On Kate Middleton’s Birthday, Little Known Facts About The Duchess

Kate Middleton turns 33 on January 9, and she’ll be spending a low-key day with her family, according to People. Princess Kate, who is expecting a little brother or sister to Prince George this April, will resume public engagements next week after a holiday hiatus.

Since marrying Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge has made a name for her likability and fashion sense. She is also the oldest woman ever to marry a future king. She was nine years older than Princess Diana when she wed, and Middleton is six months older than William.

Her maturity is only one thing the folks at the Telegraph like about the Duchess. She was a working woman even while dating Prince William, as an accessories buyer for Jigsaw. She shuns the private chef and does her own cooking, even making trips to the supermarket.

Middleton is from non-royal stock with a pilot for a father and air stewardess for a mother. She spent her early years not in the U.K., but in Jordan, where her dad Michael was a manager for British Airways. Once her family returned to England, she eventually proved to be a standout student, both in sports and athletics.

It turns out the stylish Middleton also does her own makeup.

Prince William once praised his wife’s sense of humor and compared it to his own.

“She’s got a naughty sense of humour, which kind of helps because I’ve got a dirty sense of humour.”

If William and Kate share a sense of humor, they might also share a willingness to forget the past. Six exes of the couple attended their 2011 wedding — two of Kate’s ex-boyfriends and four of William’s former flames. Although “ex” might be a strong word; one of Kate’s exes was described as “her high school crush,” and one of William’s as his “rumored first love” by Us Weekly.

On the occasion of her 33rd birthday, Kate Middleton will get a gift from PETA, and it is something the Duchess might actually use. The animal-rights organization will give her a faux-wool coat as an alternative to the real wool coats she sports during public appearances. PETA calls it a “birthday gift that’s equal parts chic and animal-friendly.”

The Duchess of Cambridge could appreciate the PETA gesture, since she is a known animal lover. She and William posed with their dog, Lupo, and Prince George shortly after the Prince’s birth.

Kate Middleton will welcome her second child in the spring.

[Kate Middleton main image via The Mirror]