She’s the Princess that’s captured the hearts of a nation…
But how much do you really know about Kate Middleton? Kate is a two-part documentary that shows our future Queen as you’ve never seen her before.
With first hand testimony from those who know her best, this intimate personal portrait reveals how Princess Kate has become the bedrock of the monarchy, and the future of the royal family. Channel 5 follow the remarkable story of her rise from girl next door to Princess of Wales… and one day, the future Queen of the United Kingdom.
With never-before-seen access to those in her inner circle, this series gets up close and personal to provide a definitive account and unique insight into the real Kate, and how she has triumphed over adversity to become a beloved Princess of the people. Forget what you think you know about Kate, this is the ultimate, intimate story of her remarkable life.
She’s the Princess that’s captured the hearts of a nation; The Princess of Wales is one of the world’s most influential women and the cornerstone of the Royal Family. The first episode it looks at Catherine Middleton from childhood through to her fairytale romance with Prince William and the game changing arrival of Meghan Markle.
Catherine’s unconventional path to becoming a princess began 42 years ago. Her mother Carol descended from coal miners, but her father Michael is from aristocracy and his grandmother mixed in royal circles. Kate had a privileged start to life, but as Vanity Fair’s Royal Correspondent Katie Nicholl explains, things really changed for Kate when her mothers’ business takes off enabling the family “to go into a different stratosphere”. Kate is moved to one of the country’s most prestigious schools and starts to mix in the same circles as a young Prince William.
Prof. Chandrika Kaul is a Professor at University of St Andrews where Kate and William met and she was there when they started their fairytale romance. Chandrika explains how a monumental decision by Kate aged18 to switch last minute from Edinburgh University to study at St Andrews, changes not only her life but the future of the British monarchy. Despite Kate and William keeping their relationship secret at St Andrews, we unravel how Kate’s life of anonymity is shattered forever when she is pictured with William on a skiing trip in Switzerland, catapulting her into the global spotlight.
After graduating from university, Kate is considered fair game by the press and is hounded in a sinister echo of what happened to Princess Diana. Just as their relationship seems to be flourishing, William breaks up with Kate.
King Charles’ former butler Grant Harrold who was working inside Buckingham Palace during this difficult time, reveals the impact it had on William and the royal household. Grant says “I just noticed a change with William, and that’s when I knew something wasn’t right … We used to sit with William and Kate in the kitchen and it was always really good fun and suddenly all that changed.”
When the couple get back together, it makes global headlines and the world is on tenterhooks waiting for an engagement to be announced. First Kate is invited to stay with the royal family at Balmoral Castle for what some call ‘the Balmoral Test’. As Grant Harrold explains, the test can be rather daunting: “There’s also protocol about what time you arrive, getting shown to your room. Who you take, who you can’t take, when you have dinner parties who you sit next to, what you talk about, what you don’t talk about.”
Kate clearly passes the Balmoral Test and the engagement a nation has been waiting for is finally announced. The late Queens Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson takes us behind the scenes on the preparations for the wedding of the century. There can be no mistakes, and everything is meticulously planned with rehearsals running late until 2am.
We follow Kate as she takes her place within the Royal family and see how she becomes a global superstar. But being a princess isn’t all tea parties and tiaras, the job has downsides, as Kate soon finds out. While on an international tour, photographs of her sunbathing topless are published in the foreign press. Royal biographer Robert Jobson gives an insight into the impact on Kate. She is left humiliated but in a defining moment of strength, showing her mettle, she takes a stand and sues the publishers.
Kate grows gracefully into her royal role and the nation rejoices as she becomes a mother and one of the most popular members of the royal family. She also forges strong bonds within the royal household, particularly with her brother-in-law, Harry. But this all changes with the arrival of Meghan Markle. Optimism for the future is quickly replaced with conflict as cultures and personalities clash.
Kate, Channel 5, tonight at 9.30 pm
