07 December 2023 , 14:32
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The Princess of Wales might live in a world most of us can only dream of. But her life hasn't always been so enviable.
Kate was reportedly 'badly bullied' during her time at Downe House in Cold Ash, with former students claiming she was 'pale and thin' by the time she left the school.
At the time, the future royal was living at home with her parents, Michael and Carole, instead of boarding, since their house was nearby to the school. And this is said to have left her unable to properly connect with the other girls.
Eventually, things got so bad that Kate left Downe House, for girls aged 11-18, in the middle of the term and moved to Marlborough College instead.
Downe House is located at Cold Ash, near Newbury in Bershire (David Hartley/REX/Shutterstock)One of Kate's old school friends from Marlborough College recalled how she 'hated' Downe House. The classmate told the now defunct News of the World back in 2010, "She hated it, absolutely hated it. Some of the girls there were horrible. 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.
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"She said that there was a group of girls that called her names and they stole her books and stuff – little things like that. They rounded up on her a bit because she was quite a soft and nice person. When she used to go to lunch she would sit down with people and they all used to get up and sit on another table."
Kate pictured during her time at St Andrew's School, which she attended prior to joining Downe House (PA)A second classmate, Gemma Williamson, revealed how the Princess looked 'pale and thin' when she first arrived at Marlborough College. She said, "Apparently she had been bullied very badly and she certainly looked thin and pale. She had very little confidence."
Downe House's former headmistress Susan Cameron has denied any knowledge of serious bullying going on while Kate attended the school, however. Speaking to Katie Nicholls for her book Kate: The Future Queen, she said: "Certainly I have no knowledge of any serious bullying at all.
"But there's what everyone calls bullying, and there's actual, real, miserable bullying where someone had a dreadful time. That certainly didn't happen".
Kate's experiences have led to her to champion various anti-bullying charities and used her platform to give a voice to charities that campaign to help children's mental health.
And Kate's tough time at school is said to have 'completely influenced' her decisions about her own children's education. Royal expert Jennie Bond explained, "The Prince and Princess of Wales have made it clear that their young family will, as far as possible, come first and that includes sending all three to day school, rather than having them as boarders away from home."