Catherine, Princess of Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Catherine |
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Catherine in 2023
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| Born | Catherine Elizabeth Middleton 9 January 1982 Reading, Berkshire, England |
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| House | Windsor (by marriage) |
| Father | Michael Middleton |
| Mother | Carole Goldsmith |
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Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, who is the heir apparent (next in line) to the British throne.
Catherine was born in Reading and grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire. She went to St Andrew's School and Marlborough College. Later, she studied art history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. This is where she met Prince William in 2001. She finished her degree in 2005. Before getting engaged in November 2010, she worked in different jobs and did charity work. After her marriage on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, she became the Duchess of Cambridge. Catherine and William have three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis. In early 2024, she was diagnosed with cancer. She had treatment and returned to her royal duties later that year.
Since her marriage, Catherine has taken on many royal duties. She supports the British monarch and represents the royal family on trips to other countries. She also does a lot of charity work through the Royal Foundation. Her charity efforts mainly focus on helping young children, supporting people with challenges, and promoting art. Catherine is a patron (a supporter) of many charities and military groups. These include the Anna Freud Centre, Action for Children, SportsAid, and the National Portrait Gallery. To help people talk about their mental health problems, she started the "Heads Together" campaign in April 2016 with William and his brother Harry.
The media has paid a lot of attention to Catherine. She tries to keep her private life separate from public interest. Her influence on fashion in Britain and America is sometimes called the "Kate Middleton effect." Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world in 2011, 2012, and 2013. On 9 September 2022, she became Princess of Wales. This happened when William was made Prince of Wales by his father, King Charles III.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born on 9 January 1982. She was born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. Her family was a well-known, upper-middle-class family. Her parents, Michael Middleton and Carole (who was a Goldsmith before marriage), both worked for British Airways. Her father was a flight dispatcher, and her mother was a flight attendant. Catherine was baptised at St Andrew's Bradfield church on 20 June 1982. She has two younger siblings, Philippa (Pippa) and James. Her father's family had money from family funds. Her great-grandparents, Noël and Olive Middleton, even hosted members of the British royal family in the 1920s to 1940s. Her mother's family came from coal miners.
In May 1984, Catherine's family moved from Bradfield Southend, Berkshire, to Amman, Jordan. There, Catherine went to an English-language nursery school. When her family came back to Berkshire in September 1986, she started at St Andrew's School. This was a private school near Pangbourne in Berkshire. In her later years, she stayed at St Andrew's part-time as a boarder. In 1987, her mother started Party Pieces, a company that sold party supplies. In 1995, the family moved to Bucklebury. Catherine then studied at Downe House School. She also boarded at Marlborough College, a school in Wiltshire. There, she was good at sports and was captain of the girls' field hockey team. She also earned a gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. During this time, she had an operation on her head to remove a lump.
Catherine was offered a place at the University of Edinburgh. However, she decided to take a gap year. She studied at the British Institute of Florence in Italy and traveled to Chile for a Raleigh International program. Before university, she worked as a deckhand at the Port of Southampton in the summer. She then went to the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She first studied psychology but then focused on art history. She also worked part-time as a waitress while studying. Catherine was an active member of The Lumsden Club, which did fundraisers and community projects. In 2005, she graduated from the University of St Andrews with a degree in art history.
Personal Life
Meeting Prince William
In 2001, Catherine met Prince William when they were both students living at St Salvator's Hall. She reportedly caught William's attention at a charity fashion show at the university in 2002. The couple started dating in 2003. In their second year, Catherine shared a flat with William and two friends. From 2003 to 2005, they both lived at Balgove House on the Strathtyrum estate with two other roommates. In 2004, the couple briefly broke up but later got back together.
In November 2006, Catherine started working part-time for a year as an accessories buyer for the clothing store Jigsaw. She also worked as a project manager for her family's business, managing their website and catalogue.
Catherine attended William's graduation ceremony at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December 2006. In April 2007, they ended their relationship again. However, it was later reported that they had reconciled. In May 2008, Catherine attended the wedding of William's cousin Peter Phillips to Autumn Kelly. She went in place of William and met Queen Elizabeth II for the first time there.
