Royal engagement: Who is Kate Middleton?

The fount of information about Kate Middleton, Prince William's fiance, will be unending from now until the wedding in spring or summer 2011. She has been one of the most searched items on the Internet since the engagement announcement Tuesday. There is far more about her available online than can be condensed into one article – but here are some highlights about Kate (Catherine Elizabeth) Middleton and her engagement.

AP
Image from video of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton during a television interview recorded and aired on the day they announced their engagement on Nov.16.

She is not Princess Di

Middleton may be wearing the engagement ring of Britain’s darling Princess Di, but reporters are pointing out just how different the two are. As Tina Brown, author of "The Diana Chronicles" notes in the Daily Beast, Middleton comes across as far more confident and level-headed than Diana did, taking years of media scrutiny before the engagement in stride – and has even apparently persuaded the queen of the difference.

The royal family may have made a concerted effort to ensure that the relationship didn’t follow the same path of Princess Charles and Diana by introducing her to the royal life early on, according to CBS reports. Even William has mentioned the differences between Middleton's situation and that of his late mother. He insists that the sad outcome that his mother met wouldn’t happen because the long wait for the engagement meant that Middleton had ample opportunities to back out if the pressure became too much, the Telegraph reported.

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