It was a fairytale romance that came to life when Kate Middleton, a commoner, married the future king of England in a lavish wedding celebration watched by the whole world. But for those who have known her during her schooldays, it isn't surprising that the now Duchess of Cambridge have levelled up in station because it seemed that she was groomed for the role her whole life.

An unnamed mother, whose child was in the same house as Kate and her sister Pippa at Marlborough College, said that the Middletons made other families look "hopeless."

"There was always something slightly galling about having your child at school with the Middletons," the mother told Tatler magazine.

"Every pristine item of their clothing would have a beautifully sewn-in name tape, for instance. There were huge picnics at sports day; the smartest tennis rackets, that kind of thing. It made other families feel rather hopeless."

Kate and Pippa most probably earned their pristine appearance to mum Carole Middleton.

"That thing that no one seems to get about Carole is how cosy she really is. Yes, she looks quite intimidating, but no one could be more family-minded. More of homebody," a friend said.

Meanwhile, English singer-songwriter Bo Bruce also remembers the sisters during her time at the Marlborough College. The difference is that she didn't find Kate and Pippa "galling," but rather "saintly."

"They were loved. They were really loved. And they're gorgeous girls and were good at sports. They ticked all the boxes," she told EntertainmentWise.

"They were never naughty. Everyone wants there to be skeletons but they were really saintly."