Kate Middleton never grew up in the royal world. She learned how to act and be a royal over the years of her relationship with Prince William and the rest of the royal family.
Kate Middleton and Prince William first met when they both attended the University of St. Andrews in 2011. After they graduated in 2005, many speculated that Prince Charles and Prince Diana's eldest son will propose to his college sweetheart. The engagement announcement, however, did not come until 2010.
Kate waited for years for William to get on one knee and pop the question. The couple even split in April 2007 but eventually reignited their romance.
Prince William, finally, proposed to Kate in October 2010 during a 10-day trip to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. He put the engagement ring worn by his mother, Princess Diana, on Kate's finger.
Clarence House announced the engagement on Nov. 16, 2010, after the couple returned to England and inform the Queen and the family about their engagement. William and Kate also gave their first-ever TV interview.
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl in her 2011 Vanity Fair article, it was the first time Kate Middleton's voice was heard speaking when Prince William's girlfriend of eight years was formally introduced to the world. One of Kate's college friends was surprised to hear the new member of the royal family when she spoke on national TV.
The friend told Nicholl that the soon-to-be-Duchess changed a lot and sounded "completely different" when she watched the couple's interview. She claimed Kate Middleton's voice and manner of speaking completely changed.
"She sounded very posh and she definitely wasn't that well-spoken when we were at school," the friend said.
Naturally, Kate Middleton underwent a lot of preparation in royal etiquette and protocols before she formally joined the royal family. Royal correspondent Ashley Pearson said, from the beginning, Kate already got the support of the royal family, which was instructed by Queen Elizabeth II herself.
Pearson revealed that Kate Middleton was given lessons on how to be a royal wife. She was taught all the things that she should know such as how to react in public in every given situation.
Prince William and Kate Middleton exchanged vows in Westminster Abbey on Apr. 29, 2011. The Duchess of Cambridge has mastered the ways of a Prince's wife. She is now preparing for a possible new role in the future as queen consort of England while raising three children who are also heirs to the throne.
