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Long before Kate Middleton met Prince William at St. Andrews University in 2001, she had an intriguing family link to the British monarchy that many might not know about.
Kate’s paternal grandfather, Captain Peter Middleton, shared the cockpit with the late Prince Philip during the 1960s, thanks to Philip’s passion for flying.
Captain Middleton, born in 1920, served as a Mosquito fighter-bomber pilot during World War II, where he played a crucial role in redirecting German V-1 flying bombs away from London.
In 1962, Captain Middleton, who would become the grandfather of the future Princess of Wales, joined the Duke of Edinburgh on a two-month South American tour. At the age of 42, Middleton was the first officer and piloted 49 of the 62 flights during the tour, while Prince Philip, then 40, accompanied him.
In appreciation of his service, Captain Middleton received a personal letter of thanks from Prince Philip, along with a pair of gold cufflinks from Buckingham Palace.
The tour included journeys along the British-built railway in the Andes, visits to British factories, and opportunities to explore the stunning sights of Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.
Mr Middleton sadly died at the age of 90 on November 2, 2010, just two weeks before his beloved granddaughter, now 44, announced her engagement to Prince William, now 43.
Mr Middleton met his co-pilot’s grandson for the first time at his 90th birthday celebrations, while William also attended his funeral with Kate later that year.
Pictured: Prince Philip shakes hands with Heathrow manager Mr. C.D. Waldron as Kate Middleton’s grandfather, Peter Middleton (seen left in a pilot uniform) smiles in their direction
In October 1966, the Princess’ grandfather flew from South America to London Heathrow with Prince Philip on board.
After touching down at the airport, the late Duke of Edinburgh – who was 45 at the time – posed for a photo with Heathrow’s manager Mr C.D. Waldron.
As the two men shook hands outside the plane, Peter Middleton – who was still dressed in his pilot uniform – could be seen smiling at Prince Philip in the background.
Kate, who shares an incredibly close bond with her family, is understood to have gained her love for photography from her grandfather.
Claudia Acott Williams, curator behind Kensington Palace’s 2022 photography exhibition Life Through a Royal Lens, told the Sunday Express that Captain Middleton sparked the princess’s interest in the hobby.
‘Her grandfather was a very good photographer,’ she said. ‘When she was a child, he would show her his slides. It was him who taught her how to take photographs.’
The Princess of Wales has captured some of the most touching portraits of royals in recent years, with her personable style revealing an intimate side to the Waleses’ family dynamic behind closed doors.
Over the years, she has also paid tribute to her beloved grandfather with a RAF badge brooch – a personal recognition of Captain Middleton’s incredible service as an RAF pilot during the Second World War.
Peter, whose son Michael is Kate’s father, studied English at New College, Oxford. He married Kate’s grandmother, Valerie Glassborow (pictured) in 1946. Valerie worked at a Government Code and Cypher School in Bletchley Park and sadly died in 2006
Kate, who shares an incredibly close bond with her family, is understood to have gained her love for photography from her grandfather, who inspired her as a young girl to pick up the camera
Over the years, the princess has also paid tribute to her beloved grandfather with a RAF badge brooch (pictured) – a personal recognition of Captain Middleton’s incredible service as an RAF pilot during the Second World War
Peter, whose son Michael is Kate’s father, studied English at New College, Oxford. He married Kate’s grandmother, Valerie Glassborow, in 1946.
Valerie worked at a Government Code and Cypher School in Bletchley Park and sadly died in 2006.
In May 2019, during an engagement at Bletchley Park, Kate – then the Duchess of Cambridge – described her late grandmother’s work as ‘very cool’.
She added: ‘She was so sworn to secrecy that she never felt able to tell us.’
Philip gained his Royal Air Force (RAF) wings in May 1953 and earned his helicopter license three years later. He went on to obtain a private pilot’s license in 1959.
Throughout his impressive 45-year career as a qualified pilot, the prince amassed nearly 6,000 hours of flying in 59 different types of aircraft.
While Philip was never granted permission to pilot his wife, the late Queen Elizabeth, on his own, he had flown his eldest son Charles back to school at Gordonstoun.
According to royal author Ingrid Seward, the prince delighted in combining helicopter flights and mixed-wing aircraft – an impressive feet given ‘the skills and disciplines involved are so different’.
Writing in her book, Prince Philip Revealed, Ms Seward added: ‘He thought nothing of flying himself down from Scotland to an aerodrome near Windsor and, having landed, walking across the tarmac to a helicopter to fly himself to Smiths Lawn for a game of polo.’
Philip (pictured) gained his Royal Air Force (RAF) wings in May 1953 and just three years later earned his helicopter license. He went on to obtain a private pilot’s license in 1959
Throughout his impressive 45-year career as a qualified pilot, the prince amassed nearly 6,000 hours of flying in 59 different types of aircraft
In January 1972, the Duke even took control of Concorde (pictured), the world’s first supersonic airliner, for 30 minutes during one if its early test flights. He took his final flight aged 76 on August 11, 1997
However, there was an initial sense of concern within the government that it could be too risky to allow Philip to carry out solo flights after he achieved his private pilot wings.
Declassified documents released in 2023 showed that the then-Prime Minister Harold Macmillan granted the Duke permission to fly solo in 1960 under a set of recommendations after he realised he would be unable to stop him.
The guidelines suggested that the prince should only fly in daylight hours with a minimum visibility of three nautical miles while ‘steps should be taken to minimise air traffic over the airfield or airfield concerned’.
Throughout his lifetime, the prince took a vested interest in aircraft, reflected in his numerous aviation-related patronages.
He was a Royal Aeronautical Society Honorary Fellow, Honorary Life Member of the Royal Aero Club and a Grand Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (now the Honourable Company of Air Pilots).
In January 1972, the Duke even took control of Concorde, the world’s first supersonic airliner, for 30 minutes during one of its early test flights.
Flying the plane over the Bay of Biscay at 1,340mph, twice the speed of sound, the calm and collected prince was dressed in a sports jacket and cavalry twill trousers as he carefully managed the iconic aircraft.
His verdict afterwards was rather simple: ‘A very pleasant aircraft to fly – nothing mysterious or complicated’.
Chief test pilot Brian Trubshaw, the royal’s Concorde ‘instructor’ on the day, described Philip’s performance as ‘pretty polished’.
Philip took his final flight on August 11, 1997, when he flew from Carlisle to Islay at the age of 76.
