The Real Story Behind The Scar On Kate Middleton’s Face

She’s one of the world’s most photographed women and an undisputed style icon. But somehow, Kate Middleton has managed to keep a significant scar hidden from most of us. Although not visible from all angles, the distinctive mark has nonetheless been spotted by a few eagle-eyed observers. Yet when the palace was approached for an explanation, it was decidedly cagey with its response.

Unlike her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, Middleton has always managed to avoid controversy. Her fashion sense has never been anything less than perfect. Except for the time she donned one particularly risqué outfit that did create quite the stir. In a good way though, as it was that very outfit that reportedly drew the attentions of her future husband, Prince William.

You see, the couple became friends back in 2001 when they met at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. At the time, Middleton was dating fellow student Rupert Finch, so nothing romantic happened between them. But rumor has it, the Duke of Cambridge saw his future wife in a different light — literally — after watching her model a see-through, black mesh number on the runway at a fundraising event.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl, in the 2011 documentary, When Kate Met William: A Tale Of Two Lives, said, “He suddenly noticed that this rather cute and charming girl who he’d gotten to know over lectures and breakfast was actually a real hotty.” And clothing designer Charlotte Todd, who created the infamous dress, has suggested that Middleton had secretly known the effect it would have on the prince.

 “It shows confidence to show your underwear in front of people, and knowing that a prince is there as well, I think that she may have known what she was doing,” said Todd. Well, it sure worked, as Nicholl — in her 2011 book The Making Of A Royal Romance, wrote that Prince William had told friends after the show, “Wow, Kate’s hot!”

Middleton’s saucy garment has since sold at auction for a jaw-dropping $106,000. Which proves the sort of value that anything associated with the duchess commands. Not to mention the fact that it arguably started the Cambridge’s love story. It didn’t immediately get off the ground, as Middleton spurned the duke’s advances at first. But when her relationship with Finch fell apart in 2002, the way was left clear for Prince William to make his move.

As we all know, the Cambridges’ relationship has gone from strength to strength since their 2010 engagement and elaborate wedding the following year. The royal couple have of course also welcomed three children: Prince George in 2013, followed by Princess Charlotte two years later, then Prince Louis in 2018. Yet despite the media spotlight being fixed permanently on the family, no one noticed the scar that Middleton had been hiding for some time.

These days of course, we think the Royal Family would have a lot to say if the Duchess of Cambridge exhibited herself in a see-through dress! But that’s highly unlikely, as Middleton favors a considerably more demure, classic wardrobe these days. Her signature style is designer dress coats and occasional playful prints with bursts of color. And of course, the odd evening showstopper. In other words, she dresses much like her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

The highly successful mother-of-three has been wowing us with her fashion sense since she first officially stepped on to the world’s stage at her wedding to William. Over 20 million people worldwide watched in April 2011, as the royal bride arrived at London’s Westminster Abbey, wearing a dress that would become iconic.

Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen designed the stunning creation with lots of input from the duchess. It had all the hallmarks of Middleton’s contemporary classic style, with the palace revealing in a wedding-day statement, “Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen’s work.”

The lace detailing on the bride’s dress was something to behold and gave the royal gown a vintage look. Which, as it turns out, was very much intentional as Middleton’s dress was inspired by Victorian clothing. In the style of the era’s corsetry, the duchess’ dress curved inwards at the waist and was padded below the bodice. Middleton’s veil measured almost nine feet in length — wowzers! — while her Cartier tiara was borrowed from the Queen herself!

Although her wedding dress is undoubtedly Middleton’s most memorable, it’s certainly not the only jaw-dropping gown we’ve seen her wear. Not long after their big day, Prince William and his new wife attended the 2011 Kensington Palace gala, where Middleton wowed in a figure-hugging pink dress with shimmering silver detail. Jenny Packham, one of the duchess’ favorite designers, was behind the dreamy creation.

And Packham designed another sparkling showstopper: the caped golden gown that Middleton stepped out in for the No Time to Die premiere in September 2021. Not only was the royal rivaling any Bond girl in her gorgeous get-up, but the outfit was apparently also an homage to Princess Diana. You see, the duchess’ mother-in-law wore an equally high-glamor silver dress to the premiere of another Bond movie, View to a Kill, in 1985.

