Who was Kate Middleton before she met Prince William? The Princess of Wales was raised by millionaire parents, once lived in Jordan, and partied with her sister Pippa in London
It’s hard to imagine there was ever a time when Kate Middleton and Prince William weren’t dating, and were once individuals whose names didn’t immediately follow one after another in a sentence.
Here’s what we know about the Princess of Wales’ life before marrying William.
Did Kate Middleton come from a wealthy family?
Although Middleton is often portrayed as a “commoner”, at least in comparison to the royal family and their wealth, she does come from a well-to-do household herself.
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She grew up in Berkshire and once lived in Jordan
Kate grew up in Chapel Row, a village near Newbury, Berkshire with her parents and siblings Pippa and James, as per Town & Country magazine. They attended posh private schools like St Andrews and Marlborough College. Per National World, the University of St Andrews alum once lived in Amman, Jordan, with her family in the 1980s after her father was relocated there for work when he was with British Airways.
She did some theatre
Back when she was 11, a young Kate sang during a performance at St Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, Berkshire, which she attended in the 80s and 90s, per Classic FM. She sang “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” from My Fair Lady while playing the lead role of Eliza Doolittle, as seen in throwback footage that ended up going viral in August.
She spent time with the “Glossy Posse”
Per Vanity Fair, Kate first met William in the summer of 1999, when she started spending time with the “Glossy Posse” – an elite and well-connected circle including Princes William and Harry’s best friends from Gloucester. Hello! reports that many of its members hail from aristocratic lineages tracing back to British dukes, earls and barons.
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She partied with Pippa Middleton
She took a gap year to travel the world
Before she started uni, Kate embarked on a gap year where she studied at the British Institute in Florence, joined the Raleigh International programme in Chile, and did the Round the World Challenge in the Solent, per British media.
Who did Kate Middleton date before Prince William?
Before tying the knot with William, there were four men in Kate’s life who she’d been linked to.
Per Cosmopolitan, her “first love” was Harry Blakelock, but he ended up “breaking her heart”.
- Before tying the knot with Prince William and joining the British royal family, Kate Middleton grew up in Berkshire, and lived in Amman, Jordan for a while in the 1980s
- The Princess of Wales dated Rupert Finch, who is depicted in The Crown by Sienna Miller’s baby daddy Oli Green, and used to party at Mahiki and Boujis in London