Catherine, The Princess of Wales

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia (2021)

Catherine, The Princess of Wales

Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales is the wife of Prince William, The Prince of Wales, the elder of the two children of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Lady Diana Spencer, and the heir apparent to the British throne. She was born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton on January 9, 1982, at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England. She is the eldest of three children of Michael Middleton and Carole Goldsmith.

Catherine has two younger siblings:

The Middleton family moved to Jordan from 1984-1986, where her father worked for British Airways. While living in Amman, Catherine attended an English nursery school. In 1986, the family returned to Berkshire and she was enrolled at St Andrew’s School in Pangbourne. In 1995, she entered Marlborough College, in Wiltshire, graduating in 2000.

Following a gap year during which she studied at the British Institute in Florence, volunteered in Chile with Raleigh International, and crewed on Round the World Challenge boats in the Solent, in 2001 Catherine enrolled at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It was here that she met Prince William. First as friends, and later flat-mates, it would be a couple of years later that their relationship would become romantic.

After graduating in 2005, Catherine worked for her family’s business – Party Pieces – and launched her own brand within the company in 2008, called First Birthdays. In addition, she worked as a part-time buyer for Jigsaw Junior, a London-based clothing company.

Following intense media scrutiny and speculation, and a brief and very public breakup, Catherine and William became engaged while on holiday in Kenya in October 2010. The engagement was formally announced on November 16, 2010, and the couple greeted the press and photographers at St James’ Palace.

On April 29, 2011, the couple married at Westminster Abbey. Her new husband having been granted peerage titles that morning by Queen Elizabeth II, Catherine left the Abbey as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

On December 3, 2012, it was announced that Catherine was expecting the couple’s first child. While it was not intended to be made public for several more weeks, it became necessary when Catherine was taken ill with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe type of morning sickness, and was admitted to hospital. After three days she was released and continued to recover at home, and soon began making public appearances again, supporting her charities and patronages. During all three of her pregnancies, Catherine suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a pregnancy complication that is characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and possibly dehydration.

On July 22, 2013, Catherine was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London, in the early stages of labor. Later that afternoon, at 4:24 pm, she gave birth to a son George Alexander Louis. The following day, William and Catherine, along with their new son, greeted the crowds of admirers and media camped outside the doors of the hospital, before returning to their home at Kensington Palace.

photo: The Telegraph

photo: The Telegraph

William and Catherine have three children:

William and Catherine with their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022

Following their wedding, their primary residence was a small cottage in Anglesey, Wales, near RAF Valley where William was stationed with the RAF Search and Rescue Force. In London, they took up residence at Nottingham Cottage, a small residence on the grounds of Kensington Palace. It was later announced that they would move to Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace, the former home of The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. After extensive renovations, the couple moved to Apartment 1A in 2014. They were also given the use of Anmer Hall on The Queen’s Sandringham Estate, as their country home. In 2017, Catherine and her family moved back to Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace on a permanent basis. In the summer of 2022, William, Catherine and their children moved to Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom house on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. The move was made to give Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis a more normal family life. The family will retain Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace.

In January 2024, Catherine was admitted to The London Clinic to have abdominal surgery for an undisclosed medical condition. Due to her convalescence, she postponed all her public engagements and duties until after Easter 2024. Speculation about her condition prompted conspiracy theories and much commentary in the press. On March 22, 2024, Catherine announced that she is in the early stages of chemotherapy after cancer was found in tests. The type of cancer was not disclosed. She explained that when she had abdominal surgery in January, it was not known that there was any cancer. Catherine stated, “However tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.” Kensington Palace announced that Catherine will not return to any official duties.

Catherine presenting the winner’s trophy to  Novak Djokovic at the Men’s Singles Finals of 2022 Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

From the time of their engagement, Catherine has been involved with numerous charities and organizations. In lieu of wedding gifts, William and Catherine established a Charitable Gift Fund, Royal Foundation, which allowed people to donate to 26 different charities. Through the Royal Foundation, Catherine supports charities and organizations which are of specific interest to her, and also serves as a patron for several others. Catherine is the Patron of many charities and organizations, including the ones listed below.

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