Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Celebrity News

    ‘Kate Middleton Is Stunning Up Close And Really Lovely’ Says Victoria Pendleton

    EXCLUSIVE! Victoria Pendleton told Marie Claire what it was like meeting Kate Middleton

    By Rebecca Twomey
    Published 8 March 2013 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Kate Middleton Victoria Pendleton
    Kate Middleton Victoria Pendleton
    (Image credit: Rex)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    EXCLUSIVE! Victoria Pendleton told Marie Claire what it was like meeting Kate Middleton

    Kate Middleton may look picture perfect in front of the paparazzi but even once the flashbulbs stop it’s still the same story according to Olympic cyclist, Victoria Pendleton who spoke to Marie Claire about her first meeting with the royal.

    HILARY MANTEL DEFENDS KATE MIDDLETON ‘PLASTIC PRINCESS’ COMMENTS

    We caught up with the athlete as she launched Fitness First’s International Fitness Week, while we reminisced about last summer’s Olympics, Victoria’s mood instantly lifted as she began to speak about Kate Middleton.

    Victoria told us: ‘Can I just say that in real life, close up Kate Middleton is absolutely stunning, she’s really really stunning. She’s just slim, tall and lovely.’

    You may like
    • Arsenal player and Lioness Chloe Kelly Chloe Kelly: “I Never Take Playing for My Country for Granted—I Just Want to Give it My All”
    • Emilia Clarke Emilia Clarke: “That's my goal for the next decade of my life: to take it lightly. But it requires strength.”
    • Cara My Life in London Cara Delevingne on Designing Her First Collection for Topshop and London's Best-Kept Secrets

    That’s high praise indeed! And it wasn’t solely about looks, Victoria was equally as impressed with the effort the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made with Team GB during the games.

    KATE MIDDLETON SPOTTED PREGNANCY FASHION SHOPPING AT SERAPHINE

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    ‘Kate Middleton was amazing,’ Victoria recalled. ‘Both William and Kate were very lovely and very knowledgeable of who we were and what we were competing in – that was quite breath taking.’

    Despite winning two Olympic medals this summer, Victoria cited meeting the royals as a ‘huge highlight’ and was humbled by the opportunity.

    Victoria added: ‘You wouldn’t expect people to know about you, to walk along a line of individual athletes and to know who they are and what they were doing, that was very flattering.

    What to read next
    • Arsenal footballer and Lioness Chloe Kelly Women in Sport 2026: Featuring Chloe Kelly, Elite Beauty Products, Grand Prix 2.0 and So Much More
    • Keely Hodgkinson winning Athlos 2026 Fashion is Fuel—Keely Hodgkinson is Winning Proof That Wearing Confidence-Boosting Outfits Changes the Way We Move
    • Entrepreneur Krissy Cela at a school giving a Project Power workshop, encouraging young girls into movement Krissy Cela Wants Every Girl to Feel Strong. Here's Where That Starts

    ‘It was lovely to meet Kate and William, they were both incredible and really passionate about the games it was really inspiring.’

    Is there anyone who isn’t in awe of Kate Middleton?

    Victoria Pendleton launches International Fitness Week powered by Fitness First which runs from the 11-17 March 2013. Download the free 7-day guest pass from fitnessfirst.co.uk

    WATCH! Kate Middleton’s best moments video

    KATE MIDDLETON STYLE HIGHS AND LOWS

    KATE MIDDLETON’S BEST DRESSES

    50 REASONS WHY KATE MIDDLETON IS A STYLE ICON

    Rebecca Twomey
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Arsenal player and Lioness Chloe Kelly
    Health and Fitness Chloe Kelly: “I Never Take Playing for My Country for Granted—I Just Want to Give it My All”
    Emilia Clarke
    Culture Emilia Clarke: “That's my goal for the next decade of my life: to take it lightly. But it requires strength.”
     
     
    Cara My Life in London
    Fashion Cara Delevingne on Designing Her First Collection for Topshop and London's Best-Kept Secrets
    Arsenal footballer and Lioness Chloe Kelly
    Health and Fitness Women in Sport 2026: Featuring Chloe Kelly, Elite Beauty Products, Grand Prix 2.0 and So Much More
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity News
    Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage in a babydoll dress that sparked online debate, later prompting the singer to speak out about the sexualisation of girlhood and double standards facing young women.
    Celebrity News “We Really Normalise Pedophilia in Our Culture”: What Olivia Rodrigo's Babydoll Dress Backlash Reveals About Girlhood
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2
    Celebrity News Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in News
    New Beauty Launches: Burberry Beauty / Mes Beauty / rhute / Jo Loves / Ziip Beauty
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Jennifer Lawrence’s Unexpected Haircare Launch, Burberry’s Exquisite New Perfumes and Jo Loves Sparks Festive Joy
    New Beauty Launches: Amouage, Haus Labs, XERF
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Is XERF Worth the Hype? Plus, Amouage’s New Body Collection & The Beauty Beat Returns
     
     
    Jeans And Jackets
    Shopping Celine Dion, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sarah Pidgeon Swear by This Trophy Jacket-and-Jeans Formula for Instant Fashion Confidence
    Next
    Shopping NEXT’s Autumn/Winter 2026 Collection Has Everything We Love About Getting Dressed in the Colder Months
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.