Catherine also attended the Order of the Garter procession at Windsor Castle in June 2008. This was when William was made a Royal Knight of the Garter. In July 2008, she was a guest at the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor and George Gilman. William was away on military duty in the Caribbean at the time. In June 2010, the couple moved into a cottage on the Bodorgan Estate in Anglesey, Wales. William lived there during his RAF search and rescue training and career. Before her marriage, Catherine lived with her sister Pippa in an apartment in Chelsea, London owned by their parents.
Marriage and Family Life
Catherine and William got engaged in October 2010. This happened at a remote cabin on Mount Kenya during a trip to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Their engagement was announced on 16 November that year. William gave her the engagement ring that had belonged to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Catherine had a religious ceremony called confirmation into the Church of England on 10 March at St James's Palace. Her family and William were there.
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The couple married on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. This day was made a bank holiday in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that around 300 million people or more watched the wedding worldwide. In Britain alone, 26 million people watched it live. Her wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. Catherine was given the title "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge." The Queen gave them the country home Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham House estate, as a wedding gift.
After their marriage in 2011, the couple used Nottingham Cottage as their home in London. In 2013, they moved into a 20-room apartment at Kensington Palace. This apartment was renovated for 18 months and cost a lot of money. It became their main home in 2017. In September 2022, the family moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
In December 2012, it was announced that Catherine was expecting her first child. The announcement was made earlier than usual because she had been admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital. She was suffering from a severe form of morning sickness. She gave birth to Prince George at St Mary's Hospital, London, in July 2013. The severe morning sickness returned with her next pregnancies. She gave birth to Princess Charlotte in May 2015 and to Prince Louis in April 2018. At the time of their births, George, Charlotte, and Louis were third, fourth, and fifth in line to the succession to the British throne. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, they are now second, third, and fourth in line. William and Catherine have two English Cocker Spaniels, named Lupo and Orla.
Health Updates
In January 2024, Kensington Palace announced that Catherine had surgery at the London Clinic for a health condition. She postponed her public duties until March. This led to some public discussion.
On 22 March, Catherine shared in a video message that tests after her surgery found cancer. She had started chemotherapy in late February. Her time away from duties was extended as she continued her treatment.
Catherine returned to public view at Trooping the Colour in June. In September, she announced that her chemotherapy had finished. She also said she planned to return to her duties. In October, she met families affected by the 2024 Southport stabbings. This was her first official event since her treatment.
In January 2025, she visited the Royal Marsden Hospital. She confirmed that her cancer was in remission, meaning it was under control.
Public Life and Royal Duties
Work in the UK
Catherine's first public appearance with Prince William after their engagement was in December 2010. It was at a fundraiser for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Her first official public appearance was in February 2011. The couple attended a lifeboat-naming ceremony in Trearddur. In March 2011, they visited Belfast. Catherine's first official duty after her wedding was in May that year. She and William met Barack and Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace. Reporters noted that the two families exchanged kind words. In October 2011, she did her first solo event. This was a reception for In Kind Direct at Clarence House, filling in for Prince Charles. In March 2012, Catherine gave her first public speech. It was at the opening of a children's hospice supported by her, East Anglia's Children's Hospices. She and William were also announced as ambassadors for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Catherine attended many sporting events during the games. She and William also attended celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. This included the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in July.
In June 2019, Catherine took the royal first salute at the Beating Retreat military pageant. This salute is usually received by the Queen. In October 2020, William and Catherine met President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and First Lady Olena Zelenska at Buckingham Palace. This was the first royal event there since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was well received. Zelensky later thanked the couple for their support for Ukraine. In December, the couple went on a three-day tour of England, Scotland, and Wales. They traveled by the British Royal Train to honor people and groups across the country. Boris Johnson supported this idea. However, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon criticized the tour due to travel restrictions. The UK, Scottish, and Welsh governments were consulted before the tour was planned. Catherine and William attended the G7 summit for the first time in June 2021 in Cornwall. She also met Jill Biden for the first time. They had a warm welcome. They visited Connor Downs Academy, talking with students and discussing early education.
