Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; January 9, 1982) is a member of the British royal family. Her husband, Prince William, is the heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine an expected future queen consort.
Born in Reading, Middleton grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire. She was educated at St Andrew's School and Marlborough College before studying art history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she met William in 2001. She held jobs in retail and marketing and pursued charity work before their engagement was announced in November 2010. They married on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. The couple's children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis of Cambridge—are second, third, and fourth in the line of succession to the British throne, respectively.
Since her marriage, the Princess has undertaken royal duties and engagements in support of the Queen. She holds patronage within over 20 charitable and military organisations, including Action for Children, SportsAid, and the National Portrait Gallery. She undertakes projects through The Royal Foundation, with her charity work focusing on issues surrounding young children, addiction, and art. To encourage people to open up about their mental health issues, the Princess envisioned the mental health awareness campaign "Heads Together", launched with the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry in April 2016.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, she became Princess of Wales when her husband was created Prince of Wales by King Charles III. The media have called Catherine's impact on British and American fashion the "Kate Middleton effect". In 2011, 2012 and 2013, Time magazine selected her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.