Modern Fairy Tale Kate Middleton is the descendant of coal miners and one day she will become queen of England Countless fairy tales tell the story of a young woman who marries Prince Charming But only a small number of people have lived the fairy tale in real life On April 29 2011 Kate Middleton joined that small group when she married Prince William the grandson of the current Queen of England Now known as the Duchess of Cambridge Kate represents a new and modern direction for the British royal family Kate is helping to make The Firm as the family is popularly called more inclusive and relatable than ever before The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leaving Westminster Abbey in an open carriage following their wedding ceremony 4
In the Spotlight Kate is one of the most famous women in the world She is photographed endlessly and her every fashion move is obsessed over Kate employs a stylist to help her look her best when in the public eye She often wears clothes made by British designers to help promote British goods around the world Kate wears many of her outfits more than once This is known as fashion recycling because it is practical and financially responsible While Kate enjoys making eye-catching fashion choices her main focus is on charity work She promotes several charities by shining a global spotlight on them Heads Together a charity started by Kate William and his brother Prince Harry is dedicated to spreading awareness about the importance of mental health 5
A Future Queen Is Born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born on January 9 1982 in Reading England Her father Michael and mother Carole both worked for British Airways when they met Michael was a flight dispatcher and Carole was a flight attendant Michael comes from a long line of lawyers and wealthy wool merchants Carole comes from working-class roots including generations of coal miners and construction workers Traditionally British people have not had the opportunity to change their class which was determined by birth This meant that children entered into the same class as their parents A person’s class determined every aspect of their lives where they lived and went to school their job who they married etc The fact that Kate a commoner will one day be queen has signaled a major change in ideas about class in Britain Michael and Carole Middleton 6
New Adventures In May 1984 the family including Kate’s baby sister Pippa moved to Amman Jordan in the Middle East Michael had been offered a job there for two years and he and Carole viewed the move as an adventurous opportunity for the family In Jordan two-year-old Kate attended a multicultural preschool Her classmates were from many different countries around the world Kate learned a bit of the Arabic language by reading short verses from the Koran Kate age four with her father and sister Pippa in Jerash Jordan Kate age three on a family holiday in the Lake District England 7