In September 2022, Catherine and William visited Anglesey and Swansea. This was their first visit to Wales since becoming Princess and Prince of Wales. In February 2023, they visited Falmouth. This was their first visit to the region since becoming Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.
International Visits
Catherine and William's first royal tour of Canada happened in June–July 2011. Their two-day trip to California was also Catherine's first visit to the United States. Nicholas Witchell of BBC News said the tour was a "complete success." He noted that the couple's relaxed style, from planting trees to playing street hockey, charmed the public and increased support for the monarchy. In September 2012, the couple went on a tour of Singapore, Malaysia, Tuvalu, and the Solomon Islands. This was to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee across the Commonwealth. During this trip, Catherine gave her first official speech abroad. She spoke at a hospice in Malaysia, using her experience as a patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices.
The couple and their son visited Australia and New Zealand in April 2014. The prime minister of Australia, Tony Abbott, called their tour "one of the very best royal visits" Australia had seen. In June, they visited France to attend an event remembering 70 years since the Normandy landings at Gold Beach. The couple visited the United States in December that year. The tour was successful. It included diplomatic meetings, visits related to their personal interests, and attending an NBA basketball game.
In October 2015, Catherine attended her first state banquet at Buckingham Palace. This was held to host Chinese president Xi Jinping. In April 2016, she and William toured India and Bhutan. In October that year, Catherine made her first solo trip abroad to The Netherlands. Countries visited by the couple in 2017 included France, Poland, Germany, and Belgium. Their tour to Germany and Poland was successful. Author Katie Nicholl called it a "P.R. victory for Britain." She visited Luxembourg City in May 2017 for the Treaty of London celebrations. In January 2018, the couple visited Sweden and Norway. In February 2019, they made a two-day visit to Northern Ireland. They visited Belfast, Fermanagh, and Ballymena. The visit aimed to celebrate the country's young people and recognize progress in overcoming past divisions. The couple visited Pakistan in October 2019. This was the royal family's first visit to the country in 13 years. The tour was successful, helping improve diplomatic relations with Pakistan. It also showed the couple's interest in climate change and good education. In March 2020, they went on a three-day tour of Ireland, visiting three of the country's counties.
In February 2022, Catherine visited Denmark. She learned about the country's plans for the social and emotional development of young people. She also celebrated milestones for both countries' monarchs. In March that year, she and William toured Belize, The Bahamas, and Jamaica. This was to celebrate Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. During the visit, there were public discussions about historical issues.
Charity Work
Supporting Charities
Catherine has been involved with charity work both before and after her marriage. In 2007, she helped organize a photography exhibition. This was to raise money for UNICEF. In 2008, she visited Naomi's House Hospice and spent time with children. Later that year, she organized a 1980s-themed roller disco fundraiser. This raised £100,000, which was split between Oxford Children's Hospital and the mental health charity Place2Be. While working for her parents' company, she started organizing events for the Starlight Children's Foundation. This charity helps young people who are very ill. She also helped coordinate the Boodles Boxing Ball, which raised money for charity.
After her marriage, Catherine took on royal duties to support the British monarch. In March 2011, she and William set up a gift fund. This allowed people who wanted to give them a wedding gift to donate money to charities instead. The fund supported 26 charities chosen by the couple. In June 2012, the foundation was renamed to include Catherine's work. It is now called The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales.
Catherine's charity work mainly focuses on young children, mental health, sports, helping people with challenges, and art. Her influence on charity donations and making projects more visible has been called the "Kate effect." She supports many charities. As an art history graduate, Catherine is interested in art. She chose to support The Art Room, which helped disadvantaged children access art therapy before it closed. She also supports the National Portrait Gallery. She became a patron of the Lawn Tennis Association, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Action for Children, and the Royal Photographic Society. These roles were passed down to her by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2019, she became a patron of the Foundling Museum. This museum remembers the Foundling Hospital, which cared for abandoned children. Catherine was also a local volunteer leader with The Scout Association in north Wales. Queen Elizabeth II was a patron of the Scouts. In September 2020, Catherine became co-president of the Scouts, alongside the Duke of Kent.
