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 It's not easy being a public person, with your every step,
gesture and breath carefully watched and captured by dozens of cameras. That's the
price you have to pay for success, wealth and fame. However, it's not the same
if you have to pay with your own privacy for somebody else's success, when you
have no choice but tolerate the public scrutiny knowing that it's not you
everybody's interested in. Moreover, you get absolutely no credit for anything
and your celebrity partner always steals the scene, and your every faux pas is
noticed and cherished by the public for years to come and brought forward
whenever your name comes up. Now you see the «perks» of being with
somebody famous. That's the situation Kate Middleton, the girlfriend of Prince
William of Wales, second in line to the British throne, has to face on the regular
basis.
Still, don't bother to be sorry for poor media-haunted Kate.
It's not so bad being Kate Middleton after all. Catherine Elizabeth
Middleton
was born on 9 January, 1982 in Reading, into a middle class family, her
father an
airline pilot, and mother - an air stewardess. As a child she
demonstrated the
calm competence and strength of character which would serve her so well
in the
future, with childhood friends describing her as a kind-hearted and
sensible
soul who rarely caused upset among her peers. In 1987, the Middletons
founded
their own company, Party Pieces, a mail order firm that sells party
supplies
and decorations. They have since become millionaires and could afford an
appropriate education for Kate and her two siblings: after attending
Marlborough
College she went to the prestigious University of St Andrews in 2001.
Signing up for a degree in History of Art at St Andrews
brought her into the orbit of William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor,
Britain's
future king. As housemates sharing a cottage in the Scottish town, Kate
and the
Prince fell for each other in 2002, and embarked on a romance that
became a
source of intense media interest across the world. At St Andrews the two
were
protected from tabloid scrutiny by a gentleman's agreement between
newspaper
editors and the royal household. The slender brunette, who did well in
both her
school and university exams, would have been all too aware the bubble of
privacy would burst as soon as they graduated, however.
University over, the two moved to London where they found
themselves facing new challenges. Kate set up home in the capital and
accepted
a position as a junior buyer with High Street fashion chain Jigsaw. Her
statuesque beau meanwhile threw himself into the rigors of military
training.
While her sudden celebrity can't have been easy for the
young graduate, she handled herself with poise and dignity. The
romance between the middle class lass and
her blue blooded beau went from strength to strength, with Kate joining
William, along with his father and brother, on several skiing holidays.
She was
also presented to the Queen, who was said to be much taken her
grandson's
choice of partner.
In February 2006, it was announced that Middleton would
receive her own 24-hour security detail supplied by the Royalty and
Diplomatic
Protection Department. This fueled further speculation that she and
Prince
William would soon be engaged, since she would not, otherwise, be
entitled to
this service. It came as a shock to royal watchers, therefore, to
discover on
April 14 that the pair had called time on the romance and were to go
their own
ways.
The separation didn't last long, however. By June there was
speculation they'd rekindled their romance. And this seemed to be
confirmed
when in July Kate, accompanied by her mum, attended the Concert For
Diana at
Wembley Stadium - although the couple sat two rows apart and insisted
they were
«just good friends».
With reports they'd decided to give their romance a second
chance filling the papers, Kate and her royal beau were careful to
conduct
their relationship out of the limelight, and were rarely seen out
clubbing
together at their old haunts.
In late 2007, Kate resigned from her job at Jigsaw and later
went on to take up a production post with her parent's firm. Working for
mum
and dad meant she was able to take time out to join the Prince on
foreign
holidays, support him on the sidelines at polo matches and attend family
events
as their relationship once again grew in strength. In June 2008,
Middleton
attended the event of William's investiture into the Order of the Garter
along
with the Royal Family.
Meanwhile, despite the broad media coverage, Kate Middleton remains
an obscure figure known for little beside her royal connection. On
numerous
occasions Kate has demonstrated her intelligence and wisdom, she
carefully
thought out her line of conduct and has not been implicated in any
scandals so
far.
Kate Middleton is also known for her fashion sense and
understated elegant style which has earned her a comparison to late
Princess
Diana. Middleton has been featured in numerous best dressed lists.
Tatler
placed her at #8 on their yearly listing of the top ten style icons in
2007. She
was named as one of Richard Blackwell's ten «Fabulous Fashion
Independents» of
2007. In July 2008 Kate was named to Vanity Fair's international best
dressed
list.
No one can predict the future, but so far all indications
are that Prince William made the right choice with Kate Middleton.
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