home Treatment and prevention Michael Francis Middleton. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Michael Francis Middleton. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Kate Middleton's parents will pay about 100 thousand pounds (114 thousand euros) for their daughter's wedding to Prince William this month. The British newspaper Sunday Times writes about this with reference to its sources. According to the publication, hotel rooms for Kate and her relatives before the ceremony, wedding dresses, maid of honor dress, as well as Honeymoon- all this will be paid for from the pockets of Carole and Michael Middleton.

It is reported that the hotel bill alone will exceed £20,000 (€23,000). The Middletons are expected to buy Kate's dress for £30,000 and her sister Pippa's dress, the maid of honor at the wedding, for £20,000. The remaining expenses are borne by The Royal Family, and the government will pay the bills for security at the wedding from the budget.

The Middleton family, of course, is not included in the Forbes list, but their fortune exceeds 30 million pounds (34 million euros). This is the amount analysts estimate their business empire Party Pieces to be. However, experts say that the amount is so large only because the Middletons will soon become related to the royal family. If there had been no wedding, their company, especially in America (where the connection with the royal family is invaluable), would hardly be worth a quarter of this amount.

It’s interesting that if it weren’t for Kate, the Party Pieces company and everything connected with it might not have been born at all. The fact is that when Carol was already very pregnant and expecting her first child - Kate - in the summer of 1981, she could not continue working as a flight attendant for British Airways and began making packaging bags for children's parties, which she sold to friends for pennies and neighbors. The business was a success, so Michael soon gave up his career as an administrator at the same airline to help Carol.

In 2000, a year before Kate entered the University of St Andrews, where she later met Prince William, the company, which sold mail-order and online party supplies, already employed 10 people and processed more than 1,000 orders a week . Today the firm employs 30 people and is a thriving business based on two converted farms near the Middleton family home in Berkshire. From there, as the British media write, trucks with orders are constantly leaving.

Now the couple is actively looking for new house, which would correspond to their new status, because now they will become related to the royal family and are going to actively move in the circles of royalty, as Prince William himself made clear.

Thus, the financial ambitions and capabilities of the Middletons should not be underestimated. In the past two weeks, Kate's brother James, 23, has registered three new businesses with the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce - Nice Cakes Ltd, Nice Wine Ltd and Nice Group London Ltd. Some of them may be necessary to expand the family business. His Cake Kit Company, which is advertised on his parents' website, is already doing quite well.

This month, traffic to the Party Pieces portal increased to 300 thousand people, and the name of this company began to be searched on Google 25 times more often. Many, by the way, are already speculating about expanding the company, for example, in America.

It's funny that the Middletons even registered the sites pippamiddleton.com and jamesmiddleton.com and were very angry that they couldn't do this with Kate's name, since there are already 40 variations of sites using her name, offering services ranging from sales of villas in Spain and up to to dating sites for lesbians.

To the disappointment of journalists and the public who are very interested in their firm, Party Pieces is organized as a partnership, so they are not required to publish their accounts or disclose the financial details of the business, that is a matter for their firm and the tax authorities. That is why no one but themselves can accurately assess the state of the Middleton family.

One of Carol's cousins says that the Middleton firm is doomed to success because Carol "never borrows much, she is from the working class and does not like to borrow money." This explains the fact why the Middleton family bought an apartment in Chelsea (for their children) for 795 thousand pounds without a mortgage, and now, by the way, it is already worth 1.2 million pounds.

However, they have a small loan on a house in the village of Bucklebury worth £1.5 million, and when they bought several acres of land near the house in 2005, they paid £295,000 in cash.

Journalists were worried about another question - how did the Middletons manage to place their three children in the most expensive private schools in the region, for example Marlborough College, where tuition costs 29 thousand pounds a year, at a time when their business was still in its infancy?

One answer is that Michael Middleton's ancestors created a network of trusts and made a large fortune. Kate's great-great-grandfather on her father's side, Francis Martineau Lupton, was a wealthy Yorkshire wool merchant who inherited property worth £70,000 in 1921, equivalent to £1.5 million today. In his will, he indicated that his money should go to the education of his descendants. And the trusts are still operated and managed by a law office in Leeds.

Behind Lately Michael Middleton also inherited two small fortunes - 100 thousand and 97.3 thousand pounds: from his mother Valerie in 2006 (real estate, the amount was spent on a wedding) and due to the death of his father Peter, an airplane pilot.

The Middletons made money not only from manual labor producing party accessories. As Kate and William's relationship developed, they decided to invest in a horse named Sohraab. In addition to them, their friends, as well as the mother of British Prime Minister David Cameron, participated in the share. The horse did not always perform well, but racing introduced the Middletons to many interesting people, for example with the parents of tennis star Tim Henman, who are also invited to the wedding. No one excludes the possibility that the Middleton family will expand its influence in the sport, which is very popular among the royals.

Catherine Elizabeth Mountbatten-Windsor, Duchess of Cambridge (nee Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, English Catherine Elizabeth, Duchess of Cambridge, née Catherine Elizabeth Middleton). Born 9 January 1982 in Reading. Wife of Duke William of Cambridge. In Scotland - Countess of Strathearn.

Mother - Carole Elizabeth, née Goldsmith (Carole Elizabeth Middleton née Goldsmith; born January 31, 1955).

Kate Middleton's family:

Kate's parents got married on June 21, 1980 at the parish church in Dorney, Buckinghamshire. They met while working in civil aviation: Carol was a flight attendant, Michael was an air traffic controller and later a British Airways pilot.

Mother Kate, née Goldsmith, was born on January 31, 1955. Her ancestors - the Harrison family - are representatives of the working class. They were miners in County Durham.

Kate's father was born on June 23, 1949. His family comes from Leeds, West Yorkshire. Kate's paternal grandmother, Olivia, belonged to the Lupton family, whose members were famous for their commercial activities and work in city services. On her grandmother's side, Kate is a relative of Thomas Davis, the famous hymn writer of the Church of England.

In 1987, the Middletons founded the parcel trading company Party Pieces, which successfully developed in the British market and made them millionaires.

The family settled in their own house in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire.

The Middleton family has three children: Kate and James William. Kate is the oldest of them.

In May 1984, when Kate was two years old, she and her family moved to the capital of Jordan, where her father had been transferred to work. The Middletons lived there until September 1986.

When Kate was three years old, she began attending an English kindergarten in Amman.

Upon returning to Berkshire, she entered St. Andrew's School in the village of Pangbourne in Berkshire, where she studied until 1995.

After this, the future princess moved to Marlborough College, a private educational institution in Wiltshire, where education is co-ed. After graduating from college to obtain a certificate of general education of the second level of complexity, she passed exams in chemistry, biology and art courses.

At college, Kate played tennis, hockey and netball, and was involved in athletics - in particular, high jumping.

While studying at Marlborough College, Kate also completed the Duke of Edinburgh's high level- gold (Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award).

After graduating from college in 2000, Kate did not go to university, taking a year off from studying. During this year, she visited two countries - Italy, where she studied at the British Institute of Florence, and Chile, where she participated in the program charitable organization Raleigh International. In addition, Kate managed to take a short cruise along the Solent.

In 2001, Kate entered the prestigious University of St. Andrews in the Scottish region of Fife. There she met Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales.

While studying, she continued to play sports, in particular playing hockey for the university team, and participating in charity events.

In 2002, for example, she walked at a charity show at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in a transparent dress, which was recently sold at a London auction for $104,000 (£65,000).

Kate graduated from the university without failing grades, receiving a second-class honors degree in art history in 2005.

After that, she began working at Party Pieces, which was founded by her parents in 1987. The Middleton company delivers goods by mail for various holidays. In 2008, as part of her work at the company, Kate launched the First Birthdays project. In the family business, Kate was involved in catalog design, product photography and marketing campaigns.

In November 2006, she began working part-time in the purchasing department of the Jigsaw chain of stores in London. A year later, the press wrote that Kate intended to leave her job at Jigsaw and begin a career as a professional photographer. A few months later, it was even announced that she planned to take private lessons from Mario Testino, a photographer who has taken several famous photographs of her sons. However, the photographer himself denied this information. The media noted that Prince William introduced Kate to Testino.

Prince and Cinderella. William and Kate

Kate Middleton's height: 175 centimeters.

Personal life of Kate Middleton:

The world media began writing about Kate as a new friend in 2005. Their photo together, which was taken during one of the excursions, graced the front pages of the world's leading publications.

Subsequently, Middleton turned to a lawyer due to the constant interference in her personal life and harassment of journalists. At the University of St. Andrews, the couple studied art history together, but Prince William later changed his specialization to geography. According to some reports, Kate convinced Prince William to continue his studies when he wanted to drop out of his first year. According to another version, William remained at the university thanks to the persuasion of his father, Prince Charles.

Having received the unofficial status of the prince's girlfriend, Middleton began to often appear at events involving the royal family. So, on December 15, 2006, she and her parents were invited to the graduation ceremony of the Royal Military Academy, from which Prince William graduated. Queen Elizabeth II attended the ceremony.

Since 2002, Kate and William, already friends, rented a house in Fife, and since 2003, a country cottage. The beginning of their romantic relationships. During their student holidays, Prince William and Kate traveled together several times, and in 2003, the girl was among a small number of close friends invited to the prince's twenty-first birthday.

In 2005, Kate graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a bachelor's degree and increasingly appeared in public with the prince. Then rumors appeared about their imminent engagement. But William began his studies at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, and Kate was invited to work in the purchasing department of the Jigsaw clothing chain. From that time on, she lived in the London area of Chelsea.

On December 15, 2006, Kate and her parents were invited to a graduation ceremony at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which was also attended by Queen Elizabeth II and members of the royal family.

In 2007, Prince William went to a military training camp in Dorset, and Kate remained to live in London. These circumstances, as well as the growing pressure on Kate from journalists, were called among possible reasons Kate and William's separation, announced in April 2007.

In the summer of 2007, the media reported on the likely resumption of the romance between Kate and Prince William, since in June they attended a party together, organized in the military unit where the prince served. In July, Kate and William attended a gala concert in memory of Princess Diana, although official sources did not confirm rumors about the couple's reunion. It was subsequently indicated that Prince William and Kate decided to resume their relationship in August 2007.

On April 29, 2011, Kate Middleton married Prince William of Wales. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain granted the young couple the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The official title of the Duchess of Cambridge is Her Royal Highness Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus.

Kate Middleton ordered two for her wedding wedding dresses(one for the wedding ceremony, the second for the wedding dinner). The first, which became the main intrigue of the celebration, amazed all fashion experts. The bride chose a dress from the British brand Alexander McQueen. The second dress was created by the famous British fashion designer and stylist Bruce Oldfield, who previously took part in the design of Princess Diana's wardrobe.

Only the most famous, rich and influential people were given the honor of attending the most important ceremony of the year. The list of honor includes musician Elton John, director Guy Ritchie, football player David Beckham with his wife, actor Rowan Atkinson, who became famous not only for his role as Mr. Bean, but also for his friendship with the groom’s father.

The British capital made good money from the wedding of the heir to the British crown, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Expenses of guests of the British capital reached 107 million pounds sterling (about $176.5 million), analysts from PricewaterhouseCoopers calculated.

Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William

In 2011, a film was also made called William & Kate, dedicated to the relationship and then the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.

On December 3, 2012, an official representative of the British Royal Household announced that Prince William's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, was pregnant and was in the King Edward VII Hospital in central London with symptoms of toxicosis and would remain there for a few more days.

On July 22, 2013 at 16:24 local time (19:24 Moscow time) her son was born - George Alexander Louis, Prince of Cambridge.

On September 8, 2014, an official representative of the royal court confirmed information about the second pregnancy of the Duchess of Cambridge. On October 20, 2014, it was announced on the official website of the ducal couple that the second child of Catherine and William would be born in April 2015.

2 May 2015 at 8:34 am London time, Duchess of Cambridge. The baby weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces (3.71 kg). The girl's name was Charlotte Elizabeth Diana(Charlotte Elizabeth Diana). She received the title Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge.

September 4, 2017. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child," the statement said. It was clarified that Kate, as in her previous pregnancies, suffers from toxicosis, so she will no longer participate in official events.

April 23, 2018. "The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her son at 11:01 (at 15:01 Moscow time). The child weighs 8 pounds 7 ounces (about 3.9 kg). Prince William was present at the birth," Kensington Palace reported.

Interview with Prince William and Kate Middleton 2011:

CNN: Of course, the whole world is incredibly curious, let's start with the obvious. William, where, when and how did you propose to Kate? Kate, what did you say?

William: It all happened about three weeks ago in Kenya, where we were on vacation with friends. I just decided it was the right time. We'd been talking about marriage for a while now, so it wasn't a big surprise. In Kenya, we went out for dinner that evening and I proposed to her.

Kate: It was very romantic, we have romance in us!

William: Exactly.

CNN: And of course you said yes?

Kate: Yes.

CNN: Did you absolutely know that you would propose?

William: I've been planning this for some time. As anyone who has been through this knows, you need to be in the mood to decide to do something like this. I planned it, and then in Africa I just felt that the right moment had come, very good. But to show off my romantic side, I needed preparation.

CNN: By that time you had already been on vacation for some time. Did you suspect, Kate, that this would happen - was he nervous, jumping up and down with impatience?

Kate: No, absolutely not. We were in Kenya with friends and everything, so I didn't really expect him to propose to me. I knew that he was thinking about it, but at that very moment I felt surprise and joy, of course.

CNN: Gave me a ring? There and then?

William: Yes exactly. For three weeks I constantly carried it with me in my backpack - I was afraid of losing it. I knew that if the ring disappeared, I would be in serious trouble. Because I planned everything, everything went well. I've heard a lot scary stories about how someone proposed to someone and everything went terribly, but everything went well for us, and I’m very glad that Kate agreed to marry me.

CNN: This is a family ring...

William: This wedding ring my mother's. She is not with us, and she cannot share our joy, so I kind of want to bring her closer to what is happening with us now.

CNN: Let's get a look. What kind of ring is this, do you understand this?

William: No, I don’t understand anything at all. I was told it was sapphire and diamonds, but I think everyone will recognize this ring anyway.

Kate: It's very beautiful.

CNN: Now everyone will envy you!

Kate: I hope to keep it carefully.

William: She will have a hard time if she loses him. (laughs)

Kate: It's very, very special.

CNN: I must say that you both look incredibly happy and relaxed.

CNN: So you kept it a secret. When you asked Kate's father for permission, what did he say?

William: I had a dilemma: ask Kate's father, but I thought - what if he says no! And if I tell Kate first, he won't be able to refuse me. So I talked to Mike after I proposed to Kate.

CNN: What did your mother say?

Kate: Well, I think any mother would be just happy. We had a very awkward situation because I knew that William had already talked to my father, but I didn’t know if my mother knew. Mom behaved in a way that was incomprehensible. We looked at each other and it was awkward. But it was amazing to tell her, and of course she's very happy for us.

