Kate was a victim of the relentless and “intrusive” attention of paparazzi when she was the friend of Prince William, it is said. And in one particularly disturbing episode, according to one of her friends, she was even chased by photographers in a car late at night.
The friend revealed what had happened and claimed Kate thought it was “terrifying”.
The Sunday Times royal editor Roya Nikkhah described the episode publicly for the first time: “A friend tells me that even late at night, Kate was followed by several men in a car.”
The expert recalled paparazzi camping outside Kate’s Chelsea apartment, which she shared with her sister Pippa Middleton, and chasing her down the street for the decade before their royal wedding.
Photographers, she added, even followed the current Duchess down the street when she paused to buy lunch while she worked as an accessories buyer for fashion label Jigsaw.
Kate, added Ms. Nikkhah, was “on her own” until Prince William filed a motion as she was not entitled to protection from the royal police unless she became a royal fiancée.
That unwanted attention continued for years, even after Kate quit her job at Jigsaw – which had become too difficult due to the constant presence of paparazzi.
The Duchess worked for this fashion label from 2006 to 2007.
Then she joined Party Pieces, her family’s party planning company.
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A former royal aide praised the Duchess for how she handled the pressure.
You told Sunday Times magazine, “It’s been consistent. She mastered it admirably as it was intrusive.
“It was never water off a duck’s back, but she has exceptional strength of character and resilience.
“I’ve never seen or heard her lose my temper.
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“She went in with her eyes wide open and her brain busy.
“She’s a healthy, grounded person who knows herself well.”
Prince William proposed marriage to Kate in late 2010, and the couple tied the knot during a fairytale ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent their early years as a married couple in Anglesey, where William worked as a member of the RAF search and rescue team.
They later moved to Norfolk after the Duke took up a role as a helicopter pilot with the East Anglia Air Ambulance.
Meanwhile, Kate learned about her royal duties, began serving as royal patrons, and laid the groundwork for her work in a variety of fields, including early childhood and mental health.
Kate turned 40 on Sunday – a milestone birthday that Kensington Palace celebrated with the release of three stunning new portraits.
These three photographs, two in black and white and one in color, will be included in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, of which Kate is the patron.
They will also be included in the gallery’s national exhibition, Coming Home, where the portraits will be shown in three places in the parish that are very important to the Duchess: Berkshire, St Andrews and Anglesey.
The breathtaking portraits were taken by photographer Paolo Roversi, who said it was a “real honor” to take these pictures.
He added, “I was touched by her warmth and friendly welcome, and bewitched by her shining eyes, which reflected the loveliness of her soul, and her smile, which shows the generosity of her heart.
“For me it was a deep and rich experience, an unforgettable moment.
“I met a wonderful person who can bring hope to the whole world with his positive energy.”
