Catherine Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge is one of the most recognizable people on the planet.
Her fame is largely down to her marriage to Prince William, though since their marriage she has carried out charity work and held her own patronages in her own right.
The couple have gone from strength to strength with the arrival of their three children: the Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis of Cambridge, boosting their favor with the public even more.
Kate and Prince William enjoy a privileged lifestyle, living in Kensington Palace, going on luxurious holidays and boasting a wardrobe that many would be envious of.
Before all of that though, Kate already had amassed a pretty impressive fortune of her own.
What was Kate Middleton’s net worth before she married?
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smiling and posing for the camera© Credits: Getty Images
Before she joined the royal family, Kate is estimated to have been worth £5.3 million [$ 6.8 million], according to Time.
The fortune mainly came from her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and their party planning business.
The Duchess was born as Kate Middleton in Reading, England, in 1982 to Michael and Carole Middleton. While her father was a pilot, her mother was an airline stewardess.
Now married to William, her fortune is combined with his estimated $40 million fortune, according to Town & Country.
Where did her money come from?
Kate’s fortune mainly comes from her parents. Michael and Carole Middleton own a party planning business named Party Pieces , which is worth around £30 million [$38.9 million], after being set up in 1987.
The pair met while both working for British Airways, Carole as a flight attendant and Michael as a flight dispatcher.
Kate’s parents married on 21 June 1980, and went on to have three children: Catherine, Pippa, and James.
Michael Middleton also inherited a large trust fund from his paternal grandmother Olive Christina Middleton, whose family of the Luptons are landed gentry.
The couple and their three children lived in Jordan for a period before returning to Berkshire for the children’s education.
“As a mother of three young children I founded Party Pieces hoping to inspire other mothers to create magical parties at home and to make party organizing a little easier,” Carole wrote on the company website.
Discussing how the company came about, she added: “We decided it was time to return [to the UK] for Catherine’s schooling. There was very little partyware available on the high street, and finding the simplest of things was a real challenge. I produced a flyer which I circulated in playgroups and very soon I was using our garden shed as a packing room and office.”
Kate and sister Pippa have both worked for the company. Pippa edited the blog part-time, while Kate oversaw photography and editing the catalogues.
She quit the job a few months before her wedding in 2011.
The Middletons own Bucklebury Manor in Bucklebury, West Berkshire which has over 18 acres of land. They also own a flat in Chelsea which was estimated to be worth £1-1.4 million [$1.8 million] according to Time.
What jobs did Kate have?
Kate worked part-time as an accessory buyer for clothing chain Jigsaw from November 2006 to November 2007. She started the job on after John Robinson and wife Belle took her on.
The businessmen is friends with Prince Charles and William, and Kate had previously holidayed with them.
Belle defended Kate in 2008 when people accused her of getting the job through nepotism.
She told the Evening Standard they didn’t know Kate that well and Kate and William had given them a donation to a local hospital in Mustique near the holiday home after staying as they weren’t allowed to pay rent.
Kate rang up Belle asking to meet to discuss work, and ended up working three days a week.
She said: “I have to say I was so impressed by her. There were days when there were TV crews at the end of the drive. We’d say: ‘Listen, do you want to go out the back way?’ And she’d say: ‘To be honest, they’re going to hound us until they’ve got the picture. So why don’t I just go, get the picture done, and then they’ll leave us alone.’ I thought she was very mature for a 26 year old, and I think she’s been quite good at neither courting the press nor sticking two fingers in the air at them. I don’t think I would have been so polite.”
Kate left in 2008 and went to work for her parents’ company.
The Duchess held roles in marketing, photography, design and production until January 2011.
Kate’s education
Kate’s mother Carole grew up on a council estate in London, her father Ronald worked as a builder in Southall.
Thanks to their business and it’s multi-million pound turnover they sent their children to some of the best schools in the country.
Kate was enrolled at St Andrew’s School in Berkshire aged four before moving on to Downe House and then to Marlborough College , fees are up to £36,000 [$46,743] a year.
She then studied at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and obtained an MA in the history of art, it was also where she met William. She moved to London and lived in her parents £1.4 million [$1.8 million] flat in Chelsea.
After a gap year in Chile as part of the Raleigh International Programme, Kate studied at the British Institute of Florence in Italy.
What is Kate Middleton’s net worth now?
Kate’s fortune, unsurprisingly increased when she joined the royal family.
Prince William’s comes in at £30million [$ 38.9 million], while Kate’s comes in at £7.6m [$9.8 million], according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Due to her position, Kate can’t take on a job so instead carries out charity work. Alongside that she goes on state visits and tours.
What charities does Kate work with?
The Duchess of Cambridge set up a gift fund for those who wished to give a wedding gift, all of which were given to twenty six charities of the couple’s choosing.
Catherine’s choices of charity work centre around children, addiction, and art.
She is a patron of The Art Room, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice, Action on Addiction, Place2Be, Anna Freud Centre, National Portrait Gallery, Sportsaid, and The 1851 Trust.
Kate became the patron of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in February 2018, and became the first royal patron of the Victoria and Albert Museum the following month.
Kate is also a volunteer leader of the Scout Association in North Wales.
What titles does Kate Middleton have?
As Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine is a princess of the Untied Kingdom, and is styled as “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge”.
In Scotland, Catherine is the Countess of Strathearn, while in Northern Ireland is Lady Carrickfergus.
As Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is second in line to the throne.
When the Queen dies – and when Prince Charles becomes King, Prince William will become Prince of Wales and Kate will most likely be offered the title Princess of Wales.
On July 14, 2018, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex made their first solo outing together at the Wimbledon women’s singles final between Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams.
Take a look at some moments from the Wimbledon final and other times when the royal-in-laws were seen together at public events.
Upon William’s ascension to the throne, Catherine will be Queen Consort of the United Kingdom.