Kate Middleton

Born in Reading on 9 January 1982, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, known as Kate, had no idea that fate had marked out a princess's life for her. And yet, the millionaires' daughter, whose parents Michael and Carole are heads of Party Pieces, a company specialising in party supplies, enrolled at the University of St Andrews, where her path was destined to cross that of Prince William's.

This was then the start of a highly-publicised love affair between these two students who, on 16 November 2010, would become engaged after William proposed. Kate received Lady Di's engagement ring, which was seen as a profound gesture by the British public.

Beyond her title of Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton is also admired by a generation of fashionistas, among other things for her elegance and natural grace. In April 2012, Kate Middleton was immortalised as a waxwork in the famous Madame Tussauds in London.

The date finally arrived, 29 April 2011. The world's eyes were fixed on Westminster Abbey, where William, eldest son of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, was united with his Kate.

Following Lady Di's example, in January 2012 Kate Middleton became the patron of four charities which help those with drug addition, children in difficulty and children with behavioural problems. She is now also a volunteer in a local Scout group.