CNN: It’s obvious that you have a very close family, and what family generally means to you great importance.

Kate: Yes, I attach great importance to family. I hope that we ourselves can build a happy family. My family and I have had a great relationship over the years and they have been very supportive during difficult times. We see each other often, this is of great importance to me.

CNN: Everyone is very interested in this. The question, of course, is obvious – children. Do you want a lot of children, or how will it work out? What is your position?

William: I think we'll need time to move on from the wedding first. And then we’ll think about the children. But of course, we want to start a family, we need to start with this.

CNN: Speaking of the beginning. The public is interested in all the details of your relationship. When did you first notice each other and what were your first impressions?

William: It was so long ago that I need to dig into my memory. We met at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. We were friends for a year and that's where it all started. We started spending more and more time with each other, we laughed a lot, it was a lot of fun. We realized that we had many common interests, it was great and interesting to spend time together. Kate has a great sense of humor.

CNN: What did you think when you met William? Obviously, this is not just meeting someone average. Or just like that, I don’t know. What was your first impression?

Kate: I was very embarrassed when I first met William. You know, when school began, he was not at the university for the first weeks. We didn’t meet right away, but once we did, we quickly became good friends.

CNN: You know, they say that in your room there was a poster of William!

William: And not just one, in fact, there were about twenty of them! (laugh)

Kate: I'm daydreaming! On the wall in my room there was an advertising photo of Levi's jeans, not a photo of William. Sorry, I'm sorry.

William: It was a photo of me in Levi's, obviously.

CNN: You lived in the same house together, was that before you started dating or after?

William: We lived together as friends, several people lived there, all our friends. This is where it all started, we often saw each other, went to have fun together and all that.

Kate: Did you like the way I cook?

William: You cooked normally. It's better now.

CNN: Tell me, does William cook? And in general, does it do anything useful?

William: Define what “useful” is! (laugh)

Kate: Yes. When we were at university, he cooked for me. I was always there to help him.

CNN: Is the ability to cook worse or better over the years?

William: I would say that I cook better now, Kate will say that I cook a little worse.

Kate: I just didn't give you the opportunity to practice!

William: This is true. I'm lazy to cook food. When I come home from work, one thing I definitely don't want to do is cook. However, back then, at university, when I was trying to charm and impress Kate, I tried to cook luxurious dinners, but in the end something always burned, ran away, or spilled. Kate was next to me and tried to control the situation.

CNN: Many people are interested in how the first meeting with the families went? What are your impressions?

Kate: I was very worried before meeting William’s father, but he turned out to be very friendly, everything went just fine.

CNN: And a meeting with my grandmother, the queen, is also not just a meeting with some average grandmother. Were you worried?

Kate: Of course, before meeting the queen, I was also worried. But she was very friendly. We have a great relationship.

William: Yes, grandma received Kate very well. She knew that this was an important day, she had long wanted to meet her. She came up and said hello and we talked a little.

Kate has a very close family and I am lucky that they have been so supportive. They were always very warm to me, I felt like I was part of the family, and I hope Kate feels the same.

CNN: Everyone knows that after graduating from university you broke up. It was big news, all the newspapers wrote about it. What was the reason for the separation?

William: To be honest, I wouldn’t believe everything they write in the newspapers, but that news was true, yes. We were both young, trying to find our way in life. Our characters were developing, we were growing up. We wanted some space. In the end, it was a very rewarding experience.

Kate: At that moment I won’t say that I was happy, but that story made me stronger. In moments like these, you learn things about yourself that you never knew before. I appreciate that period of my life.

CNN: Did you always know you wanted to start a family with each other? Did the realization come gradually? Or just like this within two weeks? The public has been waiting for your decision to get married for a long time.

William: Immediately after meeting Kate, I realized that this was a special relationship for me. I immediately wanted to get to know her better. We ended up being friends for a while. I believe that friendship is a great advantage. This is a kind of foundation, everything is built on this. I knew that over the years everything would only get better and better. We had difficulties, as in any relationship. But we recovered from this and continued to live. And, you know, when you first start dating and getting to know each other, little strange problems arise - so we've got all that behind us, and now it's very easy and very cool to be with each other, and, as you can see, I'm extremely funny, and she likes it, which is good.

Kate: As you say, dear.

CNN: Kate, all your friends, both yours and William's, say that you have a very great love, which developed for a very long time, and which partly consists of friendship, but, of course, your relationship is more than friendship...

Kate: Well, it seems to me that when you date someone for a long time, you get to know each other very, very well. There are Good times, there are bad ones - both for you personally and in relationships. I think you become stronger as a result and, as I said, you learn a lot about yourself. And these, of course, were good ones - how many years have they been there?

William: I lost count.

CNN: You, of course, were in no hurry, yes. Have you ever talked about this?

Kate: Well, we had conversations...

