Happy Birthday, Kate Middleton! 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Future Queen

Mar. 15, 2025

01of 10She Lived in Jordan as a ChildGettyKate Middletonwas born in Reading, England, on Jan. 9, 1982. At age 2, she moved with her family to Amman, Jordan, for her fatherMichael Middleton’s job at British Airways. The Middleton family lived abroad for two and a half years, and the future princess attended nursery school there.

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She Lived in Jordan as a Child

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Kate Middletonwas born in Reading, England, on Jan. 9, 1982. At age 2, she moved with her family to Amman, Jordan, for her fatherMichael Middleton’s job at British Airways. The Middleton family lived abroad for two and a half years, and the future princess attended nursery school there.

02of 10She and Sister Pippa Had Complementary NicknamesDave M. Benett/GettyKate and her younger sister,Pippa Middleton, once had matching nicknames! The royal made the revelation while visiting her old school, St. Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, a decade ago. Kate asked the young pupils if they had class pets, and recalled the names she gave her childhood have guinea pigs.“There was one called Pip and one called Squeak, because my sister was called Pippa and I was Squeak,” Kate said, according toThe Mirror.

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She and Sister Pippa Had Complementary Nicknames

Dave M. Benett/Getty

Kate and her younger sister,Pippa Middleton, once had matching nicknames! The royal made the revelation while visiting her old school, St. Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, a decade ago. Kate asked the young pupils if they had class pets, and recalled the names she gave her childhood have guinea pigs.

“There was one called Pip and one called Squeak, because my sister was called Pippa and I was Squeak,” Kate said, according toThe Mirror.

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She Earned a Duke of Edinburgh Award

Chris Jackson/Getty

“The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is such a great way for young people to grow in confidence, learn new skills, work as part of a team and have great fun along the way,“she later said. “While getting my Gold Award was challenging at times, it is one of my most memorable experiences from growing up, and I could not recommend it more highly.”

04of 10She Set — and Still Holds! — a School Sports RecordYui Mok - WPA Pool/GettyNo wonder why she looks so at easegetting athleticat official engagements! Princess Kate grew up playing sports, particularly the high jump, according to herpalace biography.While enrolled at St. Andrew’s School, where she attended from ages 4 to 13, she set a record for the track and field event which still stands today,The Mirrorreported.

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She Set — and Still Holds! — a School Sports Record

Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty

No wonder why she looks so at easegetting athleticat official engagements! Princess Kate grew up playing sports, particularly the high jump, according to herpalace biography.

While enrolled at St. Andrew’s School, where she attended from ages 4 to 13, she set a record for the track and field event which still stands today,The Mirrorreported.

05of 10She Took a Gap Year Before UniversityMiddleton Family/Clarence House via GettyAfter graduating from Marlborough in 2000, Kate took a gap year. During that time, she studied at the British Institute in Florence, traveled to Chile to do charity work with Raleigh International and rowed crew with Round the World Challenge in the Solent strait.She enrolled at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, the following year — and metPrince Williamthere shortly after.

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She Took a Gap Year Before University

Middleton Family/Clarence House via Getty

After graduating from Marlborough in 2000, Kate took a gap year. During that time, she studied at the British Institute in Florence, traveled to Chile to do charity work with Raleigh International and rowed crew with Round the World Challenge in the Solent strait.

She enrolled at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, the following year — and metPrince Williamthere shortly after.

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She Briefly Worked as a Server

Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Like many college students, Kate juggled a job with her classes. While appearing on the BBC specialA Berry Royal Christmasin 2019, she revealed that she briefly worked as a waitress — and joked that she wasn’t very good at it!

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She Was on a Serious Women’s Rowing Team

Kate and Williambriefly broke upin April 2007 and got back together around June. During their split, she joined The Sisterhood, an intense all-female dragon boat team training to race against a men’s team to raise money for charity,The Telegraphreported.

“Kate has done all the training and she’s really committed. She is physically very fit. But she is also strong mentally,” crew member Emma Sayle told the outlet at the time.

According toThe Telegraph, Kate’s dedication earned her “the hardest job on the dragon boat” – the tiller. While the other women paddled, the future princess was tasked with steering and shouting instructions.

Two weeks before the big race that August, Kate withdrew over security concerns, theBBCreported. The attention stemmed from her rekindled relationship with the royal.

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She Never Had a Prince William Poster

Prince William and Kate Middleton.

“He wishes! No, I had the Levi’s guy on my wall,” she laughed. “Not a picture of William. Sorry,” she said, patting her newly minted fiancé’s knee.

09of 10She Did Her Own Bridal MakeupKate Middleton at her 2011 royal wedding.Chris Jackson/GettyNo need for a pro — Princess Kate handles her own glam! In April 2011,PEOPLE reportedthat Kate took a few private lessons with London makeup artist Arabella Preston ahead of herroyal wedding, brushing up on her skills to do her own makeup on her big day.Wedding planner Mark Niemierko told PEOPLE Kate made the decision to “keep some normality” in her life.

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She Did Her Own Bridal Makeup

Kate Middleton at her 2011 royal wedding.Chris Jackson/Getty

No need for a pro — Princess Kate handles her own glam! In April 2011,PEOPLE reportedthat Kate took a few private lessons with London makeup artist Arabella Preston ahead of herroyal wedding, brushing up on her skills to do her own makeup on her big day.

Wedding planner Mark Niemierko told PEOPLE Kate made the decision to “keep some normality” in her life.

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She Bakes Her Kids' Birthday Cakes

In another enviable DIY, Kate has said that she bakes birthday cakes for her three children —Prince George, 11,Princess Charlotte, 9, andPrince Louis, 6. The royal mom shares the special tradition while appearing onA Berry Royal Christmasin 2019.

“I love making the cake. It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up ‘til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much,” Kate said, according toHello!. “But I love it.”

source: people.com