016. In January 2018, locks of her hair were reportedly donated to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children diagnosed with cancer. In February 2018, she became the patron of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that ...
. She also launched Nursing Now, a three-year worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the profile of nurses. She has written of her family ties with nursing and that both her grandmother Valerie Middleton and her great-grandmother Olive Middleton were VAD nurses for the British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...
. During the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Catherine undertook many in-person and virtual engagements supporting National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
workers. In May and June 2020, William and Catherine, alongside their children, delivered food parcels made on the Sandringham Estate
Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a estate ...
to local isolated pensioners during lockdown. She discreetly volunteered with the Royal Voluntary Service
The Royal Voluntary Service (known as the Women's Voluntary Services (WVS) from 1938 to 1966; Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) from 1966 to 2004 and WRVS from 2004 to 2013) is a voluntary organisation concerned with helping people in need ...
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catherine has called herself an "enthusiastic amateur photographer" and has taken official portraits of her children, as well as other members of the royal family. In 2019, she supported workshops run by the Royal Photographic Society in partnership with Action for Children to highlight the effect of photography in expressing thoughts in young people. As patron of the Royal Photographic Society she and other photographers took part in an exhibition to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. Photos taken by Catherine of the Holocaust survivors were later included in an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. With the National Portrait Gallery, Catherine curated an exhibition of Victorian photography, with a thematic focus on childhood. In May 2020, she launched "Hold Still", a project to capture people's life during lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
, which garnered 31,000 submissions. In July 2020, the exhibition was released, with the final 100 photographs being displayed online. In October 2020, the portraits were displayed on 112 public sites, including billboards, murals, and posters, across 80 towns and cities. The online exhibition collected over 5.2 million page views. The photographs were published in a book on 7 May 2021, titled '' Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020'', with a foreword written by Catherine.
In May 2021, Catherine received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by NHS staff at the Science Museum in London, encouraging use of the vaccine and thanking the staff for "playing a part in the rollout". On 15 September 2021, Catherine visited RAF Brize Norton
Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney.
The statio ...
in Oxfordshire and met the military members and civilians who were involved in the evacuation of Afghan refugees during the 2021 Taliban offensive
A military offensive by the Taliban insurgent group and other allied militants led to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan based in Kabul and marked the end of the nearly 20-year-old War in Afghanistan, that had begun following the ...
. In October 2021, William and Catherine visited the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew
Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is a ...
, London to take part in Generation Earthshot, an educational initiative inspired by the Earthshot Prize. In October 2022, Catherine became patron to Preet Chandi
Harpreet Kaur Chandi (born 1988/1989) is a British physiotherapist and British Army medical officer who completed a solo expedition across Antarctica to the South Pole, finishing on 3 January 2022.
She was appointed Member of the Order of th ...
, a British Army medical officer who aimed to complete a 1,000-mile solo expedition in the South Pole after finishing a 700-mile journey in the continent earlier that year.
Catherine hosted a Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...
concert called "Together At Christmas" at Westminster Abbey in December 2021, honouring charities and individuals that served the communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The concert was produced by Westminster Abbey and BBC Studios
BBC Studios is a British content company. It is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC that was formed in April 2018 through the merger of the BBC's commercial production arm and the BBC's commercial international distribution arm, BBC Worldwide. ...
Events Productions and broadcast by ITV. She played the piano during a performance of "For Those Who Can't Be Here" by Tom Walker. She hosted a second Christmas carol service at the abbey in December 2022 to honour the "efforts of individuals, families and communities across the UK," and pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.
Mental health advocacy
Catherine has tackled issues surrounding mental health and disabilities. She has previously made visits to charities and hospitals such as St Thomas' Hospital and Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute to spend time with mothers and children who deal with these issues. Catherine has been credited with raising national awareness of children's mental health; Benita Refson, president of Place2Be, has praised her work, saying she would "shine the spotlight on child mental health", while Peter Fonagy
Peter Fonagy, (born 14 August 1952) is a Hungarian-born British psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist. He studied clinical psychology at University College London. He is Professor of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Developmental Science and H ...
