Catherine, Princess of Wales

Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the British throne.

Born in Reading, Catherine grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire. She was educated at St Andrew's School and Marlborough College before earning a degree in art history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she met Prince William in 2001 and graduated in 2005. She held several jobs and undertook charity work before their engagement was announced in November 2010. She became Duchess of Cambridge on their marriage at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. The couple have three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis. She became Princess of Wales on 9 September 2022, when William was created Prince of Wales by his father, King Charles III. In early 2024, she was diagnosed with cancer, underwent chemotherapy, and resumed duties later that year.

Following her marriage, Catherine has undertaken royal duties and engagements in support of the monarch and has represented the royal family on official overseas tours. Her charitable work, largely through the Royal Foundation, focuses on early childhood, addiction, and the arts. She is patron of several charitable and military organisations, including the Anna Freud Centre, Action for Children, SportsAid, and the National Portrait Gallery. To encourage public discussion of mental health, she helped develop the Heads Together campaign, launched with William and her brother-in-law Harry in April 2016.

Catherine's relationship with the media has attracted sustained attention, particularly her efforts to maintain privacy amid significant public interest. Her influence on fashion has been described as the "Kate Middleton effect". Catherine was named one of Time's most influential people in 2011, 2012, and 2013.