The Princess of Wales may be one of the most recognisable people in the world, but her hobbies remain refreshingly normal: dog walks, garden projects, hockey, sailing and snapping family photos. Catherine’s life outdoors – and the projects it inspires – is full of surprises. Here are a few of the lesser-known interests that shape the Princess of Wales’s life.
Facts about Catherine, Princess of Wales
1. The Prince and Princess of Wales are big fans of cocker spaniels.
The pair previously owned Lupo, followed by Orla. Lupo was given to the family from Catherine’s brother, James Middleton, who is a great dog lover, with four cocker spaniels and two golden retrievers. Find out more about the Royal family’s dogs here.
2. She was a hockey player when she was young.
While at Marlborough College in Wiltshire, she captained the hockey team.
3. She's a skilled amateur photographer.
Catherine frequently posts family portraits online – and many of the official photos shared of her children George, Charlotte and Louis were taken by Catherine herself.
4. When King Charles III dies, Catherine will become Queen.
When William ascends to the throne, Catherine will become the Queen Consort, known as Queen Catherine informally.
5. She once co-designed a garden at Chelsea Flower Show.
To highlight the benefits of the natural world and inspire people to enjoy the outdoors, the Princess of Wales co-designed the RHS Back to Nature Garden, along with landscape architects Davies White. It was inspired by elements of her own childhood and memories with her children, aiming to recapture the sense of wonder and magic that children experience when outside.
6. She met Prince William at the University of St Andrews.
She initially studied psychology at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, before focusing on art history. She met Prince William while they were students.
7. She spent time living in Jordan as a child.
Although she predominantly grew up in Berkshire, her family moved to Amman, Jordan for several years when she was very young, before returning to Berkshire where Catherine started school.
8. She got engaged to Prince William on Mount Kenya.
William proposed to Catherine in 2010 while staying at a remote alpine cabin on Mount Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa after Kilimanjaro.
9. She became Princess of Wales in 2022.
For their first trip to Wales since becoming Princess and Prince of Wales, Catherine and William visited Anglesey and Swansea.
10. She's a keen sailor.
During her gap year before university, Catherine worked as a deckhand in Southampton. More recently, she teamed up with GB sailor Ben Ainslie for a race against New Zealand.
11. She has gold and green Blue Peter badges.
Blue Peter awarded Catherine and William gold Blue Peter badges in 2017 in recognition of their work with charities focused on children’s mental health. Catherine later received a green badge in 2019 for her environmental work.
12. Catherine once appeared on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.
Catherine once made a surprise appearance on CBeebies Bedtime Stories, where she read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson. It was as part of Children’s Mental Health Week in February 2022.
13. She has supported rural farming communities on their estate.
She and William have funded a pilot scheme to offer support to rural farming communities on the Sandringham estate, in conjunction with Norfolk and Waveney Mind.
14. She launched a YouTube series called Mother Nature.
In 2025, she launched a YouTube series called Mother Nature, celebrating the natural world’s ability to help us heal and grow, encouraging the public to reconnect with the natural world amid in a growing digital world.
15. There is a flower named after her.
The Royal Horticultural Society has named a rose after her. Bred by Harkness Roses, Catherine’s Rose, is a coral-pink floribunda rose cultivar and was introduced in May 2025. The RHS named it after Catherine in tribute to her role in highlighting the healing power of nature. Its fragrance is said to have notes of Turkish delight and mango.
Top image: Catherine, Princess of Wales, plants a rose during a visit to the RHS's Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital. The visit coincides with the donation of 50 Catherine's Rose plants, named after the princess by the RHS with funds from sales going to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity (credit: Getty Images)
