Cover story The making of a Eighteen years after Catherine Middleton met her prince, the 37-year-old mother-of-three is riding a tidal wave of popularity. futureJuliet Rieden investigates the cygnet to swan transformation queen of the woman who will be Queen consort one day. GETTY IMAGES. GETTY 38 The Australian Women’s Weekly | OCTOBER 2019 Cover story onning a baseball cap, Arthur Edwards says that unflinching summer sailing shorts and integrity and stability is crucial for any an irrepressible smile, her royal but especially for a future King. long hair pulled back in a “I think what he saw in her was ponytail, the Duchess of someone he could trust, because at DCambridge took to the high seas last the end of the day, when you become a month competing against her husband partner to a member of the royal family, Prince William and six celebrity charity I think that’s the thing they have to rely ambassadors in an eight-yacht sailing on, that everything that goes on regatta in historic royal hangout Cowes, between you is kept just between you. on the Isle of Wight. The King’s Cup Of course, they split up temporarily in was first presented by King George V in March 2007 for about three or four 1920, and the sporty Cambridge duo months, and I asked William about that. revived the event to launch what they I said, ‘Why did you do that?’ He said, hope will become an annual fixture to ‘because I wanted to be sure this was help raise funds and awareness for their the girl for me because I want this charities. As William and Catherine marriage to last forever’. When you shift their royal work up a gear, there’s think that William came from a broken something rather timely about the home, I thought that was a pretty second-in-line to the throne strong statement. And no doubt the reinvigorating his great-great- Clockwise from above: fact that all during that time when grandfather’s race. Prince William presents his the media was on her back and she The Duchess is known for her So how has this wife with the wooden spoon acted with great dignity showed him competitive spirit, and as the more 37-year-old mother-of- at the King’s Cup; exploring she was the one.” experienced sailor she was certainly three from a middle-class the Back to Nature Garden playing to beat her husband. So, it was home in the south of with the Queen; the Inner strength pretty funny when a gleeful William England become such a Duchess’ parents, Michael As for Catherine, there was something and Carole Middleton; handed his wife a giant wooden spoon key player in the heart Captain Peter Middleton more than the obvious attraction of for her yacht’s position of last – his of the Royal Firm? with Prince Philip. dating a prince that laid the foundations own crew came in third. Watching his “Kate has a for what has become one of the royal mother hamming it up as she covered Love and integrity family’s most successful unions. “I think her face, comically crestfallen at the Catherine Middleton was she was able to see through the glamour ignominious trophy, was a gap-toothed born in leafy Berkshire, clear eye and a and the public image, and glimpse his Prince George in a captain’s hat and the eldest of Carole and vulnerability,” says Christopher Wilson. sailor outfit, and Princess Charlotte Michael Middleton’s strong resolve.” “People expect princes to be strong, who earlier had cheekily poked out three children. Her positive, almost superhuman, but as her tongue when she spied grandpa parents met while they William has since revealed, he’s suffered Michael Middleton in the crowds below. were both working for William, who then was on the same wanted them to be comfortable. They mental anguish in his life and he needed Catherine immediately collapsed into British Airways and subsequently Also, the course and later switched to geography. didn’t want William pushed into help. It would be exaggerating to say giggles at her daughter’s naughty hijinks, founded the family party planning and Middleton They lived together in a share house, marriage as finally happened with Kate became his therapist, but in a way and the throngs who had gathered to supplies business, the success of which family were like any other university students and Prince Charles. As a result, William she was. I think that William felt people watch joined in with the laughter. allowed them to send their children not without continued a normal, relatively unroyal was the first royal who could enjoy were expecting too much from him, It was a delightful scene: a couple in to elite private schools. their own royal existence. By the time they came out to a live-in relationship without people and he took shelter in her arms. She love, their children having fun and the A lot has been made of the fact that connections. the public – photographed on a skiing drawing attention to it. will have enjoyed knowing that he British public cheering the royals who Catherine is one of a handful of Catherine’s holiday in 2004 – William and Catherine “Kate has a clear eye and a strong needed her strength.” will one day be their – and possibly our commoners to marry into the royal aviator had been dating for a while, and it resolve, and when he was floundering Arthur Edwards witnessed this special – King and Queen consort. Cast your family and that in a still class-riven grandfather, wasn’t until November 2010 that they in art history at university and was connection between the couple when he mind back a decade to the indecorous nation she will be Britain’s first middle- Captain Peter were finally engaged. thinking of quitting, she encouraged was invited to the Wembley pop concert “waity Katie” jibes that dogged the class queen, but her privileged Middleton, was Prince Philip’s co-pilot Royal biographer Christopher Wilson him to switch to geography, and he Princes William and Harry organised couple’s courtship and you can see upbringing certainly provided that when the duo toured South America says that although it may have looked emerged with a decent degree as a to pay homage to their mother, how far Kate Middleton has come. extra polish needed for her future role. for two months in 1962. like William took his time to commit, result. He was forever thankful that she Diana, Princess of Wales on the 10th Veteran royal photographer “All three siblings are well educated, After prep school all three Middleton the reality was very different. “I think saved him at this time of crisis, and that anniversary of her death. “I was lucky Arthur Edwards has watched what he polite and respectful of others, and like siblings attended the prestigious for William, when he finally met Kate, is the foundation of their relationship enough to be invited with my wife to describes as Kate’s “cygnet to swan their parents are smartly turned out. Marlborough College, and Catherine that was pretty much it. Certainly they – she is strong, he can rely on her. They watch the concert from the royal box, transformation” since those early These are all useful qualities when then headed to University of St Andrews were together a “Puelong time before venihillab they had a break in the imporrum relationship, but and I quewas watching odit all the people who days and says today, “she’s absolutely joining the royal family,” notes Majesty in Edinburgh to study art history. Of announced their engagement, but that Kate played a shrewd waiting game, were invited by the royal brothers, and become everyone’s darling”. magazine’s managing editor Joe Little. course, it was here that she met Prince IMAGES. GETTY was because everyoneipsa around them sequidel and in the end he molores came back.” truptas.”Kate and her family were there. → 40 The Australian Women’s Weekly | OCTOBER 2019 OCTOBER 2019 | The Australian Women’s Weekly 41 Cover story “They were estranged at the time officers. It coincided with the rise of but I saw them sitting down talking “People don’t unaccredited paparazzi photographers together for a long while and I realised in London, answerable to nobody, who then that it was back on. Obviously he would follow her night and day and couldn’t carry on without her. It’s realise shout insults at her in order to get a turned out to be a really great marriage reaction and, hopefully, tears. This went and they’ve got three fabulous kids.” how brave on for quite a long time, yet she never In Catherine, William found a once cracked. I think most people don’t second family which seemed far less Catherine realise how brave she can be.” complicated than his own. The couple As the official royal photographer could kick back in the Middleton home can be.” for The Sun newspaper, Arthur in the village of Bucklebury. “They While Prince Charles managed to Edwards wasn’t one of the rogue were the family he never had,” broker a deal with the UK media to paparazzi harassing Catherine, but explains Christopher. “They lived in a leave his son in peace while he was says he was called in front of a select comfortable, small (by royal standards) studying at university, after graduation committee of parliament to discuss house and did their own cooking and the scrutiny began once more.