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 ; 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. →

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“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 , 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 . “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. As his what could be done. “She coped with washing-up. Life was normal – no girlfriend (and also in those months it but with great difficulty,” he recalls. “It servants listening at the door! Mike was when she was his ex), Catherine was was just after her birthday when about Above, right: Greeting a genial, welcoming, father-figure with not afforded the protection of a royal 30 photographers who were outside crowds in May. Below: sufficiently grand ancestors not to be and she faced a baptism of fire. How her flat chased her down the street. It Presenting the 2019 overwhelmed by a prince coming to she dealt with that intrusion would was not a very nice scene. I took some Wimbledon trophy to spend the night. Carole cleverly made have impressed her in-laws, and given advice from one of her staff and he said winner Novak Djokovic. William welcome, joked with him and an early indication of the steeliness that this was happening quite a lot, late at Left: Kate exploring her watched carefully to be sure she didn’t has proved such an asset as a member night, when she leaves a party or she garden with a student from Hampton Hill overstep the mark. And she and Mike of the monarchy. gets a taxi home, they were following Junior School. made themselves scarce so William and “That willowy figure may appear the taxi on motorbikes and standing Kate could have time alone together. fragile but she’s as tough as they come. outside her flat and calling when she “I think for William it must have Whatever her origins, Marlborough got out of the cab. Sometimes she was been such a relief to discover a group College had a good social mix of nervous and frightened. She had no of people who would welcome him as aspirant middle-class families sprinkled protection then. Of course, William one of their own. You might say that with aristocracy, so by the time she was bitterly angry about it, but it was when he turned up at Bucklebury he emerged into public view she was just amazing that she coped so well.” left his crown at the door.” socially confident and immune to For William, such scenes brought back criticism,” says Christopher. “Perhaps memories of his own childhood and the Of course, a huge part of the role of do. Her priority is her the best illustration of her steely paparazzi hounding that contributed a royal is to be seen by the people, so children. They, and her backbone was in the period when she to his mother’s death. Once the both the Cambridges and the Sussexes family life, come first,” was William’s girlfriend but not yet engagement was announced, Catherine are learning how to manage that says Christopher. This accompanied by police protection was brought under the protection of the expectation with their other role as commitment has resulted royal security team, but the experience parents. Certainly when you compare – perhaps unfairly – in definitely influenced them as parents. those photos of harassed schoolboy criticism that Catherine’s Early on William and Catherine Prince William with the joyous, royal workload is thin on delineated strict boundaries around the laughing photos we see today of the the ground, with her photography of their children. “Still to Cambridge children, it’s clear the Duke number of engagements early years – babies, toddlers and this day William has chosen not to have and Duchess of Cambridge have found significantly less than other royals. schoolchildren – and to support his children photographed. And now the right balance. But behind the scenes the Duchess those who care for the them,” said Catherine mostly takes the pictures,” has also grown a determined charity Catherine in a speech earlier this year says Arthur. Mother juggle portfolio which is fiercely aligned with at the launch of the Mentally Healthy Clockwise “William is not prepared to watch The other balance Catherine has her own interests, and in the last couple Schools initiative, part of the Royal from top: Prince William and his kids suffer as he did. I remember managed with some success is with of years has increased its intensity. Foundation’s Heads Together campaign Kate in 2005; when William used to start school her royal work and motherhood. As a Through her own research Catherine launched by William, Catherine and attending Royal and nursery, there’d be a bevy of us hands-on mum, albeit with significant has become impressively expert in the Prince Harry. Ascot in June this outside the nursery and we were help, her children have always come first. field of early learning and I suspect in In 2015 Catherine went to the year; fronting the determined to be there for the end “Unlike Diana, who in her early days years to come this, more than anything children’s Christmas party at London’s media on the of term as well. I look at the pictures of marriage would accede to virtually else, will become the Duchess of Anna Freud National Centre for announcement of still. They’d come out, they were every request from courtiers as well as Cambridge’s legacy initiative. Children and Families. This is a charity their engagement in 2010. never smiling or happy, they were from her husband, Kate has been much “My own commitment is to the dedicated to tackling mental health

really miserable about it.” SHUTTERSTOCK. IMAGES. GETTY firmer about what she will, and will not, youngest and most vulnerable in their issues and by 2016 the Duchess had →

