During the ITV documentary When Phillip Met Prince Philip: 60 years of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award it was revealed that Kate Middleton had been the recipient of the DofE Award nearly 20 years ago. Kate, as well as the other recipients that year, were invited to St. James Palace to receive the award.
Many Royal watchers were surprised by the fact that the Duchess of Cambridge was the recipient of a Gold DofE Award. Kensington Palace tweeted a photo prior to the December 12 airing of the documentary on ITV.
Kate was attending Marlborough College at the time she won the Gold DofE Award, doing so by participating in a four-day hike through the pouring rain. Though Kate was not part of the documentary, Kate shared the tale to a group of GB Olympians at the Team GB reception in October.
Discussing what skills the Olympians may have learned from their experiences, Kate shared that one day, during a downpour, she was put in charge of cooking bacon for sandwiches. “I remember saying you know what, I think we’re just going to have plain sandwiches. Bread, basic bread and butter,” Kate recounted.
Kate shared additional memories in a press release issued by Buckingham Palace. The Duchess of Cambridge explained, “While getting my Gold Award was challenging at times, it was one of my most memorable experiences from growing up, and I could not recommend it more highly.”
Kate Middleton isn’t the only Royal wife with a DofE Award. Sophie Wessex participated in a grueling 450-mile cycling challenge in honor of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Diamond Anniversary. The Duchess of Wessex now also holds a Gold DofE Award.
For 60 years, the DofE has offered outreaches in 140 countries and has inspired millions of young people between the ages of 14 and 24 to serve in their communities, develop a sense of adventure, and reach beyond their classrooms to learn skills that will be most useful to them in the future.
The fact that Kate Middleton participated in a DofE challenge nearly 20 years ago surprises us. The Duchess of Cambridge isn’t known for her hard work. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. We’re having difficulty imagining Kate participating in a 4-day hike and attempting to cook bacon in the pouring rain. But, the future Queen has the gold Duke of Edinburgh Award to prove it so it must be true.
