girlfriend prince william kate middleton split up

Catherine Kate Elizabeth Middleton (age 26) was born 9 January 1982. She is an Englishwoman known for her relationship with Prince William of Wales.
Middleton's status as the girlfriend of Prince William brought her widespread media coverage in the UK and abroad, and she was often photographed on her daily outings. On October 17, 2005, she complained through her lawyer about harassment from the media, stating that she had done nothing significant to warrant much publicity. In February 2006, it was announced that Middleton would receive her own 24-hour security detail supplied by the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department. This fueled further speculation that she and Prince William would soon be engaged, since she would not, otherwise, be entitled to this service. No engagement occurred, and Middleton was not granted an allowance to fund this security. However, media attention greatly increased around the time of Middleton's 25th birthday in January 2007, prompting warnings from both Prince Charles and Prince William and from Middleton's lawyers, who threatened legal action. As a result, two newspaper groups, News International, which publishes The Times, and the Guardian Media Group, publishers of The Guardian and The Observer, decided to refrain from publishing paparazzi photographs of her.
Middleton attended at least one event as an official royal guest, Prince William's "Passing-Out" parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on December 15, 2006. It was reported by the Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper, that she was invited by the Queen to Christmas lunch in 2006, which would have made her the first unmarried partner of a royal to be asked to the festive celebrations at the royal estate of Sandringham House near Sandringham, Norfolk. Middleton declined the offer, preferring to spend Christmas with her own family. The article claimed she refused to attend any future gathering with the Queen and Royal Family unless she and William were married. According to the December 2006 issue of People, a palace "insider" stated that Middleton was not at this time being groomed or being advised to be a future princess. Nevertheless, retailers such as Woolworths were preparing commemorative merchandise to be ready should an engagement announcement occur.
On April 14, 2007 The Sun newspaper broke a 'world exclusive' suggesting that Prince William and Kate Middleton had split up. Other media outlets such as the BBC confirmed the story as the day progressed. The couple decided to break up during a holiday in the Swiss resort of Zermatt. Clarence House made only one comment about the relationship's end, according to The Times, stating, "We don't comment on Prince William's private life." Newspapers speculated about the reasons of the split, although these reports relied on anonymous sources. The original report in The Sun quoted a "close friend of the couple" as saying that Middleton felt William had not been paying her enough attention. The paper highlighted reports that William had been spending time with other young women, and said the Prince, aged 24 at the time of the split, felt he was too young to marry.
A report in the Daily Mail blamed a desire by royal courtiers not to "hurry along" a marriage announcement, and William's desire to enjoy his bachelor status within his Army career. The Mail also suggested that William's friend Guy Pelly encouraged the Prince to take a "careless approach" to relationships. The same article suggested that Middleton had "expected too much" in wanting William to demonstrate his commitment to her. In June 2007, Middleton and Prince William insisted they were "just good friends" following reports of a reconciliation. Middleton and her family attended the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium; however, she and William sat two rows apart. Since then, the couple has been seen together in public on a number of occasions, and according to several news sources including the BBC and the Daily Mail, has now "rekindled their relationship". Middleton also joined William and Charles on a deerstalking expedition at Balmoral and attended the wedding of William's cousin, Peter Phillips even though William, due to a prior committment, did not.In April of 2008, Prince William landed his RAF Chinook helicopter in the back garden of Middleton's parents' home. This sparked controversy over the use of RAF equipment being at the prince's disposal.
On May 17, 2008, Middleton attended the wedding of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, which Prince William missed to attend the wedding of his ex-girlfriends brother.
On June 3, 2008, the Daily Mail reported that the Queen believed an engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton was "ill-advised" because Kate has yet to have an actual job -- a situation the Queen reportedly addresses as "the Kate problem".
On June 5, 2008, published reports suggested Middleton asked friends and family to begin referring her as "Catherine" and not "Kate." This spurred speculation on a proposal, theorizing "Catherine" would be a more suitable name for the royal family.