William: We talk about this a lot today, don't we? We talked about it a lot, so it's not like Kate was in the dark, we've been planning this for at least a year or more. It was all about finding the right time, and most people say that's what it's all about with couples: timing. I was pursuing a military career, really wanted to focus all my attention on flying, and I would not have been able to get married if I was still in training. So I dealt with that, and Kate is doing well now in terms of work and who she wants to be - and so we just decided that now is the right time.

CNN: You are about to enter this family, the most famous royal family in the world. William's mother was an iconic figure, the most famous woman of our time. Does this worry you, scare you? Do you think about this a lot, both of you? Although, of course, Kate, this question is primarily for you.

Kate: Well, obviously it would be... I would dream of meeting her, and she certainly inspires me, she is a woman that I want to look up to... and you know, this is a wonderful family, those family members that I know , they've achieved a lot, they're very inspiring, so... yeah, I think a lot.

CNN: Do you feel any pressure?

William: There's no pressure, like Kate said, it's about building your own future. No one is trying to take my mother's place. What she did was wonderful, but now this is about your own future and your own destiny. And Kate will do very well.

CNN: Your life is, to a certain extent, a public domain and there is no escaping that, you both understand that, right? William, you obviously understand this better than Kate, everyone can see that you are trying in every possible way to protect her.

William: Yes, extremely. Of course, she and her family - I really want to make sure that they don't have any problems. And for Kate, I wanted her to have the opportunity to see what life is like in a family [in front of the cameras], and that's probably why I waited so long, because I wanted to give her the opportunity to see it all and get out of the game if will see fit (Kate laughs) before things get too much. Because you know I try to learn from the mistakes of the past and I just wanted to give her best opportunity settle in and see what happens on the other side.

Kate: Yes, I'm also very glad that I had this time to grow up and understand myself better, so I hope...

William: So, does that mean I did everything right?

Kate: Yes, and I hope that everything will work out for me.

CNN: So what you're saying is that it was deliberate, that the fact that you weren't in a rush was at least partly due to the fact that you spent a lot of time thinking about the future, quiet thinking, right?

William: Yes, yes. Well, we talked a lot about the future. It was always a topic for good conversation - and, as we said, we both came to this decision almost together. So I just chose when and how to do it, and being a true romantic, I did it extremely well.

CNN: Concluding the interview, I would like to ask you, Kate. People periodically criticize you and the way you work and relax. Does it hurt you? How do you react when people say such things?

Kate: Well, you know, I work a lot in the family business, and sometimes there are very long working days. And I think if I know that I'm working hard and doing my fair share of the work, and everyone I work with can see that, that's the most important thing to me.

CNN: You said that you are very close to your family. Are they hurt by what other people say or do you just let it not bother you, it's just something you have to live with?

Kate: Well, as I said... You know, the people at home are very supportive of us, and these are the people who really mean something to us - our close friends and close relatives. And it seems to me that if they think that you are doing everything right, you can only remain true to yourself and ignore most of what is said and written, take it into account, of course, but remain yourself. And that's exactly what I try to do.

CNN: What you are going to do is huge, and of course marriage is important for everyone, but such a public one... Are you excited? A little terrified?

William: Extremely excited. We are very happy that this interview is almost over (laughs). But no, of course, we are very, very excited and can't wait to spend a lot of time and our entire lives together and see what the future brings.

CNN: Kate, you've had a lot of time to think about this moment...

William: Okay, not that long actually. (laughs)

Kate: Of course, this is a big hassle, because I don’t know what’s what, but I’m ready to quickly learn everything and work tirelessly.

William: You'll do great.

CNN: Obviously, in the family you will have many opportunities, a huge opportunity to change people’s lives for the better, you probably thought about this too.

Kate: Yes, of course... I really hope that I can make the world a better place, even if it is just some small changes, and yes, I look forward to helping as much as I can.

CNN: Well, thank you very much for agreeing to talk with us. You look very relaxed and happy. Good luck to you.

Kate Middleton's embarrassment

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton (English Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, better known as Kate Middleton (English Kate Middleton; January 9, 1982, Reading UK) is the bride of Prince William of Wales.

Reading, England

Father: Michael Francis Middleton

English Michael Francis Middleton

Mother: Carol Elizabeth, née Goldsmith

English Carole Elizabeth Middleton nee Goldsmith

Spouse: Prince William of Wales Prince William of Wales

Family Coat of Arms

Biography

Show/Hide text

Born on January 9, 1982 in the city of Reading in the English county of Berkshire in the family of Michael Francis Middleton (born June 23, 1949) and his wife Carole Elizabeth, née Goldsmith (born Carole Elizabeth Middleton nee Goldsmith). January 31, 1955).

The Middleton family does not belong to the British nobility: Michael came from the middle class, and Elizabeth came from an old family of Harrison coal miners from County Durham. Both spouses worked in civil aviation, Elizabeth was a flight attendant, and Michael was a pilot. They also have a middle daughter, Philippa, and younger son James.

In 1987, the Middletons founded the parcel trading company Party Pieces, which successfully developed in the British market and made them millionaires. The family settled in their own house in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire.

Education

Kate Middleton grew up in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire and was educated at St. Andrew's School, after which she continued her studies at the private college Marlborough College in Wiltshire.