Sports and Nature
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Catherine loves sports and goes to Wimbledon every year. She has been a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016. Catherine enjoys sailing and has sometimes taken part in the sport to raise money for charity. In 2012, with William and his brother Harry, Catherine launched Coach Core. This program started after the 2012 Olympics. It offers training opportunities for people who want to become professional coaches. In 2014, she and William were given Honorary Life Membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club. In July 2019, she supported Backyard Nature. This campaign encourages children, families, and communities to connect with nature. In February 2022, she became a patron of the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League. These are both rugby organizations that Prince Harry used to support.
Military Support
In 2014, Catherine wrote the introduction for a book called Living in the Slipstream: Life as an RAF Wife. The money from this book went to charity. In December 2015, she became a patron of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. This group is for young people aged 12–19. The Duke of Edinburgh had been their patron for 63 years. He formally passed the role to Catherine at Buckingham Palace. Since then, she has visited their base in Cambridgeshire and celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2016. In October 2022, she became a patron of Preet Chandi. Preet is a medical officer in the British Army. She aimed to complete a 1,000-mile solo trip to the South Pole after finishing a 700-mile journey there earlier that year.
Health Initiatives
As a patron of Action on Addiction, Catherine has visited its centers. She spends time with people recovering from challenges. In October 2012, she and Action on Addiction launched the M-PACT program. This program focuses on how challenges affect families. In June 2021, Catherine became a patron of The Forward Trust after it joined with Action on Addiction. As patron, she launched a campaign called "Taking Action on Addiction."
In January 2018, some of Catherine's hair was reportedly donated to the Little Princess Trust. This charity makes wigs for children with cancer. In February that year, she became a patron of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. These are doctors who help pregnant women and babies. She also launched Nursing Now, a three-year global campaign to raise awareness about nurses. She has written about her family's connection to nursing. Her grandmother, Valerie Middleton, and her great-grandmother, Olive Middleton, were both volunteer nurses for the British Red Cross. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catherine did many in-person and online events to support National Health Service workers. She also quietly volunteered with the Royal Voluntary Service during this time.
Catherine has worked a lot in children's care for seriously ill children with East Anglia's Children's Hospices. She has done events to raise awareness for Children's Hospice Week since 2013. In January 2025, she was announced as a joint royal patron of the Royal Marsden Hospital with Prince William. He has been its president since 2007. Later that month, Catherine was also announced as a patron of Tŷ Hafan, a children's hospice center in Wales.
Photography and Community
Catherine calls herself an "enthusiastic amateur photographer." She has taken official portraits of her children and other members of the royal family. In 2019, she supported workshops run by the Royal Photographic Society. These workshops, with Action for Children, showed how photography can help young people express their thoughts. As a patron of the Royal Photographic Society, she and other photographers took part in an exhibition. This exhibition marked 75 years since the end of the Holocaust. Photos taken by Catherine of Holocaust survivors were later shown in an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. Catherine also helped organize an exhibition of old photographs at the National Portrait Gallery. It focused on childhood. In May 2020, she launched "Hold Still." This project aimed to capture people's lives during lockdown. It received 31,000 submissions. In October 2020, the chosen photos were displayed in 112 public places. These included billboards and posters in 80 towns and cities. The photographs were later published in a book called Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020. Catherine wrote the introduction for the book, which came out on 7 May 2021.
Catherine has hosted a Christmas carol concert called Together At Christmas every December since 2021 at Westminster Abbey. The theme changes each year. In March 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Catherine and William made a donation to help refugees. In February 2023, they donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). This group was helping victims of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake. In July 2024, she and William made donations to help victims of Hurricane Beryl.
