The making of a duchess.. and style icon
WITH all the dash and confidence of the jaunty oversized red bow tied at her neck, the Duchess of Cambridge swept to her piano stool in Westminster Abbey this Christmas.
Approaching her 40th birthday on Sunday, this was a Kate we had not seen before.
Happy to perform at the carol concert she had curated, to own it, to have all eyes on her.
Elegant yet bold, modest yet unabashedly centre stage, she appeared finally to be grabbing her role as Queen-in-waiting with two hands, and stepping up to the plate with aplomb.
Looking back on her journey to this landmark birthday, her evolution is striking.
From industrious family girl Kate, through the Waity Katie years of her early courtship with Prince William, those of early wife and motherhood in which she seemed reluctant to project her voice, to the duchess now firmly embracing four decades.
Much like her fashion which has matured from the pretty yet indistinct look of early years, to the bolder and more individualistic outfits of today, so Kate is now making her role her own.
Royal commentator Ingrid Seward said: “Today there is definitely confidence and poise there. She has learnt to overcome her shyness.
“She has taken it gently, she didn’t go headlong into everything.
“On the advice of Prince Charles, you don’t have to rush into taking on hundreds of charities, you can take your time and enjoy your family, and I believe that having her family has helped her gain confidence.
“But while it is not in Kate’s nature to push herself forward, she has always been very competitive, since her school days when she played in the netball and lacrosse teams.
“From a young age Kate was an all-rounder.”
While others may have been more extroverted, Kate studiously proved early that she had the talent to turn her hand to everything – including royalty. Born to Carole and Michael Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading on January 9, 1982, she is the stereotypical hardworking eldest sibling to her sister Pippa and her brother James. The family spent time in Amman, Jordan, when she was two, where her father was working, before returning to England in 1986 where Kate attended prep and boarding school. She credits her middleown class family with providing her with firm and happy foundations.
“I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun and I’m very lucky I come from a very strong family. My parents were hugely dedicated,” she said.
Ingrid credits Carole in particular with ensuring Kate was accomplished.
She said: “Kate is a product of her mother, she was brought up to do everything to perfection. She
learnt to sail as a young girl and rock climb and ski. She loved cooking, dressing up and making clothes. She learnt the piano, her father taught her to play tennis to a high standard. “All these skills came because her ambitious mother encouraged her to learn them. There’s nothing she can’t turn her hand to.” After A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Art at Marlborough College in Wiltshire, and captaining several school sports teams, she tucked a characterbuilding gap year under her belt, studying at the British Institute in Florence, starting a Raleigh International programme in Chile, and crewing Round the World Challenge boats in the Solent.
She then headed to university at St Andrews in 2001, where she met Prince William.
Yet, an accomplished duchess as she is, and has always been, there is perhaps something more in Kate’s nature which has helped her to build the integral royal we see today.
Her reserve and willingness to remain in the background has perhaps been underestimated by many people. Because it has wisely given her the time to get to know herself, and her role, to ready herself for what will undoubtedly become her most important decades of all.
“She is patient, and has the ability to listen,” said Ingrid.
“And she has discovered she has this ability with people, she is very good with the very young and the very old. “That is like Diana was.” At 40, however, Kate is not aiming to be a carbon copy.
She is now firmly her own person, first and foremost.