But of course one can’t be always flouncing about in one’s finest! And Middleton has shown that she can rock dressed-down, outdoor chic too. She’s been known to pop on a puffer jacket in the chilly weather. And in an olive green coat, cozy knit sweater, and brown leather riding boots, the royal looked like the stylish girl next door during a visit to a farm in April 2021. 

One of our favorite looks on the duchess is an elegant day dress that treads the line perfectly between conservative and glamorous. Take the royal blue collared dress that Middleton wore for Prince Charles’ 70th birthday portraits. With its playful polka dot print, the Alessandra Rich design once again channels Princess Diana’s style, but is just the right amount of formal. We love!

Then there’s the classic dress coat that the duchess wears so well. It’s the perfect outer layer for any formal occasion. And let’s face it, she needs something suitably warm in the famously unpredictable British weather! We particularly like the striking, emerald green military coat — complete with matching hat — that Middleton so aptly chose for the Irish Guard St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2017.

Although she favors the formal look — kind of a requirement for a royal — Middleton does have a little fun with her style from time to time. The duchess donned a white outfit with red statement earrings — the colors of the England flag — to support her nation’s soccer team during the 2021 European Championships. Middleton was joined at the game by hubby Prince William and their eldest son, Prince George.

There’s no doubt that young Prince George is the image of his father. But the Cambridges’ middle child, Princess Charlotte, definitely takes after her mom with her long brunette locks. We think all three of the Cambridge children are adorable and love it when they get papped behaving like typical young kids — throwing tantrums and mugging for the camera!

Even though they’re all under 10, the junior royals are already becoming mini style icons too. Clothing that they’re snapped wearing sells out in record time. Take, for example, the cute Ralph Lauren woolen sweater that Princess Charlotte wore for the family’s 2020 Christmas card. That one sold out before you could say “Happy Holidays!”

The folks at Ralph Lauren must be rubbing their hands with glee, as a similar thing happened when Prince George wore one of the brand’s striped cashmere sweaters to a 2020 pantomime. People couldn’t buy it fast enough. Meanwhile little Prince Louis was looking cute as a button at the event in a royal blue Amaia jacket. We bet that one jumped off the shelves too!

Some times when something — or someone — seems a little too perfect, it’s kind of reassuring when we notice their mistakes or imperfections. As most of us worry about our weight or blemishes, it makes the royals seem more human somehow, when they’re less than perfect. Take Middleton’s scar, for example. Or the fact that even the usually fashion-flawless duchess occasionally makes some flubs.

Anyone accustomed to wearing heels can probably relate to this awkward moment… You’re walking along minding your business when, uh-oh, your shoe gets stuck in the paving or down a grate. Then follows the embarrassment of having to yank the darned thing free. Which is precisely what happened to Middleton during the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Kudos to the royal for casually laughing it off though!

Ladies, we’ve all been there — you’re doing your best to look elegant and sophisticated in a dress when, whoosh! A sudden gale turns your outfit into a windsock and threatens to reveal your underwear to all in company. Or, for a royal, the world! That exact predicament occurred for Middleton when she was wearing a rather gorgeous fuchsia number to Princess Eugenie’s wedding in 2018. But once again, the duchess gamefully laughed it off!

Okay, this one’s not quite so embarrassing but awkward nonetheless. For a fashion icon such as Middleton, it isn’t ideal to turn up to an event wearing the same thing as another attendee. But that’s exactly what happened to the royal at a 2014 wedding that she went to with her husband and Prince Harry. Imagine the “oh dear” moment when she spotted another guest wearing the very same woolen Missoni coat. Eek!

Now this is something that we’ve seen happen to many a celeb, but you wouldn’t expect it of the fashion-flawless royal. Middleton stepped out at a London gala in 2014, wearing an elegant black Temperly London dress. Nothing wrong with that. But the duchess was wearing a pale-colored bra that became visible in the flashbulb light from the assembled paparazzi. Oh the embarrassment!