Environmental Focus
Catherine has talked about how important environmental care is. She also highlights the benefits of spending time in nature. She designed the "Back to Nature Garden" with landscape architects Andree Davies and Adam White in 2019. This garden was later made bigger and moved to Hampton Court Palace for the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. It was then shown at the Back to Nature Festival at RHS Garden Wisley. A playground, inspired by the "Back to Nature" garden, was built on the Sandringham Estate in 2021. In May 2023, Catherine hosted the first children's picnic at the Chelsea Flower Show. Students from ten primary schools who were part of the Royal Horticultural Society's Campaign for School Gardening attended.
Mental Health Advocacy
Catherine has worked on issues related to mental health and disabilities. She has visited charities and hospitals like St Thomas' Hospital and the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute. There, she spends time with mothers and children dealing with these issues. She has also been praised for raising national awareness about children's mental health. Benita Refson, president of Place2Be, said Catherine would "shine the spotlight on child mental health." Peter Fonagy, CEO of the Anna Freud Centre, called her one of the most important people in this field. He said that "to the millions of children who have been suffering in silence, she is their voice." For their work with children's mental health charities, Catherine and William received the Gold Blue Peter badge. Queen Elizabeth II had also received this award. To encourage people to talk about their mental health issues, Catherine, William, and Harry started the "Heads Together" mental health campaign in April 2016. She later spoke openly about her own challenges as a mother. She admitted she felt a "lack of confidence" and "feelings of ignorance" at times.
Catherine has discussed feeling "mum guilt" when trying to balance work and family. She described bringing her newborn home from the hospital for the first time as "terrifying." She has also stressed the importance of a "happy home" and a "safe environment" for children. She described her "passion" for the outdoors, saying it helps children's well-being and development. She launched the Mentally Healthy Schools website. This website helps students and staff find reliable resources to improve their understanding and confidence in supporting pupils' mental health. After two years, the website had over 250,000 visitors. Catherine was a guest editor for HuffPost UK. This was part of an effort to raise awareness for children's mental health issues.
In 2019, Catherine worked with the Royal Horticultural Society as a co-designer for a garden display at the Chelsea Flower Show. In May 2019, as part of their "Heads Together" initiative, Catherine, her husband, and her brother-in-law launched Shout. This is a text messaging service for people with mental health issues. In March 2020, she and William started supporting a new mental health initiative by Public Health England during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. In April 2020, the couple announced Our Frontline. This initiative provides mental health support to emergency medical workers.
In February 2021, Catherine recorded a video message about the importance of good mental health during the pandemic. She made a surprise appearance on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. She read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson. This was part of the end of Children's Mental Health Week in February 2022. In May that year, she became a patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. In October, for World Mental Health Day, she and William took over Newsbeat. They interviewed four guests on topics related to mental health. The next year, the couple took part in a forum for young people in Birmingham. This was with BBC Radio 1 and a charity called The Mix. It was called Exploring our Emotional Worlds, continuing their work to promote mental well-being. In December 2024, she and William announced they were jointly funding a pilot program. This was with the charity Norfolk and Waveney Mind. It offers extra support for rural and farming communities on the Sandringham estate.
In May 2025, Catherine launched a video series called Mother Nature. This series highlights how nature helps mental well-being. It encourages people to reconnect with the natural world.
Early Childhood Development
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In her early charity work, Catherine became interested in how the first five years of childhood connect to later life issues. These issues include homelessness, mental health, and challenges. In March 2018, she hosted a meeting with the Royal Society of Medicine. It focused on children's health. She also launched the Early Years Intervention Support initiative. In May that year, she created the Early Years Steering Group. In January 2020, Catherine launched "5 Big Questions on the Under 5's." This was a nationwide survey about early childhood development. The survey was done by Ipsos MORI and included more research. It received over 500,000 responses. The results were released in November 2020. The findings showed five key topics about early childhood. These included parents' mental health and wider community support. In July 2020, she supported and helped develop BBC's "Tiny Happy People" initiative. This provides free online resources for parents with young children. In August 2020, she led a donation drive to help baby banks across the country. This led to over 10,000 donations. In June 2021, Catherine launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. This center does work, research, and campaigns with other groups on early years issues.
