The 9 Best Books About Kate Middleton

Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl has authored one of the few definitive biographies of Kate Middleton up to this point: Kate: The Future Queen. It was published in 2013, and covers her early life, courtship with William, royal wedding, and the birth of Prince George. If you want a more current portrait of Kate, this is not quite it, but The Future Queen gives a solid overview of her formative years.

More: Good Books to Read About the Royal Family

Published ahead of William and Kate's royal wedding in 2011, William and Kate: A Royal Love Story covers their decade-long relationship. As Christopher Andersen explains in his acknowledgements, "William and Kate is the culmination of nearly thirty years spent covering the Royal Family." His knowledge of the royal family is clear, and this is a comprehensive overview of the pre-marriage relationship between the future Duke and Duchess.

Elizabeth Holmes began sharing her thoughts about Kate Middleton's style on her Instagram stories; soon, that became the inspiration for HRH, which dives into the royal fashions of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Meghan Markle, and, of course, Kate Middleton.

"It will be a beautiful picture book, one I hope that readers will want to display in their homes. But that style will be paired with plenty of substance; I expect it will be something people take the time to sit and read, too," Holmes told T&C.

Tina Brown's The Palace Papers was one of the biggest royal books of the year, and it's the most current look at the Duchess of Cambridge out of any book on this list. It doesn't exclusively focus on Kate; rather, Brown dedicates chapters to key members in the Queen Elizabeth's family, and all the drama that's occurred since Princess Diana's death. It alleges that Meghan and Kate both cried at a bridesmaid dress fitting for Meghan and Harry's royal wedding, and explained why the "Fab Four" (Prince Harry, Prince William, Meghan, and Kate) only appeared together once. Extremely juicy stuff!

This style book primarily focuses on 2011 through 2021, and addresses specifically Kate's fashion choices. "I prefer to see fashion not as something that has obscured her real character, but a vital and potent device that she has learned to deploy with huge success," Bethan Holt writes in the introduction. One of the most interesting chapters is on the "Kate Effect," the impact Kate has had on the British fashion industry.

This was published before Kate and Prince William's engagement, so it completely focuses on her pre-royal life. One interesting part of Kate is that Claudia Joseph dives deep into her family history, looking at the Middleton and Goldsmith family generations into the past.

Game of Crowns—also one of the best books about Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall—focuses on three women: Queen Elizabeth, Camilla, and Kate. Andersen, who also wrote William and Kate, dives into the relationships between the Queen and the two future queens. Per the publisher, "Andersen reveals what transpires within the royal family away from the public's prying eyes; how the women actually feel about each other; how they differ as lovers, wives, and mothers; and how they are reshaping the landscape of the monarchy in this addictive read that will shock even those who are spellbound by the royal palace."

Photographer Chris Jackson has covered the royal family for nearly two decades, and his 2018 book is a behind-the-scenes look at some of the biggest moments of those years. Included is Kate and William's fairytale wedding, the births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte (Louis wasn't born at the time of publication!), and so much more from the Cambridges' royal life.

This book is targeted to be a kid-friendly biography of the Duchess of Cambridge, focusing on her early life through the birth of her eldest child, Prince George. A must read for any young fans of the royal family!

Last is not technically a book about Kate, but rather, a book she contributed to—joining a long list of books written by members of the British royal family. During the pandemic, the Duchess of Cambridge launched a photography project, and then turned that project into a book.

Read more: Kate Middleton Publishes a Photography Book