Kate Middleton
“Catherine Elizabeth Middleton” may not be as Royal as Prince William but she was still given every opportunity by her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.
Kate Middleton was born at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire, the first of three children and was raised in Bucklebury, a quiet English village.
Kate’s father, Michael, was an airline officer and her mother, Carole, was a flight attendant, before they founded their own business “Party Pieces”. Kate Middleton’s parents were determined to give Kate the best education possible.
From the age of four to eleven, Kate attended St Andrew’s Prep School in Pangbourne, Berkshire, followed by two years at Downe House in Newbury.
Kate later went on to attend Marlborough College in Wiltshire and St Andrews University in Scotland.
Kate performed well, academically, gaining high grade passes in eleven GCSE and three good A-levels.
Before attending St Andrews University, where she studied History of Art, Kate decided to embark on a gap year travelling around Italy and South America.
Prince William
Prince William is the elder son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. He was born on 21 June 1982 at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London.
Although Prince William came from a privileged background his mother, Princess Diana, aspired for William and his younger brother Harry, to lead as normal a life as possible. Princess Diana did her best to give her children a sense of fun and freedom.
However Prince William’s childhood was affected by some traumatic events.
In 1996, after a period of separation, his parents divorced. The following year, Princess Diana tragically died in a road traffic accident in Paris. William was only 15 years old.
Prince William was given the very best of educations. He attended Wetherby School in London; Ludgrove School in Berkshire; and Eton College, London, where he studied Geography, Biology and History at A – Level.
Before going to St Andrews University in Scotland, where he gained a 2:1 in Geography, William spent a gap year travelling around Chile, Belize and Africa.
He is an avid sportsman, and was chosen to be President of England’s Football Association. He is also the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
Prince William continues to follow in his parents’ footsteps by taking an interest in various charitable causes, particularly in those that help disadvantaged young children and the homeless.
Prince William is currently a Patron of 19 different charitable organisations.
William was introduced to HIV and AIDS related charities, early on his life, by his mother Princess Diana. These early experiences led William to volunteer at a British Red Cross aid distribution centre in 2005.
Relations
Kate and Will’s romance blossomed at University, where they regularly saw each other in lectures and tutorials and around the University Halls.
The couple connected through their love of sport and gap year experiences.
By the time they entered their second year at University, Kate and Will had moved in together, as flatmates, but insisted they were only friends. However the pair soon became closer and started developing feelings for each other. After William graduated from University, he decided to join the Army. This decision put strain on the couple’s relationship, but William was dedicated to Kate, he often wrote handwritten love notes to her, or drove 45 minutes from his base to see her. Kate and Will tried to keep their relationship a secret from the press, but when they were spotted kissing on the slopes of the Casanna Alp whilst on a skiing holiday in Switzerland, in January 2006, they could no longer hide.