So how is it that, for a family under such close public scrutiny, we’ve missed some pretty significant physical details about the Cambridges? Like the fact that Prince William has a fairly noticeable Harry Potter-style scar on his forehead? That’s right! Just like the famed young wizard, Prince Charles’ eldest son has a distinctive facial scar. And the story behind it is kind of surprising.

Unlike his wife, who won’t publicly discuss her scar, the Duke of Cambridge openly chatted about how he got the mark, during a 2009 interview. Prince William was talking to Alice, a young cancer patient and budding journalist, for British kids’ TV show Newsround. Could we just say “aw” there? Anyway, during the interview, William actually pointed out the blemish and called it “my Harry Potter scar.”

The royal added, “I call it that because it glows sometimes, and some people notice it — other times they don't notice it at all.” By “glows sometimes,” the duke explained, he meant that at times the mark had become more apparent — for example when he’s been a little flushed after exercise. We like William’s way of making the explanation relatable for kids!

The royal went on to explain how he got the blemish. “I got hit by a golf club when I was playing golf with a friend of mine,” said Prince William. He went on, “Yeah, we were on a putting green, and the next thing you know there was a seven-iron, and it came out of nowhere and it hit me in the head.” Oh dear — we’re betting said friend feels pretty bad about that!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are clearly a perfect match. And it’s kind of a spooky coincidence that they both have head scars. Middleton has been considerably less outspoken than her husband on the subject though. In fact, it wasn’t until her first royal engagement without William that the duchess’ sizeable mark was spotted.

The scar, by the way, is about three inches long and sits just behind her hairline. On this particular occasion in 2011, the royal was looking her usual stunning self in a floor-length, silver Amanda Wakeley gown. Her elegant half-up, half-down hairstyle, though, revealed the prominent mark next to her left temple that had been previously hidden.

Middleton had stepped in as the royal host for a private charity dinner at Clarence House in London. The Prince of Wales, who helped to establish the Kind Direct charity in 1996, had asked his daughter to fill in for him after he was called away on urgent royal business. Charles had felt compelled to visit the Saudi Royal Family and offer his condolences after the passing of the Crown Prince.

A spokesperson for the palace said, “The Duchess of Cambridge was delighted to be able to step in for her father-in-law, The Prince of Wales.” Middleton apparently even contacted her mom, Carole Middleton, to ask if the affluent family business Party Pieces might be able to donate any stock to the charity. Kind Direct distributes surplus retail products to other U.K. charities.

And that’s how come the duchess was photographed for the first time with her head scar clearly visible. But a royal spokesperson was strangely evasive when approached for comment. All that the St. James’ Palace representative would reveal was that the mark was “related to a childhood operation.” When pressed to elaborate, they refused. Hmm.

Palace sources were prepared to say that the childhood surgery had been “a very serious operation.” But declined to say any more, on the grounds that it was a private matter. Which is all a little intriguing… What could this “serious operation” be? Well, the Daily Mail newspaper approached a consultant surgeon from London’s Lister Hospital for his view.

The top doc, John Scurr, explained that the scar probably wasn’t from surgery on a tumor. In fact, it was more likely to be something much less sinister. “I really doubt it was any serious medical condition,” said Scurr. The surgeon continued, “I would say it is as a result of an arteriovenous malformation — a birthmark — being removed.” He added, “It is remarkable, given the measurement, that no one has noticed before.” Indeed.

But the Cambridges aren’t the only royals with prominent scars that you might not have known about. Princess Eugenie has spoken quite openly about having surgery to fix a curvature of her spine caused by scoliosis. In fact, she made the bold choice to wear a dress that revealed her scar when she married Jack Brooksbank in 2018.

In a commentary for her dress exhibition, the princess explained, “I had always wanted a low back, part of it was showing my scar and I believe scars tell a story about your past and your future and it’s a way of getting rid of a taboo.” Eugenie was diagnosed with the spinal condition when she was 12 years old and had to undergo a grueling corrective procedure involving the insertion of metal rods in her back.

After the royal proudly displayed the scar on her wedding day, the response from fellow scoliosis sufferers had been quite moving, she said in the commentary. Eugenie recalled, “We started getting a lot of letters from people who were happy that I had stood up and showed my scar, and people with scoliosis, letters from girls that are going through the same thing, and I definitely was very touched by everyone’s support.”