Catherine Middleton's life is nothing short of a modern-day fairy tale. But despite being referred to as a "commoner" before her marriage to Prince William in 2011, Kate's story is far from rags to riches, and she actually comes from a relatively wealthy background.
As a result of her marriage, she's ascended the royal ranks, and the once Duchess of Cambridge is now the Princess of Wales and future Queen of the United Kingdom.
Read on to explore Kate Middleton's humble (well, kind of) roots and get a glimpse inside her opulent royal lifestyle, including how she spends some of her fantastic fortune. All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Kate's father, Michael Middleton, is descended from a line of wealthy wool merchants who rose to prominence in the 18th century.
With money from the wool business trickling down through the generations, the Middleton clan has always been relatively well-off over the years.
Despite this comfortable background, Michael opted to pursue a career as a flight dispatcher for British Airways at London’s Heathrow Airport when he left university.
Kate's mother, Carole, has a more modest background and can trace her roots back to miners and builders. She worked as a flight attendant until the later stages of her pregnancy with Kate, the couple's first child.
When the heavily pregnant Carole was unable to continue working in that role, she started to generate extra cash by making party bags for children's birthday bashes. The side hustle would eventually blossom into a mail order company called Party Pieces, later becoming an e-commerce business. Party Pieces was reported to be worth an incredible $49 million (£30m) in 2013.
However, the brand struggled during the pandemic, recording losses of around $1.5 million (£1m). After going into administration, it was sold to Essex-based businessman James Sinclair last year.
If Carole and Michael Middleton hadn't decided to invest thousands in their children’s education, Kate may have never crossed paths with Prince William.
At the age of four, she was enrolled at the $21,000 (£13k) per year St. Andrew's School in Berkshire, England.
She then attended the $67,000-per-year (£42k) Marlborough College in Wiltshire before going on to study at the prestigious St. Andrews University in Scotland (pictured), where she met her royal beau.
After graduating from St Andrews, Kate landed a part-time job as an accessories buyer at the UK high-street fashion chain Jigsaw.
A far cry from her charmed royal life, Kate's day-job duties reportedly included running errands at fashion shoots and fetching cups of tea, with a source telling The Sun she was "determined to make herself useful".
She also worked for Party Pieces until her engagement to Prince William was announced in October 2010. Kate's contribution to the family business began way back in her childhood when she modelled for the company.
When she was older, her responsibilities involved designing and producing catalogues, marketing, and photography.
Kate's royal life officially began when she became the Duchess of Cambridge after her 2011 wedding to Prince William.
The lavish nuptials reportedly cost around $47 million (£30m), with a large chunk of the budget spent on security.
St. James's Palace confirmed that the royal family and the Middletons had paid for many aspects of the celebration themselves, including the church service, music, flowers, decorations, and reception.
Michael and Carole also forked out for their daughter's stunning bridal gown. Designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of British fashion house Alexander McQueen, most sources agree that Kate's elegant wedding dress cost a staggering $388,000 (£250k).
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 and King Charles's subsequent ascension to the throne, Kate and William inherited the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales.
This means the couple now receives millions of pounds via the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate established in 1337 to financially support the heir to the throne and his family. The estate previously provided income for Charles and Camilla before they became king and queen.
The Duchy of Cornwall is funded through the ownership and operation of land in rural and urban areas, as well as via islands and rental cottages in Cornwall, Wales, and other regions of the United Kingdom.
The estate produced record profits of $29 million (£24m) between 2022 and 2023. However, due to William coming to the role halfway through the year, Charles received some of the money while the Duchy retained a chunk for "working capital purposes". This, year, William is expected to receive the full sum, although it isn't expected to be as high.
William and Kate also receive money from the Sovereign Grant, a taxpayer fund that's paid each year to the British royal family.
Under an agreement, they receive the grant in exchange for surrendering the profits from the Crown Estate to the UK government.
The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings owned by the family worth around $17 billion (£14.1bn), with the reigning monarch receiving 25% of the Crown Estate’s profits each year.
The money pays for the upkeep of royal properties, royal family travel expenses, and palace staff payrolls.
It's been reported that Kate was set to inherit jewels worth $110 million (£89m) from Queen Elizabeth II after the monarch's death. This includes 300 personal pieces of jewellery that belonged solely to the Queen rather than the Crown.
Before the Queen's death, an insider told Radar: "The whispers are that she’s made some last-minute changes to her will that’ll be a shocking surprise for her heirs.”
The source noted that the Queen had grown close to Kate before her death, stating: "Kate is clearly the family favourite".
Radar also reported that Meghan Markle and her daughter Lilibet were unlikely to have been as fortunate, with the source claiming: “There’s a very good chance the Queen won’t leave either of them any jewels of value. It’s not surprising, since they’re not members of the royal family anymore, but it would be a real slap in the face."
So with millions at her fingertips, let's delve into how Kate spends her fortune...
In September 2022, Kate, William, and their three children moved to Adelaide Cottage in Berkshire. The property is located on the Windsor Home Park Estate and is a stone's throw from Windsor Castle.
The historic cottage was built in 1831 and was once favoured by Queen Victoria, who was known to enjoy taking tea in the grounds.
