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This January, just before Will set off for Sandhurst, Kate threw him a surprise party in her flat, inviting some 30 of his buddies for champagne and dancing. "Will had no idea what was up," says one pal. "He walked in and beamed a big smile when he realized Kate had surprised him." Says another friend: "She laid this on him the same as any other girlfriend would want to do. She's a great girl, and they are very fond of each other."
For now, though, Kate can't do much besides act "like a lady-in-waiting," says royals author Judy Wade. One of three children raised in Berkshire by Michael Middleton, who runs a mail-order company that sells children's party goods, and his wife, Carole, Kate wrapped up her degree in art history from St. Andrews in 2005. But in the nearly two years since, she has yet to sink her teeth into any significant venture; plans to start a children's clothing line seem to have stalled. Besides, getting too involved in any commercial enterprise would be a no-no for a future princess. Which leaves lots of time for making the rounds on the arm of Will's best friend, Guy Pelly, who has become an unofficial chaperone. Still, says Wade, "you have to ask how long Kate can continue doing this."