, CEO of the Anna Freud Centre has called her one of the most important figures in the field, and stated that "to the millions of children who have been suffering in silence, she is their voice". In recognition of their work with charities concerned with children's mental health, Catherine and her husband were awarded the Gold ''Blue Peter'' badge, an award previously granted to the Queen. To encourage people to open up about their mental health issues, Catherine, William and Prince Harry initiated the mental health awareness campaign "Heads Together" in April 2016. The campaign was first envisioned by Catherine earlier that year. "Heads Together" reportedly resulted in over one million people speaking out about their mental health, and an investment of £3m in mental health innovations. She later voluntarily talked about her struggles as a mother, and admitted that she suffered a "lack of confidence" and "feelings of ignorance" during certain periods of time.
Catherine has discussed her experiences with "mum guilt" in balancing work/life commitments, and described bringing her newborn home from the hospital for the first time as "terrifying". She has also highlighted the importance of "a happy home" and "a safe environment" for children, and described her "passion" for the outdoors, referencing it as an asset to building childhood wellbeing and developmental foundations. She launched the Mentally Healthy Schools, which helps the students and staff with access "to reliable and practical resources to improve awareness, knowledge and confidence in supporting pupils' mental health". Catherine held sessions for the programme at the Mental Health in Education Conference in 2019. After two years of development, the website had over 250,000 visitors to the site accessing resources. In February 2016, she travelled to Edinburgh to promote the work of Place2Be, and launched Children's Mental Health Week, which she commemorates annually. Catherine guest-edited ''HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' UK as a part of the Young Minds Matter movement, an effort "to raise awareness for children's mental health issues". William and Catherine later met with members and representatives of Young Minds and Youthscape to promote their mental health campaign.
In 2019, Catherine worked with the Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...
as one of the co-designers for a garden display at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show. She designed the "Back to Nature Garden" together with Andree Davies and Adam White. The garden, which featured "a tree house, waterfall, rustic den and a campfire" among other parts, was unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2019 to emphasise "the benefits the natural world brings to mental and physical well-being". The garden was later expanded and moved to Hampton Court Palace as a part of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
The Hampton Court Garden Festival (formerly The Hampton Court Flower Show) is an annual British flower show, held in early July. The show is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough of Richmond u ...
, before being shown at the Back to Nature Festival at RHS Garden Wisley
RHS Garden Wisley is a garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley, Surrey, south of London. It is one of five gardens run by the society, the others being Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor, and Bridgewater (which opened on 18 May ...
. A playground, inspired by the "Back to Nature" garden, was built on the Sandringham Estate
Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a estate ...
in 2021. In May 2019, as a part of their "Heads Together" initiative, Catherine together with her husband and in-laws, launched Shout, a text messaging service for those who have mental issues. As of November 2020, the programme has facilitated over half a million conversations. In October 2019, Catherine, together with other members of the royal family, voiced a PSA video for Public Health England
Public Health England (PHE) was an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in England which began operating on 1 April 2013 to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Its formation came as a ...
"as part of its Every Mind Matters program". In late March 2020, Catherine and her husband started supporting a new mental health initiative by the Public Health England amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. In April 2020, Catherine and her husband announced Our Frontline, an initiative providing mental health support to emergency medical workers. In May 2020, the couple's recorded radio message for Mental Health Awareness Week was broadcast across all the stations in the UK. In June 2020, Catherine hosted an assembly to 80 elementary school students across the UK where she discussed the importance of self-care and "opening up about your feelings". She led the assembly over a Zoom call and the assembly will be broadcast to more students who use Oak National Academy, an online education resource hub. In October 2020, she visited the University of Derby
, mottoeng = Experience is the best teacher
, established = 1851 – Teacher Training College1992 – gained university status
, type = Public
, chancellor = William Cavendish, Ea ...
to learn about its support for students' mental health during the pandemic.
In February 2021, Catherine recorded a video message about the importance of positive mental health during the pandemic. She encouraged children and parents to share their thoughts and feelings. She also highlighted the need for parents and carers to look after their own mental wellbeing. The video has been watched by over 3.5 million people. In May 2021, William and Catherine, with other prominent personalities, voiced 2021 Mental Health Minute, a one-minute record delivered by Radiocentre and Somethin' Else to mark 2021 Mental Health Awareness Week. The record was broadcast across all radio stations in the UK and reached over 20 million listeners. In the same week, Catherine posted a video on her YouTube channel with a message that there was "no shame" in talking about mental health as she chatted to a student about how the pandemic affecting young people. To commemorate World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global ...
on 11 October, William and Catherine posted a message on Instagram, sharing several organisations that support those who are struggling with mental health.