In February 2022, Catherine visited Denmark for the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. In June that year, she hosted her first discussion with politicians about early childhood development. In January 2023, Catherine launched the Shaping Us initiative. This is through the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. It is a long-term campaign to raise awareness about early childhood development and its importance. In November that year, she gave the main speech at The Shaping Us National Symposium in London.
Privacy and the Media
The death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, while being followed by photographers, has influenced how Catherine and William deal with the media. They often ask for privacy when they are not on duty.
In April 2004, The Sun newspaper published pictures of Catherine with William at a ski resort. They identified her as his girlfriend. After she graduated, photographers often followed her. She complained about being bothered and having too much media attention outside her home.
Between 2005 and 2006, Catherine's phone was reportedly accessed 155 times by the News of the World newspaper. This was part of a wider phone hacking scandal targeting the royal family. In 2006, her lawyers sent more warnings after unauthorized photos were taken during a shopping trip.
In January 2007, increased media attention around Catherine's 25th birthday led to legal warnings. Prince William, Prince Charles, and her lawyers warned about press harassment. Some newspapers agreed to stop using photos taken by paparazzi. In March, a complaint about a photo taken through harassment led to a settlement. In July, Members of Parliament criticized the Press Complaints Commission for not protecting her from "persistent harassment."
In 2010, Catherine took legal action against two agencies and a photographer for photos taken during Christmas 2009. The case ended with money paid for damages, legal costs, and an apology. In 2011, people close to a private investigator claimed he had targeted Catherine during her relationship with Prince William.
In May 2011, the Middleton family complained to the Press Complaints Commission. This was after photos of Catherine and her family in swimwear from a 2006 holiday were published. The family said the photos invaded their privacy. In September, a deal was made for the photos to be removed from newspaper websites and not published again.
In September 2012, some French and Italian magazines published private photos of Catherine. William and Catherine filed a complaint and a lawsuit. A court ordered that no more photos could be published and started an investigation. In 2017, the French magazine was fined, and its editor and owner were also fined.
In December 2012, Australian radio hosts pretended to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. They called King Edward VII's Hospital, where Catherine was being treated. They got information from a nurse on her ward. The hosts later apologized.
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In February 2013, an Italian magazine published photos of Catherine's pregnant belly. These were taken during a holiday. The British press chose not to publish them. In October 2014, Catherine and William issued a legal warning to a freelance photographer. This was for "harassing and following" their son George and his nanny. In August 2015, Kensington Palace released a letter. It described the media's "dangerous" efforts to photograph George and Charlotte.
In March 2019, the royal family issued social media rules. This was after online abuse was directed at Catherine and her sister-in-law Meghan. In May 2020, Kensington Palace criticized a magazine article about Catherine as inaccurate. The magazine changed its online version after legal pressure.
In March 2024, major news agencies removed a Mother's Day photograph of Catherine and her children. This was due to concerns that the image had been digitally changed. Catherine later admitted to editing the photo and apologized for the confusion. This happened shortly before she shared her cancer diagnosis and treatment. Later that month, the London Clinic started an investigation. This was after reports that staff had tried to access her private medical records.
Titles and Honours
Titles and Styles
When she married in April 2011, Catherine became a Princess of the United Kingdom. She also became Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, and Baroness Carrickfergus. She was formally known as "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge." In Scotland, she was called "Her Royal Highness the Countess of Strathearn."
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8 September 2022. Catherine's father-in-law became King Charles III. Catherine then became Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Rothesay. So, for a short time, she was called "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge." The next day, on 9 September 2022, the King announced William's new titles: Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester. This made Catherine Princess of Wales and Countess of Chester. Since then, she has been known as "Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales." In Scotland, she is called "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Rothesay."
Honours and Awards
Catherine has received several special honours. She is a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). She is also a Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH). She has also received the Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II and the Royal Family Order of Charles III.
See also
In Spanish: Catalina de Gales para niños
