Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton, fiancee of Britain's Prince William, smiles as she greets members of the public during a visit to Witton Country Park on April 11, 2011 in Darwen, England. With less than three weeks to go until the Royal Wedding Prince William and Kate Middleton are making one of their final public appearances. (Getty Images)more pics »Kate Middleton is about to become part of the royal family, but she won't be leaving behind her own, big Middleton family. Here's a look at all of the Middletons, and info on who is and isn't invited to the royal wedding.

Parents: Carole and Michael Middleton
Kate's mom Carole is a former flight attendant, while her father also worked as a flight attendant before becoming a flight dispatcher for British Airways. They've been married since 1980 and founded a party supply and decoration company called Party Pieces in 1987.

Sister: Pippa Middleton

Pippa (real name Philippa) was born in 1983. She attended the University of Edinburgh with her sister and studied English literature. Pippa worked for an event planning company called Table Talk in 2008 and currently works for her parents' company. She is expected to have a prominent role in Party Pieces in the near future. Pippa will be the maid of honor for the royal wedding.

Brother: James Middleton

The youngest Middleton, James, came along in 1987. James has a cake-making business called Cake Kit Company. He's a 23-year-old bachelor and dropped out of his English degree course at Edinburgh University to start his own business!

Uncle: Gary Goldsmith
Kate's uncle (her mother's younger brother) is painted as a wily character in the press. He allegedly got caught selling cocaine in 2009 to an undercover reporter, according to the NY Post! He's a so-called "tattooed IT millionaire"  and lives in London. Word has it when the royal engagement was announced he ditched his stripper girlfriend and has cleaned up his act. He scored an invite to the nuptials.

Cousin: Katrina Darling

 Katrina Darling (NYPost.com)Katrina Darling, which we assume is a stage name, is a 20-year-old burlesque dancer in northeast England. She reportedly likes to strip to "Rule Britannia." She was not lucky enough to score an invite to the royal wedding.




There you have it: The Middletons.

While attending the University of St Andrews in 2001, Kate Middleton met Prince William of Wales. At the time, Middleton was already in her second year at St Andrews. Since around Christmas of 2003 she and Prince William have been involved in relationship that has been subjected to intense media attention.

The couple were first seen publicly on a ski trip in Klosters in April 2004. During 2005, the British media began speculating that the Prince and Middleton would eventually become engaged. It is believed that she has met the Queen at Balmoral, but there has been no statement from the Queen or from Prince Charles regarding Middleton, their views on the relationship, or a possible marriage.

Middleton's status as the girlfriend of Prince William brought her widespread media coverage in the UK and abroad, and she is often photographed on her daily outings. On 17 October 2005, she complained through her lawyer about harassment from the media, saying that she had done nothing to court publicity. In December 2005, the German magazine Das Neue published photos of the exterior of Middleton's London flat, revealing its location in London. This prompted a security review by police amidst concerns for her safety and a report in the London Evening Standard that Prince William was considering going to the European Court of Human Rights over concerns for Middleton's and his own privacy.

In February 2006, it was announced that Middleton would receive her own 24-hour security detail supplied by the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department. This fuelled further speculation that she and Prince William would soon be engaged, since she would not, otherwise, be entitled to this service. No engagement occurred, and Middleton was not granted an allowance to fund this security.

Middleton has been included in various activities attended by members of the royal family, such as Prince William's "passing out" ceremony at Sandhurst military academy. It was reported by the Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper, that she was invited by the Queen to Christmas lunch in 2006, making her the first unmarried partner of a royal to be asked to the festive celebrations at the royal estate of Sandringham House near Sandringham, Norfolk. Ms. Middleton declined the offer, preferring to spend Christmas with her own family.

In April 2007, Kate Middleton and Prince William announced that they had mutually decided to end their romance and relationship. News of their break up shocked many and send the paparazzi, tabloids, and mainstream media into a frenzy over the weekend of April 15th, 2007.

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Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Middleton
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