In February 2022, she made a surprise appearance in ''CBeebies
CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...
Bedtime Stories'' where she read ''The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark ''The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'' is a children's book by Jill Tomlinson, of which there is also an audio version read by Maureen Lipman. It was published in 1968, illustrated by Joanne Cole, and an abridged edition illustrated by Paul Howar ...
'' by Jill Tomlinson as the conclusion of Children's Mental Health Week. In May 2022, Catherine and her husband voiced the Mental Health Minute message, which was broadcast on every radio station in the UK on 13 May and asked people to help individuals around them that suffer from loneliness. In October 2022, to mark World Mental Health Day, the couple took over ''Newsbeat
''Newsbeat'' is the BBC's radio news programme broadcast on Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network. ''Newsbeat'' is produced by BBC News but differs from the BBC's other news programmes in its remit to provide news tailored for a specifically yo ...
'' and interviewed four guests on topics related to mental health.
Early years and childhood development
Catherine initially became interested in how childhood affected conditions such as homelessness, mental health, and addiction during her early years of charity work. In March 2018, she hosted a symposium with the Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London.
History
The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chamber ...
, focusing on children's health, and launched the Early Years Intervention Support initiative. In May 2018, she established the Early Years Steering Group. In January 2020, Catherine launched "5 Big Questions on the Under 5's", a nationwide survey on development in early years. The survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI
Ipsos MORI was the name of a market research company based in London, England which is now known as Ipsos and still continues as the UK arm of the global Ipsos group. It was formed by a merger of Ipsos UK and MORI in October 2005.
The company ...
and contains "further qualitative and ethnographic research" on the early years. It received over 500,000 responses. The results of the survey were released in November 2020. The findings outlined five key topics surrounding early childhood, including parental mental health and wider community health and support. In July 2020, she supported and assisted in the development of BBC's "Tiny Happy People" initiative, providing free digital resources to parents with young children. In August 2020, she headed a donation drive to benefit baby banks nationwide, including Little Village, which spurred over 10,000 donations from Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
, Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
, John Lewis & Partners
John Lewis & Partners (formerly and commonly known as John Lewis) is a brand of high-end department stores operating throughout the UK, with concessions also located in the Republic of Ireland and Australia. The brand sells general merchandis ...
, and Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company ...
. In June 2021, Catherine launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which will conduct work, research, and campaigns with other organisations on issues surrounding the early years. In October 2021, she visited University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
's Centre for Longitudinal Studies. She met the group which launched The Children of the 2020s, a programme which will track the development of children from the age of nine months to five years across England. In November 2021, Catherine visited Nower Hill High School
Nower Hill High School is a secondary academy school with a sixth form, in Pinner in the London Borough of Harrow. The school currently has around 300 pupils in each year group including over 400 in the Sixth form, making over 1900 pupils in t ...
in Harrow where she joined Year 8 students in science lesson, studying neuroscience and the importance of early childhood development. The visit is a part of a research project run by the University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
In February 2022, Catherine visited Denmark on behalf of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. She visited University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...
and met officials from the Center for Early Intervention and Family Studies. She visited Stenurten Forest School, to learn about its approach to learning, which focuses on the students' social and emotional development rather than academic skills. She also visited Lego Foundation PlayLab at University College Copenhagen. In March 2022, she and Prince William visited Shortwood Teacher's College in Jamaica. There, the couple met students who are trained to be early childhood education practitioners. In June 2022, Catherine hosted her first roundtable discussion with politicians on early childhood development.
Public image and style
The Princess, prominent for her fashion style, has been placed on numerous "best dressed" lists. ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' selected her as the "Most Promising Newcomer" on its 2006 list of style winners and losers. ''Tatler
''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...
'' placed her at number eight on its yearly list of the top ten style icons in 2007. ''People
A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' featured Middleton on its 2007 and 2010 best-dressed lists. She was named one of Richard Blackwell
Richard Blackwell (August 29, 1922 – October 19, 2008) was an American fashion critic, journalist, television and radio personality, artist, former child actor and former fashion designer, sometimes known just as Mr. Blackwell. He was the cre ...
