There's no denying Catherine Middleton was born for her role as the Princess of Wales. But while the mother of three has become the sparkling jewel in the Crown, she did not grow up with a royal title or behind palace walls like her husband, Prince William. Long before her fairytale with her real-life Prince Charming began, Catherine was a young girl with a "happy childhood" out of the public eye.
Speaking on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020, the Princess shared: "I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun. I'm very lucky. I’ve come from a very strong family. My parents were hugely dedicated to us, my siblings. I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us."
"They would come to every sports match – I was very keen on sport – they came to every sports match, they'd be the ones on the side-line shouting, and we'd always have our family holidays together."
As a little girl, Catherine briefly lived abroad before returning to the UK in 1986. Back on British soil, the future Princess attended St. Andrew’s School and later Marlborough College, where she played tennis, hockey and netball. After leaving the co-ed school in 2000, Catherine took a gap year before heading to St Andrews for college, where she met William.
© WireImageHere's all you need to know about the Princess of Wales' childhood from her time in the Brownies to her secret surgery...
Growing up in Jordan
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to Carole and Michael Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading on 9 January 1982. She is the eldest of three children; sister Pippa was born in September 1983, while her younger brother James arrived in April 1987.
When the future royal was just two, she moved with her family to Amman in Jordan, where her father worked for two and a half years, and from the age of three attended a nursery school there.
© Shutterstock / The Middleton FamilyCatherine was in a class of 12 with children aged three to five from countries such as Britain, Jordan, Japan, India and America. They learnt in both English and Arabic and would read a verse of the Quran following their morning singing session. Both Christmas and Ramadan were celebrated.
The children's breakfast would be foods such as hummus, cheese and labneh (strained yoghurt), while activities included playing in the sandpit, putting on plays and twice-monthly outings to nearby cultural places of interest.
© Royal Hashemite CourtJunior school in West Berkshire
In September 1986, the Middletons returned to their home in West Berkshire, and Catherine started at St. Andrew's School in Pangbourne, where she remained until July 1995.
In 2020, Catherine reunited with two of her teachers from St Andrew's; Denise Evans-Allford was her PE teacher, while Kevin Allford taught her French and German. Mr Allford told the Press Association that Catherine was a "hard worker and very conscientious." He added: "Obviously she was the same in sport. She was a tremendous athlete and swimmer. I used to be in charge of swimming and she was very, very good, as her sister was."
Brownies club with sister Pippa Middleton
In 1990, Catherine and Pippa both joined the local Brownies club, where they went on field trips, played sports, did needlework, and earned badges. "She was quite easygoing," Brownie pack leader June Scutter told People. "They were just ordinary children, nothing different from any others."
© Getty ImagesDuring her time at St. Andrew's prep school, Catherine also started to show an interest in the theatre, taking on the role of Eliza Doolittle when she was 11 in the school's production of My Fair Lady, and later, aged 13, starring in the Victorian melodrama, Murder in the Red Barn.
Working for mom
It was Catherine's fifth birthday party that inspired her mother's former business Party Pieces. She helped with the business over the years, including modeling for it. In a 2018 interview with The Telegraph, Carole revealed that Party Pieces was "part of the children’s lives – it still is – and they’d come and help. They did a lot of modelling. Catherine was on the cover of one of the catalogues, blowing out candles. Later on, she did some styling and set up the First Birthday side of the business. Pippa did the blog."
Boarding school
After a brief stint at Down House all-girls boarding school, where she was sadly picked on by other girls, Catherine enrolled at the co-ed boarding school, Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she studied Chemistry, Biology and Art at A-level. Catherine also took part in sport on behalf of the school, playing tennis, hockey and netball and participating in athletics, particularly high jump.
© GettyReflecting further on her youth, the royal added: "What resonates the most is the simple things. I see that now with my own children. Life now is so busy and distracting and sometimes simple things like watching a fire on a really rainy day provides such enjoyment. I remember that from my childhood, the simple things, like going for a walk together, I try to do this with my children. It totally strips away complications and pressures. I think those experiences mean so much to children and the world they're in which is a real adventure at that age."
She continued: "As children, we spent a lot of time outside and it's something I'm really passionate about. I think it's so great for physical and mental wellbeing and laying those foundations. It's such a great environment to actually spend time in, building those quality relationships without the distractions of 'I've got to cook' and 'I've got to do this'. And actually, it's so simple."
Secret operation
© Getty ImagesAt one point in her childhood, the royal underwent surgery and a three-inch scar can still be seen on her temple. The royal has never spoken about why the operation was needed and it was only confirmed in 2011 when a royal spokesperson confirmed: "The scar is related to a childhood operation."