Described as "modest" compared to other royal residences, the four-bedroom abode reportedly boasts traditional furnishings, including a nautical-inspired main bedroom, which features details recycled from a 19th-century royal yacht. Meanwhile, the colour scheme is said to be neutral, with accents of blue, deep red, and gold adding a touch of regal elegance.
It's believed the couple relocated to the countryside to escape the "goldfish bowl" of London and to give their children more privacy. The property is also near Kate's family, which has been cited as another reason for the move.
Despite moving to Adelaide Cottage, Kate and William have retained their Kensington Palace residence and stay there when they have royal engagements in London.
Kensington Palace (pictured) is estimated to be worth a whopping $761 million (£624m) and is home to a variety of royal apartments, wings, and offices. William and Kate own Apartment 1A, a sprawling four-storey home with 20 decadent rooms.
Their plush property is said to include three kitchens, two reception rooms, and a gym, with priceless works of art adorning the walls. A lift provides easy access between the four floors, and there's also a super-private walled garden.
Following Will and Kate's 2011 nuptials, Queen Elizabeth gave them a property on the royal family's Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Constructed in 1802, the Georgian manor Anmer Hall (pictured) boasts 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool, and a tennis court, and has been used as both a permanent residence and a countryside retreat by the couple. The family even quarantined there during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pair are said to have spent more than $2 million (£1.5m) renovating the interior and grounds of the home, resulting in a more modern layout and a new "glass-lined" garden room.
Kate reportedly collaborated with a team of interior designers to perfect the property and was spotted shopping at local stores to hand-pick items for the home.
You've got to dress the part if you're a princess, and in 2022, Kate wore an astonishing $216,000 (£176k) worth of new outfits and jewels.
It was her most expensive year for outfits to date, beating her previous record of splurging $147,000 (£119k) on fashion in 2017.
As one might expect, Kate has a penchant for luxury brands, with favourites including Alexander McQueen, Jimmy Choo, and Mulberry.
Despite her lavish wardrobe, Kate is regularly spotted in pieces from affordable UK high-street brands such as Marks & Spencer, Mango, and Zara.
She also likes to make sustainable choices where she can, famously using fashion rental service HURR to borrow a dress for the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston. The green Solace London dress (pictured) is said to have set the princess back a mere $90 (£74) for the evening.
However, she did delve into the royal vaults to accessorise the frugal frock, choosing an emerald choker worth an eye-popping $20 million (£16m). The opulent necklace was given to Queen Mary by the Maharani of Patiala in 1911 and had previously been worn by Princess Diana.
While Kate drove a relatively modest Volkswagen Golf during her time at St. Andrews University, she's undoubtedly upgraded her wheels since becoming a royal. Not only does she have access to the Windsor family's collection of Land Rover vehicles, but she also has some seriously swish cars of her own.
William and Kate are said to own the only non-British car in the entire royal fleet, an Audi R8 supercar, while Kate has also been spotted behind the wheel of an all-electric Jaguar I-Pace.
William reportedly treated Kate to an Aston Martin test drive in Christmas 2022, with the couple photographed driving around Norfolk in an Aston Martin DBX707 supercar valued at $232,000 (£190k).
Last year's Sovereign Grant report revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales employ a workforce of 50 people.
While specific roles were not outlined in the report, it did provide insights into the composition of their staff, with 64% being female and 36% male. Meanwhile, 16.3% of their employees are from an ethnic minority background.
The royal couple employs staff such as secretaries, PR officers, and security personnel to assist in their professional lives as working royals. Kate also has a hair stylist who regularly travels with her.
While William and Kate's relocation to the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage means they no longer have the space for live-in staff, it's safe to assume they still employ housekeepers, gardeners, and nannies to help with the running of their household.
The royal couple spares no expense when it comes to the education of their three children, George (10), Charlotte (8), and Louis (5).
The youngsters are enrolled in the prestigious Lambrook School, which is nestled in the Berkshire countryside. William and Kate fork out over $65,000 (£53k) annually to ensure their children receive a top-notch education.
The Daily Mail reports that Louis's reception class costs $5,396 (£4.4k) per term, Charlotte's Year 3 education totals $7,927 (£6.4k) per term, while George's Year 5 schooling comes in at $8,605 (£7k) per term.
The Prince and Princess of Wales frequently jet-set across the globe to represent the monarchy at royal engagements.
A single trip for the couple and their substantial team of staff can easily cost hundreds of thousands of pounds thanks to a combination of chartered flights, gourmet dining, and luxury hotels.
For instance, their high-profile visit to the Caribbean in 2022 (pictured), during which the couple travelled to Jamaica and the Bahamas aboard a private charter jet, came with an eye-watering price tag of over $278,000 (£226k).
In fact, during the 2021–2022 financial year alone, the royal family as a whole racked up travel expenses of around $5.5 million (£4.5m).
In addition to travelling for their official royal duties, Kate and her family are also partial to exotic vacations around the world. They've previously indulged in luxurious getaways to the Caribbean, the Isles of Scilly, and Jordan.
The family also typically spends a portion of the summer at Balmoral Castle (pictured). The late Queen Elizabeth II spent every summer at her beloved Scottish castle and hosted various family members during the break, with picnics, grouse shoots, and barbeques all on the agenda.
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