Of Late, Kate Middleton has been going through some major health issues and it’s been difficult to watch her once happy face look dimmed. But once upon a time, Kate Middleton was not yet a princess or even a duchess. She was the oldest child of three siblings born to a couple in Reading in Berkshire, England. Now her name is known around the world. Because so much has happened since she married Prince William and became the Duchess of Cambridge and then Princess of Wales (like three adorable babies!), pre-royal Kate seems so long ago.
This was before the tiara, before that stunning blue sapphire ring, before she wore coatdresses all the time and started sporting killer millinery, and well before her cancer diagnosis and treatment. This was back when she wore some revealing outfits, big, bold costume jewelry, and some more casual, low-key looks. We even have some snaps of Kate when she was just a kid (and had no idea she would end up as royalty).
Still, Kate’s pre-royal status was royally stylish — and definitely a bit more daring. (In fact, who else thinks Kate should bring back some of those big earrings and wear more jeans?) One thing is for sure, and that’s that Kate seemed to have a lot more fun with fashion before she was a duchess and princess, right?
Keep scrolling to see some nostalgic images of Kate before she became the royal figure we know her as today.
Kid Kate
This is what we’d call a throwback photo! If anyone was ever wondering if Kate was adorable as a kid, here’s our answer. She couldn’t possibly be cuter with those cheeks. And as we can see here, Kate always had a winning smile, as evidenced in this photo from her days at St. Andrew’s Prep School. We can easily see all three of her children’s features in her face when she was younger.
Preteen Kate
So now we know: Yes, Kate always had shiny, pretty hair. Although she certainly has the help of stylists, it’s easy to see that her great hair definitely comes naturally. She’s had the same face all these years (of course, she’s gotten older and matured a bit in the meantime) so we could have easily picked her out of a lineup.
We’d recognize that pretty face anywhere!
The Bad Hair School Photo
Everyone has to have at least one year where they have a bad hair day during school photos. Here’s Kate’s! Even at that, it’s a relatively mild bad hair day. But it’s cool she has all of these school photos to look back on, all while wearing the same uniform. It really shows the way that she’s grown over the years. It has to be so much fun to compare them all.
Bolder Costume Jewelry
Through the years, Kate’s style has been ever evolving, but none of it compares to those wilder years before she married William and became a member of the royal family. Even though her outfit itself is still relatively conservative, her whole look is a lot more laid-back than it is these days. Check out Kate in 2005 when her hair was a little more wild — and so were her earrings.
Now that’s a bold costume jewelry look.
Running Errands
Once upon a time, before Kate was a duchess, she had to pick up her dry cleaning just like commoners. Again, check out those earrings. Of course, Kate still runs her own errands when she can — especially when her kids are involved. It was probably a lot easier for her to do those errands in the old days, even though as this photo shows photographers were still documenting her every move.
She's a Jeans Kind of Lady
Any time Kate wears skinny jeans, we always love the way she looks totally put together but super casual all at once. But seeing jeans on Kate isn’t quite as common as it once was. In her pre-royal life, she was wearing jeans a lot more often — especially in an outfit like this one. We can’t think of the last time we saw this woman carrying her own bags, let alone doing it while wearing jeans on a rainy day.
Not Quite Perfect
There’s usually no reason to pick on Kate’s style (she is almost always on point), but this pre-royalty look is a little questionable. Overall, it’s cute (and we know Kate loves houndstooth) but the black with the brown and the black-and-white print — we’re not loving it. But this look was in style during the time this photo was taken, so we’ll give her that much.
Beret Fabulous
Oh, Kate. How adorable is she in this sweet beret, cozy scarf, and pale blue jacket?! Destined for style icon status, even if she flubbed a few times. Still, this is a woman who loves using a good accessory to complete her look, including hats, scarves, and coats — all things she’s wearing in this photo. She’s just doing her best to pull off an early 2000s look, y’all, and she’s not half bad at it!
After a Night of Clubbing
This is an image we wouldn’t expect to see now (not by a long shot), but just like everyone else, Kate was young once. And unfortunately, that meant that her wilder years were caught on camera and will be around forever. Here, a tan Kate is out clubbing. It sounds scandalous, but it’s just another day in the life of Kate circa 2007. Let her have fun before she commits to a life of royal obligation.
