Skip to main content

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are some of the most famous and recognizable faces in the world. Of course, being as popular as they are has many of their fans asking questions and wanting to know more and more about the women who won the hearts of princes.

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex | Stephen Pond/Getty Images

One question that always comes up about the ladies is what their ages are. So who is actually older, the Princess of Wales or the Duchess of Sussex? Here’s the answer to that, plus how old the women were when they welcomed their children.

Kate Middleton’s age

Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton | Anthony Devlin-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to parents Michael and Carole Middleton on Jan. 9, 1982, in Reading, England. She’s actually five and a half months or 164 days to be exact, older than Prince William who she married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London.

A year after the world watched the couple tie the knot, it was announced that Kate was pregnant with their first child. Middleton gave birth to a son, Prince George, on July 22, 2013, when she was 31 years old. They welcomed their daughter, Princess Charlotte in 2015 when she was 33, and their youngest son, Prince Louis, in 2018 when the royal mom was 36.

The Prince and Princess of Wales’ kids are second, third, and fourth in the line of succession to the British throne. Prince Harry is currently sixth but once the Wales kiddos have children of their own, he will move further down the line.

Meghan Markle’s age

Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Rachel Meghan Markle was born on Aug. 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, making the Duchess of Sussex older than her sister-in-law by a few months. Like Kate, the duchess is also older than her husband. They are just over three years apart as Harry was born on Sept. 15, 1984.

When Markle and the prince wed on May 19, 2018, she became the oldest royal bride at 36. That record was previously held by Middleton who was 29 years old when she and William said, “I do.”

In October 2018, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were expecting their first child together. Markle gave birth to Prince Archie when she was 37. Express noted that Markle was classified as a “geriatric mother.” The term refers to a woman who gives birth after 35. Kate was also categorized as such as well because she gave birth to Prince Louis.

“As women get older the number and quality of egg cells that are produced by the ovaries declines,” an article published by the U.K.’s National Health Service states. “About 10% of women are affected by early ovarian aging but there is currently little that can be done to identify this condition. Infertility and difficulty in conceiving can cause great emotional distress to couples.”

In 2021, Meghan and Harry announced that they were expecting their second child together. They welcomed Princess Lilbet in June of that year when Meghan was 39 years old.