In 2001, Kate entered the Scottish University of St. Andrews University of St. Andrews in the Scottish city of Fife, where she met Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales. In 2005, all British and world tabloids wrote about Kate as Prince William's new girlfriend. Their photo together, which was taken during one of the excursions, graced the front pages of the world's leading publications. Such interest from journalists made Middleton feel uneasy, and she even had to turn to a lawyer for constant interference in her personal life and harassment of journalists. At the university, the couple studied art history together, but later Prince William changed his specialization to geography. According to some reports, Kate convinced Prince William to continue his studies when he wanted to drop out of his first year. According to another version, William remained at the university thanks to the persuasion of his father, Prince Charles.

Friendship with Prince William

Since 2002, Kate and William, already friends, rented a house in Fife, and since 2003, a country cottage. The beginning of their romantic relationship also dates back to this time. During their student holidays, Prince William and Kate traveled together several times, and in 2003, the girl was among a small number of close friends invited to the prince's twenty-first birthday.

On April 14, 2007, The Sun published exclusive news: Kate Middleton and Prince William decided to separate. The next day, details appeared that the couple broke up after a joint weekend in the Swiss resort of Zermatt. Many rumors immediately appeared about the reasons for the breakup. Some said that William did not pay enough attention to Kate and even cheated on her with other girls.

In the summer of 2007, the media reported on the likely resumption of the romance between Kate and Prince William, since in June they attended a party together, organized in the military unit where the prince served. In July, Kate and William attended a gala concert in memory of the princess. Welsh Diana, although official sources did not confirm rumors about the couple’s reunion. It was subsequently indicated that Prince William and Kate decided to resume their relationship in August 2007.

Engagement

On November 16, 2010, Clarence House announced Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton. On November 23, 2010, the wedding date was announced: the wedding ceremony will take place in Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.

Two wedding dresses (one for the wedding ceremony, the second for the wedding dinner) are created by the famous British fashion designer and stylist Bruce Oldfield, who previously took part in the design of Princess Diana's wardrobe.

Only the most famous, rich and influential people were given the honor of attending the most important ceremony of the year. So, the list of honor included musician Elton John, director Guy Ritchie, football player David Beckham and his wife, actor Rowan Atkinson, who became famous not only for his role as Mr. Bean, but also for his friendship with the groom’s father.

The British capital can make good money from the wedding of the heir to the British crown, Prince William and Kate Middleton, scheduled for April 29. Expenses of guests of the British capital will reach 107 million pounds sterling (about $176.5 million), analysts at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) calculated.

Insult

Prince William of Wales (born June 21, 1982) is the eldest son of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

Education: University of St Andrews

London, Great Britain

Dynasty: Windsor Dynasty

Father: Charles, Prince of Wales

Mother: Diana Spencer

Spouse: Kate Middleton

Family Coat of Arms

Biography

Show/Hide text

He was born at 9 pm on June 21, 1982, in London in the Paddington area. William was the first crown prince to be born outside the royal palace - he was born at St. Mary's Hospital in London. He became the object of attention of the paparazzi as soon as he was born: already upon leaving the maternity hospital, Diana and Charles came under the camera lenses of numerous photographers who wanted to be the first to take a photo of the heir.

On August 4, 1982, the Prince was christened William Arthur Philip Louis by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace.

As a child, the prince was a very energetic and restless child, but with age he calmed down somewhat. Princess Diana once called him a "thinker" in an interview.

Currently ranked second in the list of succession to the throne, in the event of accession to the throne he will be known as William V.

Education

Prince Charles and Princess Diana tried to give their child a good upbringing and education. At first, they, again deviating from the traditions of the royal house, sent the future heir to the throne to Mrs. Minors’s primary school (the prince’s father, for example, did not attend such institutions - teachers came to his house). After primary school William became a student at Wetherby School in London, where he studied from January 1987 to July 1990.

From 1990 to 1995, the prince attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire. It was a boarding school, and William did everything the same as everyone else, even sharing a room with four other students. At school he was captain of the hockey and rugby teams, was an avid swimmer, played football and basketball well, and represented the school in cross-country running marathons on several occasions.

Afterwards, William entered the famous Eton College, where he studied geography, biology and art history. The prince was always a diligent student and received good grades both in specialized subjects and in education (royal status obliges!), in addition, he easily found a common language with his peers. Thanks to his sociability, natural tact and modesty and the absolute absence of arrogance, he quickly acquired friends and acquaintances. True, in college he lived in a separate room and used a separate shower - but not out of arrogance, but for safety reasons.

When William's parents divorced in August 1996, the prince took it hard. He was always closer to his mother than to his father, but Princess Diana communicated a lot with the children even after the divorce. Even after the divorce, she continued to be considered a member of the royal family and lived in Kensington Palace and did a lot of charity work.

On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died tragically in a car accident in Paris. The prince learned about the tragedy only on September 1 from his father, since Prince Charles forbade his children to have a radio in the house. No matter how hard it was for him to cope with the grief that befell him, William found the strength to take part in organizing the funeral. He and his brother, Prince Harry, followed their mother's coffin in a funeral procession all the way to Westminster Abbey, where the funeral took place. After the death of his mother, William at will visited a psychoanalyst. During this period, William's long-standing hostility towards the press escalated to the limit: he blamed the paparazzi for his mother's death.