Those Legs!
Here’s another look that we wouldn’t see the Duchess of Cambridge wearing these days. More clubbing, more tan, and more legs. (Wow, Kate!) That’s quite an outfit she wore to Mahiki nightclub in London. But by nightclub standards, we’re willing to guess she was one of the most conservatively dressed ladies there.
With a Monster-Sized Bag
One of the biggest things that separates Kate today from pre-royal Kate is the size of her bags. There is no way a princess would need a monster-sized purse like this because she has people to hold her stuff. But there also aren’t many people walking around today carrying a purse quite this large, as this was more of an early 2000s trend than anything else. Kate, always keeping up with the times.
Dressing as a Witch
There’s a good chance that Queen Elizabeth would not have approved if Kate wore this today, but this was before the royal influence. But take a look at her hair length — close to how she’s worn it many times in recent years. When Kate finds a style that works for her, she sticks with it, even though we’re pretty bummed that she doesn’t get to wear outfits like this since she became a duchess.
A Wilder Look
Kate loves prints, but this one is certainly a bit wild for her — and her hair is a little different, too. If we didn’t know any better, we might not believe that this is a photo of the Kate Middleton we know and love, but there’s no mistaking that face. Sometimes, Kate will pull out a colorful pattern or two, but not one quite like this, and certainly not with a messy hairdo, either.
'80s Style Kate
Although this is for an ’80s retro party, it’s hard to react with anything but amazement over those tiny yellow hot pants! Actually, the whole outfit is a lot to take in. The boots, the hot pink socks, the shorts, the sparkly top — even the hot pink purse. It all comes together to be something totally over the top, and we can’t imagine Kate going to any kind of theme party like this now, especially in an outfit like this.
Baby Face
Kate looks like a fresh-faced young lady here, doesn’t she? Just by looking at the woman in this picture, it would have been hard to tell that she would grow up to be one of the most high-profile royals ever, married to the future king of England. And we’re willing to bet that Kate herself might not have predicted where her life would take her back when this photo was first taken.
Nervous Nelly
It took Kate a long time before she was used to cameras following her every move, as we can see by the look on her face in this photo. Not that we blame her, of course; the crowds and the paparazzi had to be overwhelming for her — and we wouldn’t blame her if they still are at times, years later. But Kate has adapted well, and now she looks super comfortable in front of the camera.
Working Girl
Dressed for the work day, Kate looks ready to conquer the world. We’ve seen her wearing plenty of business casual outfits these days, but none quite like this. Even so, she still looks good — she’s working that fitted blazer and dress pants. But her style has become a lot more sophisticated since this photo was taken, but even better than that, she still flashes that smile regularly.
Party Girl
Something tells us the monarch wouldn’t be too pleased with whatever Kate was up to that night because, once again, it looks like she was out on the town and having way too much fun! We’re glad to see her like this, though — young, enjoying herself, and having an exceptionally good hair day. We think this fun-loving girl is still in there somewhere, though, and we mostly see it when Kate is with her kids.
Early Days of Dating
This photo was taken in 2005, six whole years before Kate and William walked down the aisle in 2011. They both look so young and in love here, and William has hair! What a total throwback. Thank goodness the Middleton family released this photo to the public. It’s adorable. They’ve already changed so much, and we know that Charlotte, George, and Louis are going to love looking back at this someday.
College Graduation Day
William and Kate met in college, and here’s Kate on her graduation day. At the time, she was in her early 20s without any idea of where her life would lead her, and it’s taken her to some amazing places. OK, maybe she had some idea because she was already dating William. But had she completely comprehended what being a royal would mean? Probably not yet.
Showing PDA
Kate and William rarely do PDA, and they almost never kiss in public these days. But this photo is from 2006 when the couple was younger and a little more free about showing affection for each other. After all, royal etiquette dictates that couples not engage in much PDA beyond holding hands in public, but when these two were younger, even a smooch here and there wasn’t off-limits for them.
Partying With Pippa
This outfit! Their trouble-making smiles! We forgot how much fun these sisters used to have together when they were younger. This must be a throwback photo of Kate and her sister Pippa heading out for a fun night. The pair used to hit the town a lot more frequently when they were younger. Now they’re both married with kids and so prim and proper, but happy all the same.
