The Biography of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge

The 2011 Royal Tour will be Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge first visit to Canada with her husband, His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, and the Royal Couple's first tour outside the United Kingdom.

Early life and education

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to Michael and Carole Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England, on January 9, 1982.  On June 20, 1982, Catherine was christened at St Andrew's Bradfield in Berkshire.  She is the eldest of three children.

In 1986, after two years in Amman, Jordan, the Middletons returned to their home in West Berkshire where Catherine attended St Andrew's School.  She went on to Marlborough College in Wiltshire in 1995, where she studied chemistry, biology and art.

After leaving Marlborough College in July 2000, Catherine took a gap year during which she studied at the British Institute in Florence, undertook a Raleigh International programme in Chile, and crewed on Round the World Challenge boats in the Solent.

In 2005, Catherine graduated with a degree in art history from the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Catherine first met Prince William while studying at St Andrews.

Work experience and hobbies

Since completing her degree, Catherine has worked for Party Pieces, a company owned and run by her parents.  In addition to her work in the family business, Catherine worked as a part-time buyer for the clothing company Jigsaw Junior in London.

In 2008, Catherine launched First Birthdays, a junior brand to Party Pieces.  In this role, she was responsible for catalogue design and production, as well as marketing and photography, in the family business.

Catherine's hobbies include recreational sports, such as hill walking, tennis, swimming and sailing, and the arts, such as photography and painting.

Marriage

On November 16, 2010, the Prince of Wales announced the engagement of his eldest son, Prince William, to Miss Catherine Middleton.  The couple celebrated their wedding at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.

Birth: 9 January 1982

Marriage to Prince William: 29 April 2011