's ten Fabulous Fashion Independents of 2007. In June 2008, Style.com selected her as its monthly beauty icon. In July 2008, '' Vanity Fair'' included her on its international best-dressed list. In February 2011 the Global Language Monitor
The Global Language Monitor (GLM) is a company based in Austin, Texas that collectively documents, analyzes, and tracks trends in language usage worldwide, with a particular emphasis upon the English language. It is particularly known for its ...
named her the Top Fashion buzzword of the 2011 season. In May 2011, she was ranked ninth in ''FHM
''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...
''s top 10 list of the "World's Most Beautiful Women". In 2011, the British publication ''The Beauty Magazine'' named her "England's Best-dressed Personality" and the "Most Elegant Woman in the World". She was named the "Most Beautiful Woman of the Year" by ''The Beauty Magazine'' in 2011 and 2012. In January 2012, the Headwear Association voted her "Headwear Person of the Year". She was number one on ''Vanity Fair''s annual best dressed lists in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; she also appeared as the cover star in 2012. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, she was listed as one of ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World
''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine '' Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, ...
. In 2014, she was lauded as a British cultural icon, with young adults from abroad naming her among a group of people who they most associated with UK culture. The then Duchess was named in the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List
The International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time. The American magazine ''Vanity Fair'' is currently in charge of the List af ...
in the same year.
In June 2016, she took part in her first magazine shoot for British ''Vogue'''s centenary issue, appearing on the cover. The shoot took place on the Sandringham Estate
Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a estate ...
; Catherine was involved in selecting her wardrobe of "off-duty jeans and shirts" reflecting her love of the countryside. The spread was dubbed as the "most personal and natural royal portraits ever undertaken by ''Vogue''". The photoshoot was done in collaboration with her patronage, the National Portrait Gallery, where two pictures from the shoot were displayed. In 2018, ''Tatler'' named her on its list of Britain's best dressed people, praising her for "recycling her looks, rather than wearing them as one-offs", as well as her use of "both high street and high-end brands". She topped ''Tatler''s Best Dressed List in 2022.
The "Kate Middleton effect" is the trend that the Princess is reported to have had in sales of particular products and brands. In 2018, Brand Finance's research cited Catherine as the "Most Powerful Royal Fashion Influencer", retaining that pieces in her wardrobe increase desirability among 38 percent of American shoppers. The Princess has been credited for popularizing nude pumps
A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they ...
and hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as ...
in the early years of her marriage. During daytime engagements, she has been noted to favor coatdresses, tea dresses, waxed jackets, lavallière blouses, blazers, and skinny jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...
. While Catherine wears items from many new designers, she has also worn dresses by Catherine Walker, who designed many of Diana's favourite evening gowns and day suits. She has worn outfits, hats and ensembles by many other fashion designers. The brands she favours are noted in the media. Catherine has worn Jenny Packham
Jenny Packham is a British fashion designer. She mostly makes ready-to-wear clothes and wedding dresses. She is the sister of naturalist and television presenter Chris Packham.
Career
Packham studied at Southampton College of Art, and the ...
numerous times, most notably outside the Lindo Wing after giving birth to each of her children in 2013, 2015, and 2018 respectively, and at the ''No Time to Die
''No Time to Die'' is a 2021 spy film and the twenty-fifth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, starring Daniel Craig in his fifth and final portrayal of fictional British MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by Cary ...
'' premiere in London when she appeared in a dress inspired by Shirley Eaton
Shirley Jean Eaton (born 12 January 1937) is an English actress, author and singer. Eaton appeared regularly in British films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and gained her highest profile for her iconic appearance as Bond Girl Jill Masterson in ...
's character in '' Goldfinger''. Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashio ...
has been referred to as Catherine's "go-to" brand since her wedding in 2011, and she has worn designs to several annual events including Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...
