EXCLUSIVE: We Reveal the Tragedies That Haunt Kate Middleton — 'Her Life is Far From That of a Fairytale Princess'

Kate Middleton may be the Princess of Wales, but her journey from small-town girl to royal icon has been shadowed by loss, illness and relentless public scrutiny, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Behind the polished smiles and elegant appearances, the 43-year-old's life has often been far removed from the fairy tale imagined by millions.

Born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton in Berkshire, she grew up with her parents Carole and Michael, along with siblings Pippa and James.

A relatively quiet childhood turned turbulent when she met Prince William, then 19, at the University of St Andrews in 2001.

By 2003 they were dating, and Kate's life shifted overnight – into one lived permanently both under the spotlight and under fire. Former school friends have spoken about her struggles long before royalty entered the picture.

Gemma Williamson, who attended Marlborough College with her, recalled: "She was bullied very badly at her previous school and she certainly looked very thin and pale. She had very little confidence."

Another former friend, Jessica Hay, once said Kate "hated" her time at Downe House.

"Some of the girls there were horrible," she explained. "She was picked on because she was perfect, well turned out, and a lovely person. She was not the type to stick up for herself."

Even at university, reports claimed Kate was mocked by some of William's privileged circle. "William's friends would whisper rather snidely when Kate would turn up at Boujis, the nightclub in West London," said royal commentator Katie Nicholl in the documentary William and Kate: Into the Future. "

They would call her 'Doors to manual' – a put-down linked to her mother's career as a flight attendant."

Later years brought fresh strains. In 2012, on holiday in France, Kate was photographed topless without consent, images that were published in a French magazine.

"The clandestine way in which these photographs were taken was particularly shocking," William said in a statement, stressing the violation of their privacy.

The couple sued and won damages of nearly $120,000, though the humiliation lingered.

Motherhood, too, came with difficulties.

During her first pregnancy Kate was hospitalized with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe condition causing dehydration and weight loss.

The sickness returned in her later pregnancies, yet she appeared outside St Mary's Hospital in London hours after giving birth each time.

She later admitted to finding the public debut "terrifying."

Kate's private life has also been the subject of damaging rumors.

In 2019, speculation over Prince William's alleged affair with Rose Hanbury spread online.

A source close to the couple said: "Kate was deeply upset by the speculation and dreaded the idea that her children might one day come across the claims on the internet."

Hanbury's legal team dismissed the allegations as entirely untrue.

The most devastating blow came in March 2024 when Kate revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer at 42.

In a video message, she said: "The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. I am now in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy."

By September she had finished treatment, though she admitted: "Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long."

Friends have since said the experience has changed her profoundly.

One said: "She is now a totally different person – it's left her scarred."

At a hospital visit in Essex this July, Kate herself said: "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal,' but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult."