Sweet photos from her childhood and school days to her pre-royal years in London
The Princess of Wales has been one of the world's most photographed women since her early twenties, but she has also shared insights into what her childhood growing up in Bucklebury, Berkshire was like, including some rare photographs.
Previously speaking on Giovanna Fletcher's podcast in 2020, Kate said of her childhood: "I had an amazing Granny who devoted a lot of time to us, playing with us, doing arts and crafts and going to the greenhouse to do gardening, and cooking with us, and I try and incorporate a lot of the experiences that she gave us at the time into the experiences that I give my children now."
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The future royal was educated at St Andrews school near Pangbourne, Berkshire, and Marlborough College in Wiltshire, before she met her future husband Prince William at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
After graduating, Kate shared a flat in Chelsea with her younger sister, Pippa Middleton. In the years before her engagement to William in 2010, Kate worked as an accessories buyer at Jigsaw and also helped out with her parents Carole and Michael Middleton's former party planning business, Party Pieces.
Before settling down and getting married in 2011, William and Kate were regulars on the London social scene, with Boujis and Mahiki among their favourite haunts.
Take a look at photos of Kate in her pre-royal life…
Childhood
Baby Kate, 1982
Kate delighted royal fans at the start of 2023 when she released this rare and adorable baby snap with her father Michael, believed to have been taken by her mother Carole in 1982.
The Princess released the image as she launched her Shaping Us campaign, captioning the photo: "Faces are a baby's best toy."
Toddler Kate, 1983
Kate shared another rare childhood snap ahead of the airing of her Christmas carol concert on TV in December 2023. It shows a nearly two-year-old Kate sat at the Middleton's family dinner table at Christmas time.
Adventurous Kate, 1985
Look how cute three-year-old Kate was! This picture was taken during a family holiday in the Lake District and little Kate looked like she was having a brilliant time climbing rocks. Such adorable bunches, too.
Growing up in Jordan
When Kate was a young girl, she lived in Amman, Jordan, for two-and-a-half years with her family. Here we see her (standing) with her father and younger sister Pippa. Look how blonde her hair was!
Daddy's girl
The Princess shared this previously unseen photo of herself as a child to mark Father's Day back in June 2020. In the snap, Kate sits on the knee of her father Michael Middleton, dressed in a checked shirt and jeans, and wearing plaits in her hair.
With younger brother James
After Kate shared her brave video message in March 2024 revealing that she is undergoing treatment for cancer, her younger brother James Middleton posted a tribute to his famous sibling, sharing this childhood photo on Instagram and writing: "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too."
School years
Sporty Kate
Sporty Kate was on her school's hockey team at St Andrew's in Pangbourne. In this picture, the future royal sits in the centre of the front row.
Team player Kate
The future Princess was also in her school's rounders team at St Andrew's in Pangbourne.
Gap year Kate
Before embarking on her degree at the University of St Andrews where she met Prince William, Kate, aged 19 in this photo, took a gap year which included ten weeks on a Raleigh International expedition trip to Patagonia in Chile.
Interestingly, William also took part in the same programme and also lived in Chile where he helped build new walkways and taught English in a mountain village in the south, but the pair missed each other in South America by weeks.
University
Runway Kate
Kate met her future husband Prince William at the University of St Andrews, when they both enrolled on the Art History course in 2001.
The pair were friends at first but it's widely believed that Kate caught William's eye when she took part in a student charity fashion show in 2002, where she wore a sheer dress on the catwalk.
It was a moment that was depicted in the final series of The Crown.
Graduation, 2005
Kate graduated from St Andrews in 2005 with a 2:1 in Art History. William, who later switched to a Geography degree, also celebrated on the same day with the late Queen and then Prince Charles in attendance at the ceremony.
Pre-royal years
William's passing-out parade, 2006
Kate's attendance at William's passing-out parade at the Sandhurst Military Academy in 2006 sparked rumours of an impending engagement.
With sister Pippa Middleton, 2007
Kate and her sister Pippa are pictured after a night out at Mahiki in London, when the pair shared a flat in Chelsea.
That summer saw William and Kate briefly break up before getting back together after some time apart.
Kate said in their engagement interview: "I think at the time I wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person, you find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realised, I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn't think it at the time."
Roller disco party, 2008
Another iconic image of Kate in her pre-royal days. The future royal organised a charity roller disco party and went all out with her outfit choice of a green sequin halter-neck top and yellow shorts.
At the polo, 2009
Kate was a supportive girlfriend as she watched William and Harry compete in a polo match at Cirencester Park Polo Club.
Months before her engagement to William, 2010
Just a couple of months before William proposed to her, Kate looked effortlessly cool as she mingled at a charity polo match in Tetbury.
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