Kate Middleton became the subject of much fascination in the UK press when she began
dating Prince William in the early 2000s.
And when William proposed, Middleton-mania went into overdrive.
Since then, this commoner-turned-royal has wowed the world with her grace, elegance,
and modern style.
She may be a tough nut to crack, but when you marry into the world's most famous royal
family, no stone shall be left unturned.
Here are some things you probably never knew about Kate Middleton.
Living in Jordan
One thing Middleton managed to keep out of the papers for years was the location of her
early childhood home.
When Middleton's father was still working as a pilot for British Airways, he was offered
the chance to move to Jordan as part of a promotion.
The family moved to the capital city of Amman in May 1984, when Kate was 2 years old.
According to the Daily Mail, the family's "shabby" three-bedroom rental later became
a medical center for children.
Meeting her prince
Middleton met her future husband in 2001 when they were both students at the prestigious
University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but it wasn't exactly love at first sight.
They reportedly spent about a year in the friend zone before they ever started dating.
Middleton told the UK Press Association in 2010,
"William wasn't there for quite a bit of the time initially.
He wasn't there for a bit of it, so it did take a bit of time for us to get to know each
other."
It was rumored that Middleton had a 90s crush on Prince William, and even had a poster of
her future boyfriend on her bedroom wall.
Former classmates even told The Telegraph that Middleton would always say "there's no
one quite like William" when their talks turned to boys.
The William poster made for a great story, but as it turns out, it was too good to be
true.
The Duchess set the record straight in 2010, revealing her true crush,
"I had the Levi's guy on my wall, not a picture of William, sorry."
Family ties
She may be one of the most famous Brits around, but Middleton actually has the blood of one
of the most important figures in American history running through her veins.
In 2010, the New England Historic Genealogical Society uncovered that Middleton is actually
related to George Washington, the first President of the United States.
She's an eighth cousin eight times removed.
But, hey, that's still pretty cool.
Making royal history
When Middleton married Prince William at the age of 29 in 2010, she became the oldest bride
in England's history to marry a king-in-waiting, according to The Telegraph.
For comparison, Princess Diana was just 20 when she married Prince Charles, in 1981.
But the odd thing about this accolade is that it isn't technically true.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was said to be about 30 when she married Henry II way back in 1152
— and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was in her fifties when she became Charles'
second wife in 2005.
So why don't they count?
Because they had both been married before.
This is why divorcee Meghan Markle won't dethrone Kate as the oldest royal bride when she marries
Prince Harry, in 2018, despite the fact that she'll be 37 years old.
Bringing up baby
Middleton has had complicated pregnancies.
She was first hospitalized in December 2012 for an acute and severe form of morning sickness,
called hyperemesis gravidarum, which ultimately prompted the Royal family to confirm that,
yes, she was pregnant with her first child, George.
Unfortunately for Middleton, the debilitating condition returned in 2014, when she became
pregnant with Charlotte.
Journalist Miriam Phillips noted Middleton's diagnosis in the Guardian, writing,
"Hopefully, this increased media attention will help the poor expectant mums, who like
me, were wiped out by the condition."
It all happened the same way with the recent announcement of a third royal baby.
According to The Sun, Middleton was rushed to a hospital in Scotland while visiting the
Queen in 2017.
A tragic prank
Middleton's severe morning sickness wasn't the worst thing about her first pregnancy.
After learning that the Duchess was being treated at Westminster's King Edward VII's
Hospital, the hosts of an Australian radio show called the hospital, pretending to be
the Queen and Prince Charles.
"Oh hello there, could I please speak to Kate please my granddaughter."
"Yes just hold on ma'am"
"Thank you"
Staff member, Jacintha Saldanha, who answered the phone, was fooled by 2Day FM DJs, Mel
Greig and Michael Christian, and transferred their call to the nurse in charge of Middleton.
The phone call was broadcast, and a few days later, Saldanha — a wife and mother — took
her own life.
Greig told A Current Affair,
"There's not a minute that goes by that I don't think about what that family is going
through and the thought that we may have played a part to it is gut-wrenching."
An investigation cleared the pair of any culpability.
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