In July 2000, after graduating from Eton College, the prince, like many students, decided to take a break from his studies for a year. He traveled a lot, visited Chile, visited African countries following his mother (Princess Diana was actively involved in charity work), and even worked on an English dairy farm. After a year, Prince William chose his future path: he decided to enter the prestigious University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and soon became a student. The prince celebrated his coming of age (according to British law, it comes at 21) with a party in African style, which was held at Windsor Castle under the supervision of the queen herself.

Graduate work Prince in 2005 was dedicated coral reefs. He graduated with very good results (though not with honors), and in this he surpassed his father, a graduate of Cambridge. According to William himself, he spent four years at Eton happy year. For some time after graduating from university, William worked and was involved in social activities. useful things, for example, represented Her Majesty in New Zealand, in the cities of Wellington and Auckland at the celebrations dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

In May 2006, Prince William entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He received officer rank in December 2006 and joined the Royal Cavalry as a Second Lieutenant. In this regard, his career is no different from that of his male ancestors, starting with Henry V, since in Great Britain the monarch formally heads the country's armed forces.

What girl doesn't dream of a prince? And although in reality there are not so many princes, someone marries them?! The story of a girl who did not belong to an aristocratic family, Kate Middleton, is a vivid example of this.

Since childhood, the girl was determined to have a successful marriage, but could she count on a palace and a titled husband?! What attracted you to Kate? Maybe beauty, modesty, education, poise, tenderness or fidelity. Whatever it is, today it is a strong family, loving and happy parents, giving a piece of a fairy tale to the whole world.

Country childhood of a princess

On January 9, 1982, the future wife of Prince William, Duchess Kate, was born in the English county of Berkshire. The girl's mother, Carol Goldsmith, is from a working-class family and worked as a flight attendant before her marriage. His father, Michael Francis Middleton, worked first as an air traffic controller and then as a pilot. Work and love for the sky brought the young people together and became acquainted. They got married two years before the birth of their first child.

The future Kate Middleton is the eldest of three children. Catherine's ancestors never belonged to the British nobility. The girl's relatives are from the middle and working class on both her maternal and paternal sides. When Catherine was five years old, the Middletons became significantly wealthy and were able to buy a house in Berkshire. Such profit was brought to them by their own company(gifts and various little things for the holidays).

Little Kate went to an ordinary English kindergarten, and then to school in the village of Panborn, where their new home was located. The girl graduated from school at the age of 13 and immediately entered a private college in Marlborough. There she was interested in tennis, hockey, athletics. Her favorite subjects were chemistry, biology and art.

A few years before the palace

Having successfully graduated from college, Katherine decides to take time out and go to university in a year. Free time the girl devotes herself to travel; she visited Italy and Chile. The future Duchess Kate has participated in various charity programs from a young age.

Parents never spared money on their children’s education; they studied in the best educational institutions. The children were brought up in strictness, and little Catherine always behaved like a real duchess. Kate devoted a lot of time to her education, because she believed that a girl should be well-mannered, educated and an interesting conversationalist. Kate is the first of the Middletons to enter higher education - the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

It was within the walls of this university that Kate and William met. But, according to the media, it was not, at least mutual.

In addition, in the life of the pretty student Middleton there was a young man - Rupert Finch. The guy was in his last year of study, so he graduated from the university earlier. Kate and Rupert's relationship did not stand the test of time and distance, and soon the couple finally broke up.

Where is the dress, or how to choose an outfit to conquer the prince

Future Duchess Cambridge Kate, V student years just Kate Middleton, took part in a charity show with her friends. Photos of a girl in a transparent dress began to appear in the media due to increased interest in her person. And although the photographs show that Kate herself was not delighted with the fashion show and her own outfit, she had no idea what role it would play in her life.

On the one hand, it was on this day that the modest student by nature was noticed by Prince William. Who, as befits a royal person and an active, handsome student, sat in the very first row. On the other hand, with the acquisition of the official status of “Duchess of Cambridge,” Kate more than once blushed for her appearance and such an “elegant and modest” outfit.

By the way, the dress that Middleton wore that evening recently went under the hammer for $104,000.

Looking ahead a little, I would like to note that today Duchess Kate Middleton is considered a modern style icon in Great Britain.

Love or friendship

It took young Prince William and Kate Middleton a long time to admit their feelings to themselves, each other and the whole world.

At first they were just acquaintances, students attending the same lectures and living in the same dormitory. Fortunately, the prince’s mother at one time insisted that her son get used to the company of people from different backgrounds. Therefore, he was not ashamed to live in a shared student dormitory (although the windows in his room were armored), attend various non-secular events, or serve with ordinary guys.

It is not known that he had any serious relationships with girls during his studies; he was busy with his studies, journalists and plans for the future (he had thoughts of quitting his studies). And Kate was dating a senior student.

But soon the young people began to spend more time together, go on vacation together, appear in public, and gradually the friendship grew into a real romantic feeling. Kate and several other friends were invited to the palace to celebrate William's birthday.

And although the press was waiting for news of the engagement and claimed that the future duchess had been identified, Kate had not yet thought about marriage, since the heir to the throne was in no hurry to propose. Soon they began to live together, first in a rented house in Five with other children, and later in a country cottage.

But the romance with the prince is not as fabulous as it may seem...

An attempt to break up ended in a wedding

The relationship between the young people developed, they lived together and Kate became known to everyone as Prince William's girlfriend. Girls different countries We were jealous of dear Kate, but what had changed in her life?

Photographers were constantly “hunting” her, dreaming of posting exclusive or revealing photos. She had to constantly control her appearance, speech, gestures, absolutely everything. Bodyguards were assigned to the girl and followed her everywhere. At the same time, William not only did not propose, but was in no hurry to give up his bachelor habits. The girl had to wait for him at home while he spent time with friends at parties or on vacation. After graduating from university, his lover decided to go to a military camp. New life, distance and annoying photographers exhausted the lovers, and they decided to leave.

The prince's family really liked the modest Kate and believed that she had a positive influence on William. Their breakup was short-lived; in the same year, 2007, they resumed their relationship.

Three years later, the world learned about the engagement of one of the most beautiful couples and the wedding date of the heir to the British crown and Kate Middleton.

The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and her husband received their high title thanks to the Queen of Britain. They were granted the title on their wedding day.

The wedding of Catherine and William became one of the most anticipated events of 2011. For any bride, almost the most important thing in the celebration is the dress. Duchess Kate chose two irresistible dresses from famous designers. Photos of the bride in the dress for the official part spread all over the world and amazed designers and fashionistas with their beauty.

On April 29, an event took place that the residents were looking forward to. The ceremony took place in The most famous and influential guests were invited to the wedding. Few were given the honor of attending in person, but the ceremony was broadcast by television channels all over the world.

Women's happiness is simple, even for a princess

In 2012, Duchess Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince William's heir, George Alexander Louis. In May 2015, a little princess was born - the daughter of the Duchess and Duke of Charlotte, Elizabeth Diana.

Her subjects love Kate very much for her kindness, sincerity and modesty. Katherine is involved in charity, family and accompanies her husband at social events, business meetings. The young Duchess's style is considered impeccable: elegant, modest and modern. Very often the media emphasizes how much Duchess Kate resembles Princess Diana.

She was born on January 9, 1982 in the city of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. Parents: Michael Francis and Carol Elizabeth Middleton. In 1983, Philippa Charlotte (Pippa), Kate's younger sister, was born, and in 1987, brother James William. Kate spent part of her childhood in the capital of Jordan. This was due to her father's work transfer for the period from 1984 to 1987.

Michael, Carol and little Kate and Pippa moved to Amman for several years. When the Middletons returned to Berkshire, Kate entered St. Andrews School, where she studied until 1995. She then moved on to Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she completed the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

This program was created by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956 for young people aged 14-24 years. The award is presented personally by members of the royal family, and the award itself takes place at the Royal Residence.

After graduating from college in 2000, she went to Italy, where she studied at the Florence British Institute. Then to Chile, where she participated in a charity program. In 2001, she entered the University of St. Andrews in the Scottish region of Fife. At this university she met Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales.

Parents, younger brother and sister

Father Michael Francis Middleton was born on June 23, 1949. Michael's family came from Leeds and were quite wealthy. Some sources mention that the family was related to the British aristocracy. Michael studied at Clifton College, where his father Peter and grandfather Noel studied.

Family business that brought in millions

In 1987, thanks to the efforts of Carole Middleton, Party Pieces was founded. The company is known for making gift bags and party accessories. Some sources claim that Carol came up with the idea to create the company when she was pregnant and could no longer work for the airline.

Then she began creating gift bags herself, which she sold to friends and relatives. The idea turned out to be successful. Soon Michael joined and began to help his wife. As a result, the company grew into a business empire, making the Middletons millionaires. The family settled in their own home in Berkshire.

Spouses Michael and Carol made a lot of efforts to ensure that their children received the best and studied in the most prestigious educational institutions. But many were interested in the question of how they were able to educate three children in best schools and universities. One answer is that Michael Middleton's ancestors created a network of trusts and made a large fortune.

Kate's paternal great-great-grandfather, Francis Martineau Lupton, was a wealthy Yorkshire wool merchant who inherited property worth £70,000, equivalent to £1.5 million today. In his will, he indicated that his money should go to the education of his descendants. And the trusts are still operated and managed by a law office in Leeds.

Duchess of Cambridge

On April 29, 2011, the wedding of Catherine and Prince William took place. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain granted the young couple the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. On July 22, 2013, their first child was born - son George Alexander Louis, Prince of Cambridge. In May 2015, the couple had a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge. She is now expecting her third child.

Watch a video about the relationship between Kate Middleton and Prince William.

Diagnostics and diseases. Medicines from A to Z