Princess Kate is a literal member of the Royal Family now, but her upbringing wasn't quite as glamorous. According to a new royal book, the Princess of Wales experienced "bullying" and was described as "quiet and bookish" when she was at school.
In the new royal biography, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers discussed Princess Kate's disappointing school experience.
According to the royal author, "[P]upils who studied alongside her at the time have revealed that while many of the young girls at Downe House were subject to typically teenage taunts about their appearance or conscientious attitude to school work, Catherine's experience was sadly marred by groups of young girls who had already formed a bond, having attended the school from age 11 (Catherine did not join until she was 13)."
What should've been an exciting time in Princess Kate's life swiftly went downhill. As Myers shared, "Catherine's initial exuberance at joining one of the top schools in the country was quickly extinguished by feelings of being an outsider."
One of Princess Kate's former classmate's spoke to the royal author, sharing, "Looking back on it, it definitely was bullying." The classmate continued, "She was very quiet and bookish, and girls had already made their friendship groups, so it was harder for her to settle in."
The student alleged that one particular choice Princess Kate made at school inadvertently affected her negatively. "She also played different sports to what was popular at the time, like tennis and track over lacrosse, which only made things worse for her," the classmate said.
According to Myers, "Catherine's feelings of inadequacy were exacerbated when she failed to impress during a try-out for the lacrosse team. It was a doomed attempt at assimilation, mostly because she had never played the sport before."
Luckily, Princess Kate's parents were able to have her transferred to Marlborough College, where she reportedly thrived.
It's hard to believe Princess Kate was, at one point, fairly unpopular. Her royal role as the Princess of Wales has hopefully more than made up for the difficult period she experienced at school.