, Royal Ascot and the British Academy Film Awards, as well as state banquets and receptions. She has worn several high-street brands during official engagements and projects, most frequently Topshop
TOPSHOP (originally Top Shop) is a British fashion brand for women's clothing, shoes and accessories. It was part of the Arcadia Group, controlled by Sir Philip Green, but went into administration in late 2020 before being purchased by ASOS o ...
and Zara. Believed to be influenced by the style and fashion choices of Diana, Princess of Wales, Catherine has developed a "caring wardrobe" similar to that of her mother-in-law, with colourful fabrics, skirt suits, and bright hues suitable for visiting hospitals and schools.
Catherine, who attended the 71st British Academy Film Awards
The 71st British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 18 February 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2017. Presented by the British Academy of Film and Telev ...
, did not participate in Time's Up movement calling for women to wear black on the red carpet. Royal protocol forbids members of the royal family from taking part in political movements but she wore a black sash and carried a black handbag as a variation to the informal black dress code. In March 2018, together with the Countess of Wessex, she hosted the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange reception at Buckingham Palace during 2018 London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...
. In 2021, it was reported that Catherine boosted the British fashion industry up to £1 billion within a year. She was also chosen as one of the 25 most influential women in the United Kingdom by British ''Vogue'' in August 2021.
Privacy and the media
The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Paris while being chased by paparazzi
Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
in 1997, influenced her son's attitude towards the media. The Prince and Princess have asked that, when off-duty, their privacy should be respected.
After her graduation from university, Middleton was faced with widespread press attention and was often photographed by the paparazzi
Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
. On 17 October 2005, she complained through her lawyer about harassment from the media, stating she had done nothing significant to warrant publicity and complained that photographers were permanently stationed outside her flat. Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter
Richard Winston Arbiter LVO (born September 1940) is a British journalist, television and radio commentator on the British Royal Family and an international public speaker. He was a press spokesman for Queen Elizabeth II from 1988 until 2000; ...
stated that her treatment by the press drew parallels to the tumultuous experience of William's mother in the early years of her marriage. From 2005 to 2006, Middleton's phone was hacked 155 times according to former '' News of the World'' royal editor Clive Goodman
Clive Goodman (born 17 September 1957, in Hammersmith, London) is an English journalist, former royal editor and reporter for the ''News of the World''. He was arrested in August 2006 and jailed in January 2007 for intercepting mobile phone messa ...
, who was involved in a phone hacking scandal by the newspaper that targeted the royal family. In April 2006, her lawyers issued new warnings to the '' Daily Mail'', the '' Daily Star'' and '' The Sun'' and the picture agencies Big Pictures and Matrix after they published photographs of Middleton on a bus during a shopping trip.
Media attention increased around the time of her 25th birthday in January 2007, where twenty photographers and five television crews photographed her leaving for work. Warnings were issued by the then Prince of Wales, Prince William, and Middleton's lawyers, who threatened legal action. Two newspaper groups, News International, which publishes ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' and ''The Sun''; and the Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group plc (GMG) is a British-based mass media company owning various media operations including ''The Guardian'' and ''The Observer''. The group is wholly owned by the Scott Trust Limited, which exists to secure the financial and e ...
, publishers of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', decided to refrain from publishing paparazzi
Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
pictures of her "leaving nightclubs and going about her daily business", but continued to use photographs of Middleton at public events. In March 2007, her lawyers filed a formal complaint to the Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Inde ...
(PCC) over a photograph published on the ''Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...
'' that was taken as a result of harassment. In April 2007, Middleton reached a settlement with the ''Daily Mirror'', which was followed by a warning by the PCC over press treatment of Middleton. In July 2007, MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, formerly the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, is one of the select committees of the British House of Commons, established in 1997. It oversees the operations of the Department for ...
stated in a report on press regulation that Middleton was the victim of "clear and persistent harassment" by the paparazzi and criticised the lack of intervention by the PCC, who circulated a letter from Middleton's solicitors on the issue of press harassment but said they were not directly asked by her lawyers to act.
In 2009, Middleton was awarded £10,000 damages and an apology from the photographic press agency
A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and All-news radio, radio and News broadcasting, television Broadcasting, broadcasters. A news agency may ...
Rex Features Ltd. after she was photographed playing tennis on Christmas Eve while on holiday in Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
. In 2010, she pursued an invasion of privacy claim against two agencies and photographer Niraj Tanna, who took photographs of her over Christmas 2009. Middleton obtained a public apology, £5,000 in damages, and legal costs. In 2011, close associates of Jonathan Rees
Jonathan Rees is a British private investigator, and former partner of murdered private investigator Daniel Morgan.
Early life and career
Born in September 1954 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, Rees left school and joined the Merchant Navy, then becam ...
, a private investigator connected to the ''News International'' phone hacking scandal, stated that he had targeted Catherine during her period as William's girlfriend.
In September 2012, the French edition of '' Closer'' and the Italian gossip magazine
A gossip magazine, also referred to as a tabloid magazine, is a magazine that features scandalous stories about the personal lives of celebrities and other well-known individuals. In North America, this genre of magazine flourished in the 1950s an ...
'' Chi'', published photographs of Catherine sun-bathing topless while on holiday at the Château d'Autet (a private château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Now ...
on a 260-ha estate 71 km north of Aix-en-Provence). Analysts from ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' believed the photographs were taken from the D22 (Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.[Tribunal de Grande Instance
A tribunal, generally, is any person or institution with authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title.
For example, an advocate who appears before a court with a si ...]
de Nanterre
Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807.
The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering t ...
''. The following day the courts granted an injunction against ''Closer'', prohibiting further publication of the photographs and announced a criminal investigation would be initiated. Under French law, punitive damages cannot be awarded but intrusions of privacy are a criminal offence carrying a maximum jail sentence of one year and a fine of up to €45,000 for individuals and €225,000 for companies. In September 2017, ''Closer'' was fined €100,000 and its editor Laurence Pieau and owner Ernesto Mauri were each fined €45,000.
In December 2012, two Australian radio hosts, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, called King Edward VII's Hospital
King Edward VII's Hospital (formal name: King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes) is a private hospital located on Beaumont Street in the Marylebone district of central London.
Agnes Keyser, later known as Sister Agnes, established the hospi ...
where Catherine was an in-patient for hyperemesis gravidarum. Pretending to be the Queen and the Prince of Wales, Greig and Christian spoke to a nurse on Catherine's ward, enquiring about her condition. Following a hospital inquiry and a public backlash against the hoax, Jacintha Saldanha
Jacintha Saldanha (1966 – 7 December 2012) was an Indian nurse who worked at King Edward VII's Hospital in the City of Westminster, London. On 7 December 2012, she was found dead by suicide, three days after falling for a prank phone cal ...
, the nurse who put the call through to the ward, committed suicide. The radio hosts subsequently apologised for their actions.
In February 2013, ''Chi'' published the first photos of Catherine's exposed baby bump, taken during her vacation on the private island of Mustique
Mustique is a small private island in the nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which is part of the Grenadines, a chain of islands in the West Indies. The island is located within Grenadines Parish, and the closest island is the uninhab ...
. The British press refused to publish the paparazzi shots. While Catherine was visiting the Blue Mountains in Sydney, a picture was taken of her bare bottom as her dress blew up. Many newspapers outside the UK published the picture. In October 2014, Catherine and William sent a legal letter to a freelance photographer who had put their son George and his nanny "under surveillance", asking the individual to stop "harassing and following" them. On 14 August 2015, Kensington Palace published a letter detailing what it stated were the "dangerous" and invasive efforts of the media to get paparazzi pictures of Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Jason Knauf, communications secretary to the Cambridges, wrote the letter to media standards organisations in various countries.
In May 2020, Kensington Palace said that the cover story of ''Tatler
''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...
'' magazine titled 'Catherine the Great' contained "a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations". Despite the palace's statement that most of the material was not given to them before publication, the magazine's editor-in-chief announced that he would stand behind the story as the palace had been aware of it for months. In September 2020, after pressure from the couple's lawyers, the magazine removed remarks on Catherine's family and other similar claims from the online version of the story.
Titles, styles, honours, and arms
Titles and styles
Upon her marriage in 2011, Catherine gained the style Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''.
When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it t ...
and the titles Duchess of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge, one of several current royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom , is a hereditary title of specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. The title (named after the city of Cambridge in England) is heritable by male de ...
, Countess of Strathearn, and Baroness Carrickfergus. She was normally known as "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge" except in Scotland, where she was instead called "Her Royal Highness The Countess of Strathearn".
