Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Middleton (born January 9, 1982) was the former girlfriend of Prince William of Wales, eldest son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and second in line to the throne of the United Kingdom.Early life Kate MiddletonBorn at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire, England, Middleton is the eldest daughter of self-made millionaire Michael Middleton (born 1949), who was an airline officer at the time of his birth, and his wife, the former Carole Goldsmith, who was a flight attendant. [1] Her parents now own Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells children's party supplies. She has a younger sister, Philippa ("Pippa") and a younger brother, James. Middleton grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire, in the south of England. She went to St Andrew's School in Pangbourne until the age of 13, then attended public school at Marlborough College (the same school that William's cousin Princess Eugenie of York attended), where she passed eleven GCSEs and three A-level exams. Like the Prince, Middleton was a student at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. She graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 (upper second class) Masters (Hons) in Art History. In early 2006, it was rumored that Middleton intended to start his own mail order business, selling high-end children's clothing. However, after the departure of a key investor, it decided to put this project on hold. [2] In November 2006, she accepted a position as an assistant accessories buyer with British clothing chain Jigsaw. Kate Middleton and Prince William While attending the University of St Andrews in 2001, Middleton met Prince William of Wales. At the time, Middleton was already in her second year at St Andrews......in the middle of a newspaper......a British tabloid, that she had been invited by the Queen to Christmas lunch In 2006, this would have made her the first single partner of a member of the royal family to be invited to the festive celebrations at the royal estate of Sandringham House, near Sandringham, Norfolk. Middleton declined the offer, preferring to spend Christmas with her own family. In 2007, the couple briefly split after struggling to find time as Prince William continued his military career. However, they soon got back together.Kate Middleton and Prince William's EngagementOn November 16, 2010, Kate Middleton and Prince William announced their plans to get married in the new year. Announcing their engagement, Prince William said: "The time is right, we are both very, very happy." Miss Middleton added that joining the royal family was a "daunting prospect", but said: "J 'hope I take it in my stride".."