Kate Middleton had a sweet connection to Prince Philip before she even met Prince William

Kate Middleton had a sweet connection to Prince Philip when she was a teenager, before she had even met her husband Prince William.

• Kate Middleton had a sweet connection to Prince Philip as a teenager, before she met Prince Harry.
• A new royal photo shows the Cambridge family in 2015, spending time with Prince Philip and the Queen at Balmoral.
• This royal news comes after it was reported that Meghan is 'willing to forgive' the royal family in the wake of Philip's death.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Philip had died "peacefully" at Windsor Castle last week and tributes from royal fans and his closest family members have poured in ever since.

Ahead of Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday, which will only be able to welcome 30 attendees, Prince William shared an unseen photo of Prince George and Prince Philip, alongside a touching tribute to his grandfather.

Prince Harry followed suit sharing a poignant statement detailing his favourite memories of his grandpa, while Princess Eugenie did the same, promising Philip that the family will 'look after Granny' for him.

The Queen has also released some private family photos to remember Philip's roles as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. One of the adorable snaps shows Philip with seven of the Queen's great-grandchildren, while another is of the Queen, Philip, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The photo, taken in 2015 before Prince Louis was part of the Cambridge family, shows the royals enjoying some intimate family time at Balmoral Castle, highlighting the close bond that Kate and William had with Philip and Her Majesty.

Since Philip's death, it's been pointed out that Kate Middleton actually had a connection to the Duke before her and William's love story had even started.

As a teenager, Catherine achieved the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award at Sixth Form at Marlborough College - before she headed off to St. Andrews University where she met Prince William.

Although, it was recently revealed that Kate and William once crossed paths years before they officially found each other.

The famous scheme was founded by Prince Philip in 1956 and millions of young people have taken on the challenge, which involves volunteering and outdoor activities, to achieve the full award.

Speaking of her experience doing the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, Hello! reports that Kate once said, "I can remember trying to cook bacon in the soaking wet.

"Everything was just sopping and I was trying and trying to cook bacon. I remember saying you know what, 'I think we're just going to have plain sandwiches. Bread, basic bread and butter'."