Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton on 9 January 1982; popularly known as "Kate") is the wife of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. William is second in line to the thrones of the sixteen Commonwealth realms, and if he becomes king, she would become queen consort. Catherine grew up in Chapel Row at Bucklebury, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, EnglandShe studied in Scotland at the University of St Andrews, where she met William in 2001. They started a romantic relationship that continued until a break-up lasting for several months in 2007. However, they continued to be friends and rekindled their relationship later that year.Prior to the wedding, Catherine attended many high-profile royal events. Once their relationship became public, Catherine received widespread media attention and there was much speculation that she and William would eventually marry. Their engagement was announced on 16 November 2010, and they married on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey.* 1 Biography o 1.1 Early life and family o 1.2 Career o 1.3 Public image and style o 1.4 Relationship with Prince William + 1.4.1 Breakup and reconciliation + 1.4.2 Engagement and wedding * 2 Royal duties o 2.1 Public appearances * 3 Titles, styles and arms o 3.1 Coat of arms * 4 Ancestry * 5 Popular culture * 6 Footnotes * 7 References o 7.1 Bibliography * 8 External linksCatherine was born at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading on 9 January 1982 and christened at St Andrew's Bradfield, Berkshire on 20 June 1982.:32 She is the eldest of three children born to Carole Elizabeth Middleton (née Goldsmith), a former flight attendant and now part-owner of Party Pieces, a private company with an estimated worth of £30 million, and Michael Francis Middleton, who also worked as a flight attendant prior to becoming a flight dispatcher for British Airways, currently also an owner of Party Pieces. Her parents married on 21 June 1980, at the Parish Church of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and in 1987, founded Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells party supplies and decorations.[ Catherine has a sister, Philippa Charlotte, known as "Pippa" (born 1983) and a brother, James Middleton (born 1987 The family has complained about press harassment of Pippa and their mother since Catherine's engagement.Catherine's paternal family came from Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, and her great-grandmother Olivia was a member of the Lupton family, who were active for generations in Leeds in commercial and municipal work Her ancestors include The Rev. Thomas Davis, a Church of England hymn-writer. Middleton's maternal family, the Harrisons, were working class labourers and miners from Sunderland and County DurhamCatherine's parents were based in Amman, Jordan, working for British Airways from May 1984, to September 1986, where Catherine went to an English language nursery school before returning to their home in Berkshire. After her return from Amman, Catherine was educated at St Andrew's School near the village of Pangbourne in Berkshire, then briefly at Downe House.She continued her studies at Marlborough College, a co-educational independent boarding school in Wiltshire followed by the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland where she met William. She graduated with an MA (2:1 Hons) in the History of ArCareerIn November 2006, Catherine accepted a position as an accessory buyer with the clothing chain Jigsaw. She also worked part time until January 2011 as a catalogue photographer, webpage designer and marketing officer for her parents' firm "Party Pieces". In 2008, it was reported that she had quit her job at Jigsaw to become a professional photographer, intending to take private classes with photographer Mario Testino, who had taken several well-known photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons. Testino later denied that Catherine was going to be working for him.Kate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate MiddletonKate Middleton