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Prince George (left) wore a children’s programs, it’s been the most sailor outfit to the incredible collaboration.” King’s Cup, while In June it was announced that the a cheeky Princess Duke and Duchess of Sussex would Charlotte (right) split from which spotted grandpa is now solely a Cambridge endeavour. Michael Middleton. Below: The And while gossip magazine reports Cambridges, with portrayed a rift between the Cambridges baby Prince Louis. and Sussexes, the reality is Catherine and William are now on a different trajectory. “Given their future roles, it has long been clear the two become its patron. “Her families will have different agendas. contributions go way beyond I can see the Cambridges do need supporting our work,” says the their own ‘brand’,” says Joe Little. Centre’s Chief Executive, Peter Fonagy. “Her Royal Highness Next stop, Pakistan actually combines a real Having watched the evolution of intellectual interest in mental the Duchess since she first joined health with a curiosity about the royal family, the change in the wanting to find out more, past 18 months is significant. as well as a compassion for Catherine will be Princess of Wales people experiencing mental in the not-too-distant future and health problems. She has Queen consort further down the a real empathy and it’s that track, and she is proving to be combination of a person with ready for the task. She’s much more her grace and style and appeal confident when speaking in public addressing this inherently not and knows exactly where and how very appealing issue which she can add value to the monarchy. is mental health, that has “Kate has become very regal been a total game changer, and William has become hugely transforming the way people statesmanlike,” notes Arthur Edwards. think about mental health.” meeting struggling mums personally In coming weeks, the couple Over time the Duchess has established so she could understand their problems will be taking on arguably their most a portfolio of patronages which address firsthand. “This is really not about important tour to date, to Pakistan. her determination to use her position to simply putting the Duchess’s face on This is an official visit on behalf of the make a difference. This is not hand- something. This is about a genuine Foreign and Commonwealth Office. shaking, ribbon cutting work, but rolling passion and I’ve really seen that.” Such soft diplomacy is more commonly up her sleeves and getting involved in Another of Catherine’s key projects the realm of Her Majesty and the Prince very gritty and important topics. this year has been the Back to Nature of Wales, so the fact that Prince William A little over a year ago the Royal Garden she helped design with the and Catherine are envoys shows how Foundation, on the behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) significantthey have become. Duchess of Cambridge, assembled a which was showcased at the Chelsea Meanwhile back in Britain, Catherine group of experts on an Early Years Flower Show. is already the new Princess of Hearts. Steering Committee. “We were brought Hayley Monckton from the RHS says “She is a special human being, astute, together to apprise the Foundation and the Duchess “couldn’t have been more intelligent, compassionate; someone the Duchess about how she might fabulous to work with”. And when the who richly deserves the affection in realise her passion for the early years Cambridge children tried the garden which she’s held,” says Peter Fonagy. and how she might best make a out, “it was such a special moment ... “How popular is the Duchess of difference in the lives of babies and what better example of what a Cambridge in the UK today? In my toddlers in the UK,” says Kate Stanley wonderful time a family can have opinion she is the most popular who, as Director of Strategy, Policy and outside in a natural setting like that”. member of the royal family after Evidence at the National Society for the The “Kate effect”, more usually seen in the Queen,” adds Joe Little. The new Prevention of Cruelty to Children, was her fashion choices, was immediate. annual YouGov poll didn’t fully concur, a key player on the Committee. “In May we achieved a record number but Catherine was voted second most Kate was bowled over by the of people joining up to become members. popular female royal after Her Majesty,

Duchess’s involvement and dedication, There’s also been a peak in the who was in first place.AWW IMAGES. GETTY

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