Food Delivery
Does Kate even eat casserole anymore, let alone carry it? She looks like she’s headed to a potluck or something with this big dish of food. Kate doesn’t have to do that anymore. She has people to carry her food (and fancier food at that). We have a feeling that if she’s invited to a potluck and actually goes, royal chefs might prepare something for her to bring. She’s one lucky lady.
Row, Row, Row
First of all, look at those arms! Kate wears more modest clothes now that she’s a princess. But back when this was taken, she didn’t mind showing off her muscles. Look at her rocking this rowing stance as well. Her skill is seriously impressive. Not that we’re surprised, of course; we’ve always known that Kate was particularly talented when it comes to boats, especially when she gets to show off those skills at a regatta.
Opening Her Own Car Door
Here’s another sight we don’t get to see too often these days. The Princess of Wales has a whole entourage now, and someone is definitely in charge of opening her door just about any time she rolls up to an appearance. Not back when she was a commoner. She had to open her own doors like the rest of us. She still looks totally glam doing it, though, because this is Kate we’re talking about.
Sunbathing
Kate looks so relaxed. She’s just chilling, sitting cross-legged in the grass and enjoying the sunshine. Here’s hoping she still gets moments like these every once in a while, such as when she takes her kids to watch their dad in a polo match every year. Being a royal can be exhausting, and everyone deserves some relaxing sunbathing now and then.
Summer Dress
This tank dress is shorter than Kate usually goes for these days. This photo was taken before she’d married William and before she had to adhere to any kind of royal protocol or dress codes. We hope she enjoyed it while she could, because things have certainly changed for her these days — not that her style wouldn’t have changed over time as she got older anyway.
Couples Skiing
This photo was taken early on in Kate and William’s relationship. The two vacationed together and went skiing. If they thought they could avoid the paparazzi, though, they were mistaken. Now we all get to enjoy this throwback pic of the lovebirds years later, especially because they’ve taken their children on family ski trips, too. We love that their bond is still going strong, just like it was then.
Going Shopping
These days, the Princess of Wales has people to shop for her, but in 2005 she was spotted browsing a store on her own. There’s a lot to unpack in this photo, fashion-wise. Kate’s wearing a cowboy hat, jeans, knee-high boots (with tassels!), and a giant heart-shaped necklace. Even if no one told us the date of this photo, it would be easy to tell it was before she became Duchess of Cambridge. She would never wear anything like this now.
In a Tank Top With Dad
Royal women are generally expected to dress more modestly, and the Duchess of Cambridge strictly adheres to that protocol. But before she became a royal, she was more casual with her style. In this 2005 photo, she’s wearing low-rise jeans and a strappy tank. This type of ensemble was super trendy at the time.
Shopping With Mom
Just two nonroyal gals out on the town. Now Kate is a princess and Carole Middleton is a grandmother to princes and a princess, but in 2005 they were simply a mom and daughter visiting The Spirit Of Christmas Shopping Festival and enjoying the holiday season.
On a Break From William
In 2007, William and Kate briefly broke up and this picture was snapped of Kate looking pretty forlorn post-split. The love of her life (and her days of being a royal) almost vanished entirely, but fortunately the couple reconciled a few months later — and they’ve been going strong ever since.
Stalked by the Paparazzi
As the media caught wind of William’s romance with Kate, paparazzi started showing up wherever she was. She clearly was not in the mood to be photographed on this day, which is a pretty big change from how she acts now — always smiling for the cameras that follow her everywhere she goes. Also of note in this picture: She’s wearing flats, which is such a rarity for the heels-loving duchess.
Old-School Phone
Nothing dates a photo better than an old cellphone. In 2007, Kate decided to beat the paparazzi at their own game. When they started snapping her picture outside London’s Mahiki nightclub, she took theirs right back. And it gave us a glimpse of her super retro mobile device. Now the royals are rarely ever spotted with a cellphone.
So Casual
At first, we barely even recognized Kate in this photo. She looks so normal. She’s the one in a baseball hat, black pants, and a blue sweater. This photo was taken of William and Kate chilling with friends in 2008 for the prince’s birthday. But he didn’t want some glam bash at the palace. He was down for a regular hangout.
