Catherine (Kate) Elizabeth Middleton

Catherine (Kate) Elizabeth Middleton (born 9 January 1982) is the girlfriend of Prince William of Wales.



She was raised in Bucklebury Berkshire, in the south of England, and attended the public school Marlborough College. Like the Prince, Middleton was a student at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. She graduated with a 2:1 in history of art.



She is the eldest daughter of Michael Middleton, a British businessman, and his wife, Carole. Her parents own Party Pieces, a mail order company which sells party accessories. She has two siblings, Pippa and James.



Middleton plans to create a company to design and sell children's clothing.

Relationship with Prince William of Wales
While attending St. Andrew's University in 2001, Middleton met Prince William. At the time, Kate already had a boyfriend. William and Kate became flatmates in late 2002, at the beginning of their second year at St. Andrews. Kate and her then-boyfriend broke up around Christmas 2003, and Kate and William have since been involved in a relationship together. They were first seen together publicly in an April 2004 ski trip in Klosters. During 2005, the British media have speculated that the Prince and Kate plan to become engaged. It is believed that she has met the Queen at Balmoral, and that she approves of any union between the couple.



Middleton's status as the girlfriend of Prince William has given her widespread media coverage in the UK. She is often photographed on her day to day business. On October 17, 2005 she complained about harassment from the media, with her lawyer saying she has done nothing to court publicity. As she is not engaged to Prince William, she is not entitled to protection from the Royal Protection Squad.



In December 2005, the German magazine Das Neue published photos of the exterior of Middleton's London flat revealing its location. This prompted a security review by police amidst concerns for her safety and a report in the London Evening Standard that Prince William was considering going to the European Court of Human Rights over concerns for the privacy of Middleton and himself.