Kate Middleton's Biography

Kate Middleton, now known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is a member of the British royal family who has become an international icon since her marriage to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in 2011. Their wedding was televised all across the globe, with more than 300 million people tuning in.

Middleton and Prince William met in 2001 while attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she was studying art history. She endured a good deal of paparazzi harassment as a result of their relationship, and though they briefly broke up in 2007, they were eventually engaged in 2010.

In addition to her trendsetting fashion sense, Middleton has become known for her charity work with art, education, and veterans organizations, and set up a philanthropic fund in 2011 to which well-wishers could direct gifts instead of sending them wedding presents (what do you get for the royals who have everything, anyway?).

Though she’s typically on her best behavior in public—we can’t imagine it’s fun to offend your mother-in-law when she’s the Queen—Kate Middleton reportedly likes to let loose when she’s not on-camera. According to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, “she’s an awful lot of fun, and she can drink Prince William under the table. I’ve been at nightclubs with her where I’ve seen her [drinking with William] and do shot after shot, and she’s the one [left] standing and William is the one who’s looking totally out of it. So, she’s quite a partier.”