On her father-in-law's accession to the throne on 8 September 2022, Catherine also became Duchess of Cornwall
Duchess of Cornwall is a courtesy title held by the wife of the eldest son and heir of the British monarch. The current title-holder is Catherine, wife of William, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall.
Duchesses of Cornwall
Until her husband' ...
and Duchess of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay ( ; gd, Diùc Baile Bhòid; sco, Duik o Rothesay) is a dynastic title of the heir apparent to the British throne, currently William, Prince of Wales. William's wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, is the current Duchess of Ro ...
. She was thus briefly called "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge".
On 9 September 2022, the King announced the appointment of William as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
, with Catherine becoming Princess of Wales. She has since been known as "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales", and as "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Rothesay" in Scotland.
Honours
Catherine is a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
, and a recipient of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
The Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II is an honour that was bestowed on female members of the British royal family by Queen Elizabeth II. The order is worn on formal occasions.
Appearance
The Royal Family Order depicts a young Queen Elizabet ...
.
Arms
Ancestry
The Princess of Wales's father is Michael Middleton, son of Captain Peter Middleton, who, along with their forebears, were from Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
, Yorkshire. Robert Lacey
Robert Lacey (born 3 January 1944) is a British historian and biographer. He is the author of a number of best-selling biographies, including those of Henry Ford, Eileen Ford, Queen Elizabeth II and other British royal family, royals, as well a ...
describes Michael Middleton's family as having aristocratic
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At the time of the word' ...
ancestry with Baroness Airedale (1868–1942) being his distant ancestor. Catherine's paternal great-grandmother Olive Middleton (née Lupton) and her cousin Baroness von Schunck (née Kate Lupton) were members of the Lupton family
The Lupton family in Yorkshire achieved prominence in ecclesiastical and academic circles in England in the Tudor era through the fame of Roger Lupton, provost of Eton College and chaplain to Henry VII and Henry VIII. By the Georgian era, ...
who are described as landed gentry and as such, were invited to the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. Four successive generations of Catherine's ancestors had lived at Potternewton Hall Estate, the family seat
A family seat or sometimes just called seat is the principal residence of the landed gentry and aristocracy. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families ...
, including Catherine's great-grandmother Olive Middleton, her father, politician Francis Martineau Lupton, his mother, educator Frances Lupton and her father, epidemiologist and surgeon Thomas Michael Greenhow
Thomas Michael Greenhow MD MRCS FRCS (5 July 1792 – 25 October 1881) was an English surgeon and epidemiologist.
Career
Greenhow was the second son of Edward Michael Greenhow, an army surgeon of North Shields, Tynemouth. He was a medic ...
.
Catherine's maternal ancestors, the Harrisons, were working-class labourers and miners from Sunderland and County Durham. Ancestors through her maternal line include Sir Thomas Conyers, 9th Baronet (1731–1810), who was a descendant of King Edward IV through his illegitimate daughter Elizabeth Plantagenet. Other paternal ancestors are Sir Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented command ...
(1475–1520) and his wife Anne Gascoigne, who was a descendant of King Edward III.
Bibliography
Books
* HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, "Foreword", in:
* HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, "Foreword", in:
* HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, "Foreword", in:
Authored articles and letters
*
*
*
*
Notes
References
Further reading
*
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External links
The Princess of Wales
at the official website of the British royal family
at the website of the Government of Canada
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Catherine, Wales, Princess Of
1982 births
Living people
20th-century British people
21st-century British people
20th-century British women
21st-century British women
Alumni of the University of St Andrews
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest ...
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn (, from gd, Srath Èireann) is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland, extending from Loch Earn in the West to the River Tay in the east.http://www.strathearn.com/st_where.htm Derivation of name Strathearn was on ...
Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Duchesses of Cambridge
Duchesses of Cornwall
Duchesses of Rothesay
English Anglicans
Family of Charles III
HuffPost bloggers
House of Windsor
Mental health activists
Middleton family (British)
Mountbatten-Windsor family
People educated at Downe House School
People educated at Marlborough College
People educated at St Andrew's School, Pangbourne
People from Bucklebury
People from Reading, Berkshire
Princesses of Wales
Wives of British princes